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The Young Witness

Photos and Video | The Young Witness

Photos and Video

It's that time of the week when we take a look back at what's been happening in Young. Every week we aim to compile our top stories from around the shire over the last seven days&nbsp;to form this photo gallery and keep you updated. This week's news summary&nbsp;is from May 4-8.

A Lambing Flat Enterprises (LFE) building project that will help address a shortage of housing for the disabled is about to get underway after more than six years in the pipeline. LFE CEO Sally Hofman  said they were thrilled they were finally about to start building on the Miro Street site. The project, which kicks off in the next couple of weeks, will eventually see 12 units built for LFE clients and include a garden and labyrinth.

The Hilltops region of Boorowa, Harden and Young has launched a comprehensive brochure to promote joint food, wine and produce destinations. The brochure features town and village maps with directions to produce outlets, cellar doors and attractions in all three shires comprising the Hilltops region.

THE dumping of a trailerload of trash on a rural road has raised the very real issue of council resources being utilised to investigate this illegal activity. The trash was discovered on the Mines Road near Thuddungra on Thursday afternoon, which, according to council’s planning environment and strategic services director Craig Filmer, is a serious nuisance.

Local residents are among ActewAGL customers who have been slugged with huge gas bills after the company started estimating accounts. But the utility provider says no customer will be left short-changed in the long term. Young man Ivan Fitzgerald said he was shocked when he recently received a gas bill of $221 and is warning others to double check their accounts.

There could soon be an agreement over the Young campus of the proposed Australia Agriculture Academy. The group bought the Old Mercy Care Hospital last year, saving it from potential demolition.
But the future of the academy relies largely on the final sign-off by a group of Chinese investors. While the fence may just be to keep potential vandals away, The Witness has been told an agreement is “perilously close”.

The Young Yabbies have come out in praise of the 500-strong crowd that supported their Ladies Day carnival, contributing six times the amount of funds raised compared to last year. These pink jerseys worn during the Yabbies first grade match were auctioned off afterwards, helping to contribute to the funds.

Yabbies club president Ben Reid couldn’t be happier with the outcome of the April 25 event, which he said was well attended by the ladies. Among them was Vanessa Thorley, Liz Sheridan and Sarah Steratford.

Police were out in force on the main street yesterday as part of a targeted drug operation which aimed to put offenders on notice. About 10 officers were involved in the operation, including local police and members of the Target Action Group based in Cootamundra, not forgetting the sniffer dog which was on secondment from Wagga. Young Police Inspector Ashley Holmes said it was all part of an ongoing effort to curb drug crime in town.

If you were driving down Zouch Street recently, you may have noticed a long, thin pole sticking out of the ground emitting steam. A bizarre sight it was until council’s utilities director Nicole Vonarx explained it was the process of relining the sewer pipes, which involved council’s contractors The Drain Man and Insituform - a company which rehabilitates underground pipelines without having to dig - inserting a new line connected to the old pipe underground and curing it on site using steam.


Lambing Flat Enterprises (LFE) are appealing for the public’s help after a vending machine used to fund their transition-to-work program was broken into and stolen. They say the act has taken funds away from a valuable community-based project and left them without a machine that would cost $1300 to replace.

On Saturday, Young Preschool held a fete at their Brock Street premises from 10am to 2pm. The fete is held every second year to raise money for the preschool, a not-for-profit organisation.  Last week Nicholas Brouwer, Debbie Jenner and Sierra Hampton were looking forward to the event.

Organisers were pleased with the turnout of over 700 students and 39 stall holders at Young’s 2015 Careers Expo last Monday. Among those present were defence force representatives Corporal Paula Smith and Sergeant Lance Purdon who spoke with Hennessy Catholic College students Chloe Bloor and Jessica Dun.


Young's Faith James showed seasoned riders what team penning was all about with her team having taken out the junior competition in a time of 22.46 seconds at West Wyalong Horse Sport Team Yarding last Sunday. The Year 6 St Mary’s Primary School student has been riding horses since she was three and - now paired with her trusty steed Charlie - she wowed the crowds twice.

It has been described as the motor sport equivalent of showjumping, and it’s being held at Murringo on Sunday, May 24. The moto-trials - open only to members of the Trials Club of Canberra - is held annually at a property in Murringo and draws a crowd of around 40 participants.

The Young Under 14 representative basketball team played their third and final round of the western junior league last weekend when they travelled to Bathurst. After a tough season, the boys knew it would be a tougher weekend with only a five-man squad.

Young Shire Council is disappointed a suitable private operator couldn’t be found to restore and run the Blayney-Demondrille railway but are thankful the NSW Government won’t completely rule out its re-opening. The NSW Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight, Duncan Gay, met with representatives of Young, Harden, Blayney, Cowra and Weddin councils, and the unsuccessful tenderers of the lines in Cowra last week. Mr Gay said the tender process to re-open the 200 kilometres of non-operational rail lines between Blayney and Harden, and Koorawatha and Greenethorpe - called the Cowra Lines -  revealed the two tenderers who applied couldn’t adequately address the tender criteria.

For the first time since The Young Witness began its fuel campaign four months ago, the average price of petrol in the town has returned to the 130 cent per litre mark. On Wednesday morning Young’s E10 and unleaded petrol price average was recorded at 130.4 cents per litre, after BP increased their ethanol and unleaded 91 price by five cents. The last time Young prices were this high was January 13 - one day into The Witness’ fuel campaign - which, at the time, was at an average of 132 cents per litre.

Mothers across the region were getting ready to be indulged with breakfast in bed, flowers and gifts from their kids and partners on Sunday. Shandell Carroll was one mother getting ready to celebrate her first Mother’s Day with her beautiful daughter Indigo Johnson.

Young councillor Tony Wallace spearheaded a question-time type of gathering at Wednesday afternoon’s budget meeting. More than $15 million in capital works, a 2.4 per cent rate rise and changes to fees and charges, including water, are what make this year’s draft budget. The meeting didn’t go without a lengthy discussion, with Cr Wallace and his fellow councillors telling senior staff they had plenty of questions and the desire to flag certain tasks as priority.

Residents of the Southern Cross Retirement Village enjoyed last year’s high tea event featuring local ballroom dancers so much they decided to host another. Village volunteer Helen Waugh took resident Max Holmes for a dance.

The Young Cherrypicker’s First Grade side was strengthened by two fresh new talents in Round 5 on Saturday. Matt Murray (18) and Jayke Hogan (17) were put to the test as they stepped up from the Under 18s to make their debut in First Grade.

The SWLGA scratch teams event was held at Binalong on Wednesday with Young represented by Maxine McCormack, Leanne Slater, Liz Harding ,Wendy Tuckerman, Cheryl Minehan and Kate Cooper. Young was the winner of the team event with an aggregate score of 361 just edging out Tumut by three shots. It is some years since Young has won this event.

The Cherryettes were handed a loss last weekend, going down to Tumut 4-14. Despite the defeat it was an extraordinary effort from the side who only fielded eight players - three of whom were juniors. Pictured Danika Coddington getting tagged by a Blues player.

“Pride in the jumper”. That was the call from the Under 16s dressing shed at half-time during Sunday’s match at Twickenham Oval as 16s coach Mick Hill inspired his team to a 22-10 victory. Under 16s player Jared Inness in action against Temora.

On May 3 Young netballers travelled to Forbes for a carnival.  Seven teams ageing from 11 years to opens competed on the day. The 17s took competitors head on, even though they were missing players through injury and WRAS duties. Pictured (back) Jemma McAlister, Lara Cummings, Samantha Hambrook, Jessica King, (front) Ellie McCarthy, Bridget Baker, Sophie Mewton and Hannah Cartwright at the Forbes carnival. Absent: Hannah Barrett.

It's that time of the week when we take a look back at what's been happening in Young.

Every week we aim to compile our top stories from around the shire over the last seven days&nbsp;to form this photo gallery and keep you updated.

This week's news summary&nbsp;is from May 4-8.

Rebecca Hewson

Police allege the street value of the cannabis was worth $78,000. Photos from NSW Police.

Reids Flat trio face drugs and firearms charges following search warrant

Curruthers clearing sale to clear the deck for new owners

Emergency services at the scene on Thursday. Photo Cara Kemp.

Passenger and pilot injured in Cowra airport emergency

The annual Heartbeat of Australia survey is a special collaboration between media company ACM - the publisher of this masthead - and the University of Canberra's News and Media Research Centre.

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Do our Heartbeat survey and you could win a $500 Eftpos card.

Australia, it's time we had a heart-to-heart. How are you feeling?

Veteran rouser, Mathew "Boycey" Boyce gets to work on Woody. Photo by Eliza Spencer.

Shorn the sheep: Woody finds new lease on life

Tim Piccione

Text messages from former Spotlight producer Taylor Auerbach about the Bruce Lehrmann criminal trial. Pictures APP, supplied

The week that was, May 8: Photos

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