Local police were alerted to a woman walking along Brewster Street holding a syringe on Tuesday afternoon.Police from the Richmond Target Action group will allege that they responded to the call and located the 39 year old Lismore woman at McDonalds."The woman was climbing the counter and acting oddly", a Richmond District Police Facebook statement said."The woman refused to supply her name and was highly abusive towards police and nearby school children."The woman then tried to enter a nearby car and intentionally slammed the door into a Senior Constable's leg and threw a drink at him. "She was placed under arrests and fought efforts to restrain her. "A search of her property located a syringe and methadone that was not prescribed to her."The woman was charged with Assault Police, Resist Police, Offensive Language, Possess Restricted Substance and Fail to Disclose Identity. "She will appear at Lismore Local Court later this month."

Richmond District Police are warning of a new phishing scam from 'Commbonk'.Police reported that the scam starts as an email using various display names, each containing the word ‘CommBank’.Unsuspecting recipients who click on the link to view ‘transaction details’ are each led to a different page which redirects to a page using the domain 'commbonk'. According the security company, MailGuard, this is a phishing page masquerading as a fake Commonwealth Bank sign-in page."Don't click on the link and delete email immediately," Richmond PD reported.Mailguard reported on its website that whilst MailGuard is stopping this email scam from reaching Australian businesses, “we encourage all users to be extra vigilant against this kind of email and whatever happens, do not respond to it”.“Commonwealth Bank is one of Australia’s best known and most trusted brands, so it is irresistible to phishing scammers as it widens their victim base,” the website reported.“The hallmark of this scam lies in its ability to trick users by ironically using a security alert. “Verifying irregular transaction activity is a common trait of well-established banks like Commonwealth and it’s this focus on security that cybercriminals behind this scam leverage on.”For more information on this scam, visit https://www.mailguard.com.au/blog/commonwealth-bank-impersonated-in-phishing-scam-email-asks-users-to-confirm-card-activityFor more information about phishing, visit https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/types-of-scams/attempts-to-gain-your-personal-information/phishing

A new policy to help Lismore City Council staff deal with unreasonable conduct from people they interact with was the subject of discussion at last night’s Lismore City Council meeting.Before the new policy is put on public exhibition, Lismore councillors voted to hold a workshop to further discuss the content of the policy.The policy’s executive summary states “whilst staff interactions with the community are generally positive, at times staff are placed in positions where these interactions can become hostile and unreasonable”. Some of the listed types of unreasonable conduct in the draft policy include: unreasonable persistence, demands, lack of cooperation, arguments and behaviours.Cr Ekins asked who the people in council would be to make the decisions about whether someone’s behaviour was unreasonable or not.She was told there were three key people: the customer advocate contact centre manager, the safety team responsible manager, and the public officer.She was also told that once the behaviour was reviewed, the documentation would be sent to the person, who would have 30 days to ask the general manager to review it.Cr Ekins suggested that one of words in the policy that needed to be changed was the use of “conspiracy” in relation to someone’s “unreasonable argument”.“We need to change it to ‘theories’,” she said.“Some people in the community have a body of evidence behind their theories and are passionate about them.”Councillor Elly Bird said the new policy was an opportunity provide appropriate workplace health and safety protocol for staff and councillors.“We might need some wording changes to the policy – but it comes down to respect – and for people to feel safe in their workplace,” she said.“If someone doesn’t feel safe in their interactions with anyone in any way, whether it’s a staff member or a councillor, they should be protected in their work “It’s about protection and care … and putting into place a framework that adequately documents and traces the journey of engagement for those people.“It’s not acceptable that anyone should feel unsafe, harassed, or abused in their workplace - be that staff member or a councillor.”Lismore resident Janine Wilson had concerns that the policy could stop community members accessing information if they were deemed “unreasonable” by council staff.“We need a policy to protect staff, but it should be balanced to protect the community and give them the right of access to the information they need,” she said.Cr Battista expressed his concern about the policy and that many people in the community would not be happy with it if they felt they didn’t get responses from council."We need to be transparent, we want a community that engages with council,” he said.“We don't want to stop them from reaching out to us."

Richmond District Police are warning local residents that thieves are targeting bicycles in our area."Victims have had their bikes stolen from front porches, garages as well as out in public spaces," Richmond PD reported on its Facebook page."The common theme is unsecured or weak chain locks which can be snapped with little effort.""Please be careful not to buy stolen bikes."If it's too good to be true it's probably stolen."Police recommend people use the following bicycle protection tips to secure your bike from thieves:• U-locks and heavy-duty chains offer better bicycle protection, though not impenetrable.• Never lock just the frame - otherwise anybody with a tool can remove both wheels in less than a minute.• For extra bicycle protection, use two U-locks - one securing the back part of the frame and the wheel and the other locking the front.• Your second lock can also be a different type - thus the thief will require a different set of tools to open it.• Buy the smallest U-locks because they give the thief less room as leverage to free the bike.• Never park in isolated or overcrowded places• Photograph and engrave your bike with a unique marking (e.g. drivers licence number)• Bring your bike indoors.

Lismore’s Quad was an explosion of colour, dance and music yesterday when the local community celebrated International Day of People with Disability.Hundreds of people of differing abilities, their carers, families and support agencies came together to celebrate, eat, dance and sing – and throw coloured powder at each other in a colour fun run.Angela Mathews and Ben Payne.The local day’s organiser Angela Mathews, from Just Like Home support services said it was the third year that the event had been held in the Quad.“When you live it, it’s nice to celebrate it,” Angela said. “It’s a great way for people to get together, be happy, social and meet up with their friends – being in care can be isolating sometimes.”Angela said while the Australian Bureau of Statistics show that 14% of our local population is made up of people with special needs and different abilities, the reality is much higher.“There’s about one in three people here who have special needs,” she said. “It’s just more hidden.“There’s no difference between us really. It’s not us and them – we are all part of an inclusive community.“Being inclusive is about not focusing on the differences.”Elise Nurka and her support worker Jo Puglis.Angela said part of the work of the Just Like Home was creating experiences for the young people involved with the organisation.“We create a sleepover experience where they get to hang out with other people with a disability,” she said.“We’ve also just launched a new travel experience and recently, I took Ben Payne and some of his friends to Tasmania to experience what it’s like to go on the road and visit other places.“Ben chose Tasmania and we went to many different places and he gained a lot of life skills in the process.”Ben said he’s also looking forward to the upcoming monthly games night they are creating.Renee, Christine and Hayley from Archive Australia with Tracey, Diana and Tom.“Lismore City Council brought along the hippocamp today,” Angela said.“It’s a wheelchair that lets people access forest or the beach where they can go into the surf for a swim."Tash, Jason and Santos from Multitask enjoyed watching the bellydancers Talia and Belladonna - dancers from the Veil of Tears.Tash and Jason sang with the Multitask choir on the day and Tash also bellydances.“It’s good fun,” Tash said.Tash, Jason and Santos from Multitask.Joanne Schutte and Laila Reagan.

Road works on a contaminated site at Beardow Street in Lismore Heights are finally complete after months of delays.The completed works include bitumen sealing and weed matting over the embankment which will be planted out in March.The landslip, which occurred in the aftermath of Cyclone Debbie in 2017, has been an ongoing headache for Lismore Council due to the discovery of asbestos contaminated soil there.The cost to fix it was originally estimated at $1.2 million and was to be borne by the Federal Govt under the Natural Distaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA).But work was halted when it was found the site was ridden with asbestos which the NDRRA would not pay to have removed.In June this year, The Lismore App reported the remediation works would cost an $2 million, and more time to fix.After a court battle between the council and a landowner over access to the site, the state and federal governments contributed $2.4 million earlier this year to ensure the project could be completed.Councils’ Director of Infrastructure Services Peter Jeuken said “council is still waiting to hear back from the NSW Environment Protection Authority following testing to determine if the waste material exposed during the initial landslip extended to other areas of the road reserve”. “We will advise residents once we are notified by the EPA,” he said. “Unfortunately, the planned repairs of Noel Street have been delayed due to the large scope of the work. “Repairs are now expected to start in early January and take about four weeks.“Council recognises that the road works has significantly impacted on residents and we apologise for any inconvenience. “We are currently offering a house cleaning service to remove dust from those homes which were directly adjacent to the landslip work."

If you are heading north on the highway this week, be prepared for changed traffic conditions on the Pacific Motorway at the Tugun Bypass Tunnel.While essential maintenance work is carried out, the northbound and southbound fast lanes of the tunnel will be closed for one night, on Thursday 5 December between 7pm and 6am. A reduced speed limit of 40km/h will be in place for the safety of workers and motorists during the work, which will include sensor repairs and calibration, and power supply maintenance.Motorists are advised to drive to the conditions, and follow the direction of signs and traffic control.Transport for NSW thanks motorists for their patience during this time.For the latest traffic updates download the Live Traffic NSW App, visit http://livetraffic.com or call 132 701.

Rural Fire Service (RFS) volunteers will take centre stage at this year’s Shopbaby Carols in the Heart.Lismore Mayor Isaac Smith said putting the firies in the limelight was to thank them for the selfless work they did protecting our community during the recent bushfires.“While some people were forced to evacuate their homes, many more could have been affected and lives and property lost, had it not been for the dedication and professionalism of the RFS and its wonderful volunteers,” he said.“It seems appropriate as we gather as a community to celebrate Christmas, that we thank our RFS volunteers who gave up so much of their time and risked their own lives to look after us.“They are truly heroes who deserve to be recognised and thanked.”Donations collected on the night and proceeds from sales of Glowsticks will go to the local RFS.Cr Smith said Council was also hosting a special thank you event for the RFS and emergency services earlier in the day.Lismore City Council’s Tourism and Events Manager Mitch Lowe said due to the ongoing dry conditions and fires in the region, there will be no fireworks during the evening.However, he said there was still much on offer at this year’s Carols including headline act Adam Harvey, face painting, a jumping castle, an array of food stalls, and a visit from Santa. “This is a beautiful way to celebrate Christmas as a community and come together for some festive fun, carol singing and to say thanks to our RFS volunteers,” Mitch said. “We are really thrilled to have Australian country music Adam Harvey as our headline performer as well as a line-up of talented local performers who will be there with jingle bells on! “Our talented local performers include Megan Phillips Dance Academy, Caniaba Public School, Summerland Christian College, Northern Rivers Conservatorium, Cath Simes Band and, Marlaina and Ruben Garcia. “Food and refreshments will be available on the day and we warmly welcome everyone in the Lismore community and beyond to come and join us for this special Christmas afternoon.” Shopbaby Carols in the Heart is on Sunday, 8 December at Crozier Field. Gates open at 4.30pm with the first carols from 5.30pm. Entry is free. Crozier Field can be accessed via Uralba and Brewster Street entries.

Local Rivers Secondary College Richmond Rivers High Campus teacher Sally Ford has been named teacher of the year in the national Australian Training Awards.Sally is the head teacher in Technology and Applied Studies, teaching practical subjects like food technology, agriculture, woodwork, textiles and design.She loves teaching agriculture and said winning the award was due to her ability to build partnerships in the community and build relationships with her students.“I do a lot of work with kids who are struggling,” she said. “Kids who have a hard time being in a normal classroom can come to the agricultural centre and do practical, hands on activities.“They are so interested in it that they want to go on to work in the agricultural industry.“I always try to find opportunities for them to help them get jobs in the industry.”Sally said it was “jaw dropping” when she heard the news that she won the Australian VET Teacher/Trainer of the Year award.“My principal nominated me for a NSW training award and then I was in the finals for the Australian award.“I was proud and surprised I won - I was up against an amazing range of talented people."Sally with her teaching award.PassionSally has always had a passion for teaching. She said when she was in year 7 at school, she knew she wanted to be a teacher and went on to study at Hawkesbury Agricultural College and straight into teaching.“At school, I loved my textiles teacher,” she said. “I wasn’t great at maths, but loved textiles and my teacher encouraged us to be the best people we could be and love what it was that we did.“It inspired me to go for what I wanted and I started working as a textiles teacher before I swapped to agriculture.“I wanted to do the same for my students that she did for me – she was there for us when we struggled.“When you have one person you connect with and feel supported by, it makes so much difference.”Animal husbandryIn her work at Rivers Secondary College, Sally teaches land management and animal husbandry.She said she has been changing what she teaches to make it more applicable to what students in the local area need.“We have floods in our area - show do we manage this, and the drought, and help so many kids now living in fire zones?” she said.“Through the school, we provide support for students and their families with management strategies.“There are kids on tractors cutting fire trails and back burning protecting houses here.“The kids learn about farm machinery at school and they take home the knowledge of how to use fire pumps and how to create an evacuation plan.Sally and her students.Floods“The kids really get involved because we are a school in a flood area and when the flood comes, the kids help lift everything on site.”When the flood does comes, Sally said all the school animals come to her house.“In the flood two years ago, all the cattle, sheep, chickens and ducks came to my property.“My husband and I have a few acres and he’s very supportive me – we even have evacuation tents set up and cattle pens ready.“We teach the kids about different animals throughout the year and they learn about looking after them.“While we are in drought, the community support we get is what makes it possible - with generous people supplying us with fodder for the animals. ChangeSally said the reality of our environment now, is that we need to change what we are doing.“I’m gradually swapping the stuff we teach to focus on relevant industries here,” she said.“I’m championing local industries - not cotton, but sugar came and macadamias.“Some of the kids go on to work in the macadamia factories.”Crazy sheepSally said the craziest thing she has done as a teacher is her work on the sheep project.“Not a lot of people do a round trip to Dubbo to pick up sheep,” she laughed.“Once a year, I take a group of kids to Dubbo to collect the sheep we’ll be working with,” she said.“We camp out in the sheep shed in our swags during winter, then drive back with the sheep. “Then we do it again to take the sheep back.“The kids say it’s one of the best trips they have ever done - looking after sheep 24/7.“The skills the kids get are amazing. They have an amazing interaction with the animals.“Some kids have been offered jobs in wool sheds because they’ve been on that trip." 

In the simulation room, there’s an emergency. A 60 year old man has been brought in suspected of drowning in the river at Ballina - and the doctors in the room are trying to save him.The man is actually Sim Man - a high fidelity manikin who talks, breathes, has a pulse and costs $80K.He is a part of the training equipment for the Emergency Medicine Education and Training (EMET) program, which gives rural doctors a chance to keep up to date with training while still living in a regional area.Last week, a summer emergency situation training event at the Lismore-based University Centre for Rural Health involved 30 medical professionals from the local taking part in a series of simulations dealing with airway management, snake bite and near-drowning.EMET trainer Helen Briggs monitors the simulation.Overseeing the Sim Man in this room were two career medical officers and a clinical nurse specialist from Byron Bay.They discussed their roles - who will be the team leader, who will monitor pulse, breathing and circulation.“It’s something that all teams need to do first in an emergency”, explained Helen Briggs, the EMET program manager.Helen stands at a computer, monitoring the doctors, their trainer and Sim Man from behind a glass window.Sim Man’s vital signs are controlled by Helen’s computer – his heart and breathing rate, his voice and reactions to whatever the doctors are doing to resuscitate him.“Looks like he could be homeless,” one of the doctors said.The medical professionals work with Sim Man during the simulation.   The doctors are looking at the monitors Sim Man is connected to and as his heart stops, they restart his heart and give Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). “I can see how effective their compressions are on the computer,” Helen said.“They have given adrenaline and are checking his response again.”One of the doctors speaks to Sim Man and the dummy responds groaning, saying “my chest hurts”.The doctors confer and say to the trainer that they think his lungs might be wet.The trainer replies “yes they are wet”.With the patient revived and sitting up, the doctors put in an emergency retrieval call to the Westpac rescue helicopter.The doctors have saved their patient within the 15 minutes given to them for the simulation, and they now debrief with each other how the situation went.Helen Briggs and Northern NSW Regional Training Hub Medical Education Support Officer Nikki Murphy, who will be soon be taking over Helen's EMET training support role.“We also provide training and supervision at remote sites and emergency departments in the Northern Rivers area and visit doctors who wouldn’t normally get access to ongoing training,” Helen said.“We work with them in their own rooms, with their own equipment so they can deal with problems in a real environment.“We help doctors identify issues and provide advice about improvising and improving systems.“Then they can feel more confident in dealing with critically ill or complex patients.“There’s a higher attrition rate for doctors in regional areas and this training helps them stay here – and it also better supports our communities.“There is only one doctor at Urbenvillw now, and one at Bonalbo – and he’s not there full time anymore.”Pictured: Emergency Medicine Education and Training (EMET) program faculty staff Helen Briggs - Program Support Office, Dr Martin Chase – EMET Lead & Emergency Medicine Physician (FACEM) and Dr Andre Danforth - Emergency Medicine Physician (FACEM).Helen said the EMET program is funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health’s Specialist Training Program, with support from the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine. “It’s not a program that gets automatically re-funded every year,” she said.“It’s an important service for clinicians in regional and remote areas and we’re always trying to get more funding from the department of health.Helen said dealing with emergency situations could be stressful for doctors and having the opportunity to practice on Sim Man in a controlled situation gives the doctors more confidence.EMET lead trainer and Lismore Base Hospital Emergency specialist, Dr Martin Chase, said the hands on, practical training also used equipment from the hospital’s Emergency Department “Medical staff are involved in designing the training course and identifying the areas of focus,” he said. “We run the simulation training in multi-disciplinary teams and practise lifesaving and time critical emergency procedures with participants from Emergency Departments and other places such as rural health facilities in the Northern Rivers region.This workshop is held bi-annually in the Northern NSW Local Health District and supports medical teams in the smaller, peripheral sites with Emergency Medicine training to provide better outcomes for patients. 

A firey crash at the Lismore Speedway on Saturday night engulfed two cars in flames.Speedway promoter David Lander said the fires started when one car crashed into the back of another, causing 50 litres of fuel to spill onto the track.“At the same time, one of the cars’ batteries smashed as well and that started the fire,” he said.“The guys got out in ten seconds and it took only 20 seconds for the Rural Fire Service (RFS) truck to get to the accident and it took only two minutes to put out the fire.“It’s not easy to put out so much petrol on fire.“I watched the video of the race afterwards and the quick response of the RFS was fantastic.”Mr Lander said both cars were damaged in the crash, but were both fixable.“I have no doubt they will both be racing in two weeks time,” he said.After the firey crash, a thunderstorm brought bucketing rain onto the track, ending the event.“I was happy to see it rain,” Mr Lander said. “It poured hard – I think about a couple of inches of rain.”Mr lander said the track races for kids with helmets on pushbikes was a successful part of the event.“The kids under 12 got to race 100 yards and the bigger kids got to race half a lap,” he said.“One of the street stock drivers brought in 50 trophies he had collected over the years and gave each of them a trophy.“The kids also got lollies from Santa.”The speedway will be held next on Boxing Day, then every weekend in January, then fortnightly in February.Read more about the weekend event and the race winners in Sport: Lismore driver Fawcett wins rain-hit The Dream sedan event

Students, farmers and people who had lost their homes in the recent bushfires converged outside Kevin Hogan’s office on Friday to talk about climate action.Molesworth Street in the Lismore CBD saw a crowd of people rally – bringing a message to the Federal Member for Page that the government needs to act now on climate change.Lismore student Alako Miles said the community and school students want the local member to know that climate change is an important issue and Mr Hogan should bring the interests of Australia into the heart of Liberal Party politics. “Scott Morrison should take action on climate change as it is affecting people everywhere in Australia, rural and metropolitan,” Alako said.“This rally gives a voice to people who are directly affected by bushfires here in the Northern Rivers and we are also writing letters to Mr Hogan and telling him our concerns. “We need our government to change its policies. “We need to see stronger action taken to stop mining.“Australia’s G20 ranking is one of the worst in the world.“When we students join the global strike, we bring these demands to government: No new coal, oil and gas projects, including the Adani mine; 100% renewable energy generation and exports by 2030; and fund a just transition and job creation for all fossil-fuel workers and communities.”Maddy Rose Braddon addressed the crowd saying that she was striking from work“People are becoming depressed and displaced by the climate crisis,” Maddy said.“It’s no longer something that will happen in the future.“Who has been breathing in smoke from the bushfires for the past two weeks?Maddy Rose Braddon speaks at the rally.Who has evacuated because of bushfire or flood?“Who knows someone whose house burned down because of the bushfires?“A few years ago I met with Kevin Hogan to talk about these issues, and told him how ridiculous his policies on climate change were.“Now we are back here again and nothing has changed.“We all need to take action together.”The rally was part of a national climate change action taking part in many cities across Australia.

Deeply personal accounts of pleasurable and unwanted sexual experiences are coming to the stage again next weekend in The Vagina Monologues.  After a successful first weekend, Lismore Theatre Company expects to see full houses for the play’s last shows on December 5, 6, 7 and 8 at Rochdale Theatre in Goonellabah.The award winning play consists of a selection monologues written by Eve Ensler after interviewing 200 women of varying ages, backgrounds, cultures and experiences. The 12 monologues chosen by Director Sharon Brodie for Lismore Theatre Company’s latest production are delivered by nine local women actors.‘My short skirt’ is a powerful piece delivered by Kashmir Miller, the youngest member of the cast. Her piece, she says “is very important to everyone young and old who has had assumptions made about how they look and act”.The individual stories are accompanied by group pieces where the actors provide the responses to questions such as “If your vagina could speak, what would it say?” and a list of the very funny names women call their vaginas. There is also brief bridging narration with lots of facts that will make audiences laugh, feel sad and reflect. This is the fifth time over twenty years that LTC has produced The Vagina Monologues.As long term stage manager Jos Wright says “it’s as relevant today as when it was first staged”.The show on Friday, December 6 will have Auslan interpreters.Bookings can be made at http://www.lismoretheatrecompany.org.auPantomime audition call out: Audition callout: Is your child the next acting star?Children and teenagers who would like to be on stage in the pantomine Puss in Thongs are invited to audition on December 7.Puss in Thongs is the next children’s production of Lismore Theatre Company (LTC) and will be coming to the Rochdale Theatre in the April 2020 schoolholidays. 

A Total Fire Ban has been issued for the Far North Coast for Monday December, 2.The NSW Rural Fires Service (RFS) Northern Rivers Zone said the Total Fire Ban applies until midnight tomorrow and includes Ballina, Byron, Clearance Valley, Kyogle, Lismore, Richmond Valley and Tweed."The Fire Danger Rating is VERY HIGH. Forecast strong winds, low humidity and dry conditions mean there will be an elevated fire danger."Northwest winds are predicted to become stronger and shift around to the west into the afternoon."Mt Nardi Bush Fire update after the rainMore dry, hot weather predicted for summerNSW RFS - Northern Rivers Zone said that whilst we’ve seen rain in some areas this afternoon, weather conditions are forecast to deteriorate tomorrow with strong winds, high temperatures and low humidity."Tomorrow (Monday 2 December) residents south of Ashby-Tullymorgan Road, including the areas of Ashby and Ashby Village, need to actively monitor conditions."You need to be prepared to activate your Bushfire Survival Plan, if your plan is to leave, know where you will go and leave early in the day. Don’t wait for a warning."If you are in the areas of Brewers Road near Kippenduff, Gallaghers Road or Mororo Road you need to monitor conditions and know what you will do if threatened by fire."If you are in the areas near Iluka and Woombah you need to stay up to date and know what you will do if the situation changes."

Yesterday's rain offered some relief for the Mt Nardi bush fires but not as much as expected although there has been some respite for fire crews. Lismore received the most rain with 40mm falling to 9am this morning while only 14mm was tipped into the gauge at Nimbin where it was needed most.(photo from ABC North Coast facebook page)Still, Paul Fowler from the Northern Rivers Fire Service said "patchy rain did occur across the fire ground yesterday making us cautiously comfortable with the future of the Mt Nardi bush fires"."The rain did hinder access to some areas through the deterioration of roads for back burning to continue", he went on.Yesterday's storm did provide some stunning pictures of lightening strikes across the Northern Rivers but this does present more potential new fires to start so fire crews were looking for new ignitions today. A spot fire was put out to the north of Tungun Road (above Whian Whian) earlier today while fire crews are back burning near the Rocky Creek area to secure containment lines.While being cautiously optimistic about the Mt Nardi bush fires, Paul did say that "tomorrow sees the return to higher winds, higher temperatures and lower humidity so we will remain vigilant". "The fires will continue to burn in the coming weeks although the immediate threat has eased" he said.Abrar Shabren from the Weather Bureau told the Lismore App that more rain is expected this afternoon but it will be isolated. "The front moving up from the south will not affect the Northern Rivers today and tonight so the best chance of rain is from some cloud activity building from the west", he said.Abrar went on to explain that we should get between 5 and 10mm today but it will be quite isolated. "You will get 10mm in one area then two kilometres away you can get nothing", he said.

Emergency services were called to the Lismore Square shopping centre car park in Brewster Street after a concern for welfare call about 6.55pm Friday night.Richmond Police District said in a statement officers arrived at the scene and found a man slumped over the steering wheel of a car. They had a look inside the man's car and allegedly located methylamphetamine, cash and a mobile phone.The man, aged 63, was arrested and taken to Lismore Police Station.Following inquiries, police searched a home on Cathcart Street and allegedly located hashish, cannabis seeds and gold chips within a safe, believed to be unlawfully obtained.The man was charged with supply prohibited drug, deal with property proceeds of crime, two counts of possess prohibited drug and good suspected stolen in premises.He was refused bail and was to appear before a registrar in Lismore Local Court on Saturday 30 November.

The first weekend of December (or part there of) is mostly sunny with maximums a very warm 34 degrees. There is the possibility of a Thunderstorm on Saturday and Sunday with Sunday looking the most likely. Keep everything crossed! (Weather)This weekend you can start to feel the run home to Christmas Day. I know, for those of you like me, it starts heart palpitations. So, to ease you into the festive spirit you can take the kids and check out the Lismore City Councils 'Santa Wonderland' which opened this morning. Every day between 10am and 4pm you can visit a unique space guaranteed to give you a smile. There will be Santa Photos between 10am and 2pm, the kids can tell Santa what they would like for Christmas or they can write him a letter. If you have bought some gifts you can get them wrapped plus adults can take a load off in the 'rest area' (no beer though!).The first Christmas Carols of the season is on at the The Channon Tavern at 4pm on Saturday afternoon. The 'Yuletide Sing' is lead by Julie and Mish with booklets provided, there are pony rides between 4 and 6pm then Santa arrives on the back of the well used fire truck at 7. The Rock Valley Hall Christmas BBQ and twighlight markets are on Saturday from 5pm with Santa making another appearance.A reminder that, next Sunday afternoon the annual Carols In The Heart is on at Crozier Field. Gates open at 4:30.You can check out the Lismore App's Christmas button which launches on Sunday. This will give you all the information you will need to have a wonderful Christmas. If you have an event or want to know about Xmas Lights then you can send my an email via the contact button on the app (Contact The App). For those that use the Christmas Lights Northern Rivers facebook page, Mathews lights is always the first to have the big light turn on and this is happening Sunday night at 8pm at 84 Crown Street, South Lismore. The full list of lights is put up this Monday December 2.If housing is something you are interested in, then read on because there is a special Open Day in Clunes tomorrow that you have to go too. Northern Rivers Tiny Homes is local business that, as its name suggests, make tiny homes. They are simply quite incredible and come with one or 2 bedrooms, solar panels, full kitchen and bathroom. Take the short drive to Clunes and check out two completed tiny homes. There is an information session at 10am so you can learn more plus their experts will be on hand to answer any questions from an electrician, plumber, trailer manufacturer and solar installer.The Lismore Speedway has their Christmas meeting on Saturday afternoon/night . The kids can ride their push bikes around the track, there is face painting and Santa will arrive in style as well. The main race is the 35 lap Production Sedan series as well as the Wingless Sprints, AMCA Nationals, Compact Speedcars, Junior Sedans, National 4's and Street Stocks. If you only go once a season to the speedway this is the one to choose.Lismore Workers, back in the Far North Coast Cricket Council L J Hooker League for the first time in eight years, will be batting against the league leaders Pottsville at Oakes Oval, Lismore, from 1pm tomorrow. Pottsville declared on 5/328 and Workers were reduced to 3/27 but Jason Caught's team bat to 11 and the pitch will be a beauty for lots of runs, hopefully.Far North Coast Softball Association is staging its Strike Out Cancer event for Breast Cancer Awareness and the softball action is of a high calibre. There will be plenty of pink on display that's for certain. There are two great clashes in Division 1 with Rous Warriors against Premiers Ballina Sharks and the new side Motley Crew facing Rous Rangers at Albert Park, East Lismore. The first match is at 1.30pm but get there early as you can buy these great key rings. With the weather, take a chair and umbrella and go and watch the lads play in the Northern Rivers Cricket League. There's action on Nielson Park, East Lismore, between Eastern Districts and Marist Brothers and Heaps Oval, Uralba St, Lismore, pits reigning premiers and leaders Goonellabah Workers Sports against Kyogle Turkeys. It's 40 overs a side and the first bowl is at 12 noon.Sunday is actually the quiet day after a huge Saturday of events. The Lismore Car Boot markets are on under the Square from 7:30am 2pm.There is a great bit of local theatre happening at the Rochdale Theatre with the Vagina Monologues play kicking off tonight at 7:30pm. The season runs until December 8 with other dates Saturday 7:30pm, Sunday 2pm then next Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30pm with the final performance on Sunday at 2pm.You can show your charitable side over the weekend with two events needing to raise some money.The first is the 'Strike Out Cancer' fundraiser at Albert Park put together by the Far North Coast Softball Association. There is a host of games for you to watch, tonight from 5pm to 9pm and Saturday from 1:30pm to 8pm. You can give money buy purchasing key rings or taking part in a raffle.Saturday afternoon you can help some bushfire victims in the small community of Wytaliba near Glenn Innes. Over 50 buildings were destroyed including the bridge and the school so Jasmine Knight Smith wasted to do something to help out this community. Get along to the Station Hotel (2 Casino Street, South Lismore) where a host of local bands will be forming between 2 and 11:30pm. You can read the full story here Lismore locals help fire-ravaged Wytaliba communityNow that is a busy weekend and that is the Weekend Wrap. Enjoy!

Tiny homes will be on display at Clunes Hall this Saturday, November 30. Northern Rivers Tiny Homes owner and operations manager Allison Rainbird sees tiny homes as a solution to the future of housing. Registered as caravans, they are perfect for eco-minded people ready to downsize and embrace minimalistic living, without a lot of possessions.Allison and her team of builders and carpenters have built a showcase of tiny homes on wheels for their open day this weekend and invite everyone along to check them out.There will be a talk at 10am and food and coffee will be available to purchase – as well as a jumping castle for the kids.You can just show up or register before the day on Eventbrite for a chance to be in the running to win a beach house holiday at Wooli.For more information, visit the website https://www.northernriverstinyhomes.com.au/Allison started her business last year and has been operating from a workshed in the Lismore industrial estate.The tiny homes are about 4.3 metres high, 2.5 metres wide and weigh up to 4.5 tonnes. “A 3.5 tonne tiny home can be pulled by a Landcruiser,” she said. “We can create and modify designs as needed. Allison with 'The Clunes' tiny home.Energy efficientAllison loves building beautiful, practical and energy efficient tiny homes.Her eye for detail has created small buildings with matching colour schemes all the way through the wood work, bench finishes, trimmings, appliances and tiny details such as the toilet pipes being hidden from view.“It’s the tiny details that matter,” she said.“I want people to have the impression of a quality build.“I wanted a house light and airy, where you don’t need air conditioning because the design lets the air flow through.“There are windows set high up in the walls to allow cross ventilation and keep the house cool. Tiny townsEach of the tiny homes Allison and her team are building have their own names - named them after tiny towns in the local area.“We love being a local business and being known for being local – we even buy materials local as much as possible,” she said.The deluxe model is called The Clunes and the new, cheaper model is the Larnook.“The deluxe model has all the extras and costs about $125,000 and can sleep five people across three areas,” she said.“The basic model costs about $99,000.”If people from social housing organisations want tiny homes for people to sleep in and they need disability housing, Allison and her team can change the design.“We can make it all on one level, with a bathroom wet room for someone in a wheelchair – this also can cut building costs and make it cost effective,” she said.“We can also design tiny homes as emergency housing, where people use it for sleeping and the amenities are outside. “It’s cheaper to build bunk beds in these too.“We’re open to anything people might want.”“Social housing tiny homes is a great opportunity to give back to the community and give people who can’t afford homes a second chance“In a flood town, a moveable home on wheels could be an ideal solution” The future“In this region, people can’t afford normal housing and can’t live like that anymore,” Allison said.“People who want to be less materialistic and own less possessions want to be part of the tiny house movement. “If you can’t embrace that, then the tiny house living is probably not for you."In a fairly new industry, fitting tiny homes into a regulatory structure in council planning will be one of the future challenges.“Tiny homes can be a good option for people renting on AirBnB, or who have teenagers, elderly parents or extended family,” Allison said.“You can put it on land where someone has space.“It’s ok to be used on a sporadic basis, like for seasonal accommodation for woofers.“If it’s a secondary dwelling for a member of your household, it’s ok.“But if you are living on vacant land alone, you’ll need approval from the council.“We urge people to meet council regulations before committing to buying.”Read more: SUNDAY PROFILE: Tiny homes creator Allison Rainbird

Lismore Base Hospital saw fire emergency crews arrive last night in response to a fire alarm in the hospital’s carpark.Concerned local residents reported seeing the fire trucks and a TV camera crew, but hospital staff have clarified that it was just a false alarm. Lismore Base Hospital general manager Ian Hatton said “a break glass fire alarm was activated in the hospital carpark on Thursday night”.“A fire crew attended but did not find any evidence of a fire,” he said.“It appears the alarm was activated in error.”