Stroke patients in the Northern Rivers will now have access to an innovative new telehealth service as part of a $21.7 million initiative being rolled out across NSW.The NSW Telestroke Service will go live at Lismore Base Hospital today, linking stroke patients with specialist stroke clinicians via telehealth. The service enables time-critical diagnosis and treatment for patients in regional and rural areas.“People in regional and rural areas have a far greater risk of hospitalisation from stroke and this vital service will provide them with immediate, life-saving diagnosis and treatment from the state’s leading clinicians,” Lynne Weir, Director Clinical Operations, Northern NSW Local Health District said.“The Telestroke Service will improve outcomes for stroke patients in our region, giving them a much greater chance of surviving and leading a normal life.”The service links expert stroke clinicians with local emergency physicians to quickly determine the best possible treatment plan for a patient.Every year, around 19,000 residents in NSW have a stroke.At Lismore Base Hospital from January to December 2019 there were 253 stroke patients admitted to hospital.“A stroke is a medical emergency, and kills up to 1.9 million brain cells per minute,” Kim Hoffman, Lismore Base Hospital Stroke Coordinator, said.“This Telestroke Service will have an enormous impact by providing time-critical, best-practice treatment that saves lives and reduces lifelong disability.”“It’s also really important that people learn to recognise stroke symptoms and call an ambulance immediately, to give stroke sufferers the best chance of a successful outcome,” Ms Hoffman said.“The F.A.S.T. test is an easy way to spot the signs of stroke, which I encourage everyone to learn.”F.A.S.T. stands for:- Face: Check the person’s face. Has their mouth drooped?- Arms: Can the person lift both arms?- Speech: Is the person’s speech slurred? Do they understand you?- Time: Is critical. If you see any of these signs call 000 straight away. Developed by eHealth NSW and the Agency for Clinical Innovation, the NSW Telestroke Service is based at Sydney’s Prince of Wales Hospital. The service will expand to up to 23 sites over the next three years, with Grafton Base Hospital and The Tweed Hospital expected to roll out in the program in 2021. 

Lismore City Council released the results of their border closure survey yesterday with very little surprises but a very worrying real concern for Northern NSW residents and businesses.The Queensland border closure has revealed that it has adversely affected 98 per cent of the more than 300 people who responded, Lismore Mayor Isaac Smith said.Seventy-three per cent said the border closure had a “significant impact", with 25 per cent saying it had "some impact" and slightly under 2 per cent reporting ‘little impact’.By far the biggest impact was on families, with 69 per cent saying the border closure meant they could not see their close relatives, followed by 38 per cent nominating access to medical service and 25 per cent nominating employment.“These results are extremely concerning and reveal the real impact that the border closure is having on our community,” Mayor Smith said.“People’s lives are being put at risk, people’s jobs are being put at risk, and families can not see each other. It is totally unacceptable.This was typified in the Lismore App story about local man Brad Jones who cannot get across the border to visit his four year old daughter Charlotte who is undergoing chemotherapy for leukemia. Charlotte has been in Brisbane with her mum Melissa since January 23 (Border closure heartbreak for family separated by cancer treatment)“These are real people we are talking about. The Queensland Government must immediately end this harsh boarder closure to Lismore residents.”Lismore City Council launched the survey a fortnight ago after receiving a large number of complaints from community members about the impact of the border closure.Of those who said the closure had prevented them accessing medical care, 47 people nominated specialist pathology or testing, 25 said it prevented them from receiving elective surgery, 12 related to infant welfare and 19 people said it prevented access to mental health services.More than 190 people said they had difficulty accessing information via the Queensland Government health portal or found it difficult to keep up with rule changes.“The survey shows people and families are under great distress. The Queensland Government must immediately adopt the suggestions submitted by the Northern Rivers Joint Organisation of Councils (NRJO) last week.”The NRJO, which includes Lismore City Council, recommends:A return to the managed pass system that was in place during Queensland's first border closure period, valid for residents in six council areas to travel as far north as Brisbane.Queensland to provide greater flexibility for non-urgent but essential travel for medical needs, including disability support or for compassionate grounds for families.The NSW Government to help resource Queensland Police to operate border checkpoints.The NSW Government to establish a $45 million grant program to assist small businesses in the region to cope with losses caused by the border closure.Mayor Smith said the results of Lismore City Council’s survey will now be sent to the Member for Lismore Janelle Saffin and the NSW State Government so that they can press the case for an easing of border restrictions.

A key new cancer treatment has just become more accessible for Australians fighting specific forms of leukaemia and lymphoma. Federal Member for Page Kevin Hogan said the Federal Government has listed Calquence® on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). Calquence® (acalabrutinib) has been listed on the PBS for the first time for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and small lymphocytic lymphoma. Lymphocytic leukaemia and small lymphocytic lymphoma are types of blood cancer that affect lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell) and the lymph nodes. Calquence® might otherwise cost more than $140,000 per course of treatment, however with the PBS subsidy, patients will now pay just $41 per script, or $6.60 with a concession card. Furthermore, access to Keytruda® (pembrolizumab) has been expanded on the PBS to include treatment of relapsed or refractory primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma. This is a rare type of lymphoma that largely affects young adults and there is currently a need for newer targeted therapies for this condition. Without the PBS subsidy, patients might pay more than $130,000 per course of treatment for this condition. The Government has also expanded the PBS listing of Keytruda® for the treatment of melanoma. Australia has one of the highest rates of melanoma in the world, with more than 15,000 diagnoses each year—close to one diagnosis every half hour. Keytruda® will now be available through the PBS as adjuvant treatment for patients who have had completely surgically resected Stage IIIB, IIIC or IIID malignant melanoma, which means it will be provided as a treatment in addition to surgery. In addition, this extension will also allow for the use of Keytruda® as a first line treatment of BRAF V600 positive stage III or IV unresectable or metastatic melanoma, or melanoma that has spread through the body and has a specific biomarker. These listings have been recommended by the independent Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee.  Since 2013, the Australian Government has approved more than 2,400 new or amended listings on the PBS. This represents an average of around 30 listings or amendments per month—or one each day—at an overall investment by the Government of $11.6 billion.

A free pilot program to help new and expectant fathers through the physical, emotional and mental challenges of parenthood is being rolled out in the Northern NSW region.The region is one of four, Northern Sydney, Western Sydney and the Murrumbidgee, to take part in the ‘Focus on New Fathers’ pilot program.The program sends texts to dads, offering valuable health advice and links into pathways to ensure support options are available.Ellie Saberi, Women and Children Health Program Coordinator for Northern NSW Local Health District said parenthood could be a difficult time for new fathers as well new mothers.“New dads want to be able to concentrate on their partners and children at this time, and they often don’t think to look after themselves as well,” Ms Saberi said.“Research has shown men are often reluctant to engage with the health system to get support, despite around one in ten dads experiencing depression and anxiety in the postnatal period.“This program is about letting fathers know they’re not alone and there is support for them when they need it.”Men living in Northern NSW can sign up if they are over the age of 18, their partner is at least 16 weeks pregnant or their baby is younger than 24 weeks. They need to have a mobile phone capable of receiving and sending text messages.The pilot, which is being delivered by the University of Newcastle in partnership with NSW Health, will run over the next year.Associate Professor Elisabeth Murphy, Senior Clinical Advisor, Child and Family Health, said self-care for new fathers was extremely important as the mental and physical wellbeing of both parents had a direct effect on their children.“Receiving help with health issues early on ensures dads are in the best possible position to care for their new baby and partner,” Associate Professor Murphy said.For more information, and to sign up for the program, visit https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/public/pages/focus-on-fathers.aspx 

Councillor Nancy Casson is putting forward a Notice of Motion in tomorrow nights council meeting to help those suffering financial hardship and are unable to pay their rates.Cnr Casson's intention is to take the already budgeted salaries of former councillors Gianpiero Battista and Greg Bennett (who resigned as Lismore City Councillors in August) and put them into a nominated reserve account."I would like to finish want Gianpiero Battista was trying to get through with his previous voluntary donations motion," says Councillor Casson, "the money is already allocated in the current budget so it will not cost council any additional funds and we can help people in need."When asked about what sort of case this money will be approved for, Cnr Casson mentioned the example of a local farmer whose property was revalued this year. Unfortunately the revaluation meant that his assets were significant enough to affect his and his wife's pension. At the time his wife was suffering from cancer and subsequently passed away in January. Due to the reduction in his pension through both circumstances, he was unable to pay his rates.Cnr Casson reported that this man did the right thing and notified council to organise a payment plan once he could sell some cattle. This is where some sort of error occurred and council hired a debt collector to chase the late payment at a reported cost of $457. The man has paid his deferred rates amount then told Cnr Casson that he would pay this debt collector bill but it would put him on the bread line. Cnr Casson would like this fund to pay back the debt collector fee because he tried to follow procedure and organise a payment plan."I would like each case looked at separately," said Cnr Casson. "I hope that my fellow councillors support my motion tomorrow night. There are a lot of people suffering in our community."Lismore Council voted Council resolved to adopt a temporary policy in relation to address Covid-19 that allowed ratepayers to apply for a period of 60 days interest free from the 31 May 2020 rates due date, with no restrictions such as living on the property or being rated under a Residential category. To date Council has received approximately 30 enquiries but only 15 applications.The other side of the coin is that council is has a forecast deficit of $458,000 for the 2020/2021 financial year and that this saving should be returned to the general fund and reduce that deficit. The saving is $40,490.It really comes down to short term help for struggling individuals versus medium to long term advantages for everyone in our community.Councillor Casson's Motion is that Council:1. Allocate councillor fees for both Councillors Battista and Bennett be put in an account designed to help ratepayers who find themselves unable to pay their rates during the COVID-19 pandemic2. Application are to be assessed as per Council’s Hardship Policy3. Resolves to place this money into a reserve

Congratulations to Kadina High Campus for making it as a finalist in the NOVA Employment 2020 Focus On Ability Short Film Awards.The film is promoting Dylan, Warrajarra and Jayden’s abilities in the classroom, their interests and what they can provide to potential employers. The students have all attended The Rivers Secondary College, Kadina High Campus from Year 7 through to Year 12. This short documentary gives the students an opening to help with their transition from school into employment.The documentary is called 'Sign Me Up' and is filmed and edited by Harry Witt & Dion Meredith.While a fantastic effort to make it as a finalist in this competition Kadina High now needs your help to vote for their documentary which will enable them to win a $3000 Harvey Norman voucher for the most on-line votes.The link to view and vote for the Sign Me Up documentary is https://www.focusonability.com.au/. Once on the home page click on the 'View and Vote Now' button below 'School Films open for voting' heading. Then click on 'School Entrant Documentaries' and look for 'Sign Me Up'.You can only vote once and this must be done before this Monday September 7, 2020.Ian Davies Executive Principal of the Rivers Secondary College said "We are confident that the judges will love our documentary ‘SIGN ME UP’ but if the we all join together and support Dylan, Warrajarra and Jayden, their film can win Most Online Votes!!!""If that happens we will spend the money on resources for students with disabilities."Mr Davies also encouraged people to vote in different categories, as well, so please watch other films, be inspired by the abilities of students with disabilities and their films. Voters go into the running to win a $50.00 iTunes voucher.Other prizes include the Judges Choice – Documentary: Toshiba package valued at $7000 and the NOVA Employment School Choice Awards: Five winners each receive $1000 cash.Good luck Dylan, Warrajarra and Jayden!

Bagels made with a New York friend’s recipe and vegan cupcakes are just two of the offerings from Lismore’s newest delicatessen. Freshly opened this week, Doughboy Deli in the Embassy Arcade, off Keen Street, is the new venture for Joe Steele and Jessica Smith.Inspired by Joe’s love of New York eateries, the pair wanted to bring an international coffee culture to the heart of Lismore.“We decided Lismore needs affordable, quick, easy light food,” Joe said. “Since Covid, there’s a big need for take away food and sometime you just don’t want to cook for yourself, so let us do it for you.“Jess and I travelled Europe for a few months and fell in love with the pastries and the coffee culture there,” Joe said. “You are quickly in, out and walking down the street with a giant Danish in one hand and a coffee in the other.”Jos also spent time in New York and he loved it the Italian and Jewish delis there which reflected his own Italian heritage.“New York is a world onto its own,” he said. “You walk in and they recognise you from the day before and the next thing you know there’s a sandwich being flung at you over the counter because they have remembered you and already made it.”While Jessica is passionate about making bagels and vegan cupcakes which sell out as fast as she can make them, Joe makes homemade pastrami – which has also been so popular, he needs to make more every night.“It’s a pickled brisket with a secret rub on it and its smoked,” he said. “The meat balls we make are an old family recipe from my mum and the napolitana sauce is my Nonna’s.“Our bagels will soon be vegan soon too we work out how to replace the honey.”On the wall in the shop are menus of sandwiches for sale – all with quirky names.“We’ve sold out of the Reuben twice,” Joe said. “It’s a quintessential. The New York deli style meatball sandwich is classic too and the Punky Rooster one of our flavour combos we’ve made up, with a herb yoghurt sauce.”The pair also use a special coffee blend that they have made up especially for them.“We are also selling the ingredients we use in our food from the olives and the feta cheese to chargrilled vegetables,” Joe said.“We can make salads with any of the ingredients – no bread – and we will soon launch anti-pasto boxes that people can take home.“The biggest thing we wanted to do was use local producers. It’s incredible ‘our cheese supplier gets Australian products or amazing Italian imported cheeses.“We will start working directly with local farmers in time – our area has great a agricultural industry and we want to make sure our food is ethical.”Jess and Joe used to work at Dragonfly Café together, when Joe’s mum owned the café. Now after working and travelling together they are ready to build a successful new business while working for themselves.With Joe’s background in business and marketing, it seems set to grow.“We’ve been so touched by the support we’ve had over the last few days,” Joe said.“We do free CBD delivery and people have been ringing up with orders, so we invite people to call ahead, email or text us. We like email so we can keep track of what comes through.”You can contact Doughboy Deli on 0401 064 211, via the website www.doughboydeli.com or email hello@doughboydeli.com

With the weekend weather looking a bit Jekyll and Hyde it may be best to get outdoors tomorrow (Saturday) because Sunday is looking likely to get us about 4-10mm of rain with a potential thunderstorm in the afternoon. Having said that the BOM say there is a chance of thunderstorm late Saturday afternoon or evening too but most of the day should be fine with a top of 27. We will experience a drop on Sunday when the change comes through with 21 expected.So, what's on offer this weekend?As reported earlier today two local businesses are having their official Grand Openings following their soft launches recently (Two Lismore stores hold grand openings on Saturday)NPC Amusements is a man cave warehouse at 16 Rifle Range Road, East Lismore and will be open between 9 and 4pm tomorrow. They have an amazing stock of products for Fathers Day if you are one of those late buyers!Stepz Fitness is Lismore's newest gym on the Ground Floor of Lismore Central. Stepz open at 7am tomorrow and will hold FREE Group Fitness Classes between 7am and 9am.The Lismore Farmers Markets is on tomorrow morning from 8. As well as some fresh local fruit and veg you will see Jyllie Jackson and her team raising money to save LightnUp which is Jyllie's not for profit business that runs the Lismore Lantern Parade. With no events at all in 2020 and therefore no money coming in the door Jyllie needs our help to keep operating. Imagine no more Lismore Lantern Parades? (COVID-19 threatens survival of iconic Lismore Lantern Parade).You will also find Jyliie and the team at the Lismore Car Boot Markets on Sunday. Don't forget the new venue during COVID is at the Lismore Showgrounds with the 7:30am to 3pm time frame the same.Blue Knob Community Markets are on tomorrow from 8:30am to 11am.The live music scene comes back to life tonight for the first time at the Lismore City Hall when NORPA and Kate Stroud put on the first of what is hoped to be many Studio Sessions. Ben Wilson has an album launch tonight while Lucie Thorne & Sarah Tindley play on Saturday night. Unfortunately if you are reading this for the first time, both sessions are sold out. Check out the NORPA website for more Studio Sessions in the coming months.The Lismore Regional Gallery has a few exciting exhibitions running at the moment. Language of the Wounded and Body Language will be showing until November while at the Serpentine Gallery they have the opening tonight for David Shaw's 'Through My Eyes' exhibition between 5pm and 8pm.The cheap petrol is 112.9 at the United on Ballina Road for unleaded E10, Unleaded 91 is 114.9 at United and the Woolworths Caltex near the Square while there are three diesel options at 117.9 at United and Liberty on Ballina Road, the Shell on Wilson Street and now the Caltex on Union Street near the Three Chains Road roundabout.It is round 7 of the Far North Coast Football league over the weekend.Saturday sees Richmond Rovers home to Bangalow at Nielsen Park with kick off at 1pm while the other game on Saturday sees Lismore Thistles away to second placed Byron Bay at 3pm.There are two Fathers Day matches on Sunday including the ladder leading South Lismore Celtics up against Maclean at Nesbitt Park at 2:30 and the Goonellabah Hornets tackle Alstonville at Weston park also at 2:30.In the NRRRL Gold competition, Northern United look set to continue on their winning way when they take on Mullumbimby at Crozier Field with a 1.20 kick off. The Marist Brothers Rams have the bye this week.While the Lismore Rugby Club senior team ended its season last weekend the junior teams continue their season while the Colts take on Casuarina for a Grand Final spot tomorrow.You will find the weekend results on the Lismore App Sports page which will include Hockey and Baseball too.Neil Marks' Blog tomorrow is about Fathers Day with a dig at Qld Premier Anastacia Palaszczuk, stand in line Neil!Happy Fathers Day to all Dad's all that play that role.As always, here are this weeks funny meme's;

The Australian-Italo Club in North Lismore has finally re-opened after months of closure.Italo Club president Americo Melchoir said the club officially reopened last Friday, but they “didn’t want to make a big fuss out of the first night”.Read more business news: Two Lismore stores hold grand openings on Saturday“Last night was our third big night and we got good numbers,” Americo said. “We had 35 people – that’s not bad for having been closed so long.“We have a new chef – Dallas – who is the same chef who makes the food at East Lismore Bowling Club.“People will be coming back because his food is good – the T-bone steaks are amazing.”Americo said the club is “back to normal” and has beer on tap again, with five varieties available and there are plans to sell martinis and cocktails.“We are going to get training soon so we know how to make them well,” he said. “I’m in the process of buying the equipment so we can do it."The Italo Club will be open Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, from 4pm.MergerAmerico said the merger of the Italo Club with the Sydney-based Club Marconi is still going ahead, but that it will be a long process until it is finalised.“It will take another two to three months until the legals are sorted,” he said. "It’s early stages yet.”Club Marconi stepped in earlier this year with an offer to take on the Italo Club and save it from certain closure, after Covid forced the club to shut down. The process of taking the merger to completion has been slowed by the Sydney Covid outbreaks - which impacted on the ability of Club Marconi officials to travel to Lismore and work with the local management. “I’m happy about the future of the club – everything is looking good and I think we’ll make it,” Americo said. Read more news: Local Italo Club's future hangs on tonight's meeting  

What do you want to ask pollies about the state border closures?With the political battle over state borders heating up, ABC television’s Q+A program is tackling the Border Wars issue and is calling for people to submit questions for the show’s panel by 9am Monday.Read more news: Border closure heartbreak for family separated by cancer treatmentThe program Q+A will be screened on Monday next week at 9.35pm on ABC TV, and also streamed live on ABC iview and the ABC website. The show’s host Hamish Macdonald said the State Premiers are standing firm on closures and the Prime Minister wants interstate travel to resume by Christmas.“Hard border closures are helping contain COVID cases but have caused massive problems for business, health care workers and families in need of medical attention,” he stated. “And thousands of Australians remain stranded overseas faced with a cap on international arrivals, soaring ticket prices and quarantine costs. “So, who’s got the power when it counts? Are we getting the balance right when it comes to restricting free travel in the name of public health?”The panel will include:Michael McCormack, Nationals Leader and Deputy Prime MinisterKristina Keneally, Shadow Home Affairs MinisterDr Omar Khorshid, Australian Medical Association PresidentKim Rubenstein, Legal scholar and citizenship expertTania de Jong, Entrepreneur and sopranoQuestions can be submitted via the ABC website https://www.abc.net.au/qanda/

There are two store grand openings are happening this Saturday, after what seems to be a rush of new business in Lismore over the last two to three weeks. It is an exciting and positive sign for the post COVID recovery.Read more news: Lismore's Italo club finally reopensNPC Amusements in East Lismore and Stepz Fitness in Lismore Central have both had soft launches recently but have held off their official launches until tomorrow (Saturday September 5).NPC Amusements moved from Ballina Road to 16 Rifle Range Road, East Lismore in July to get out of the flood area and into a much larger warehouse that holds and displays all of their product items. The result means that they are now open to the public as a retail outlet as well as an on-line store.Celebrations kick off at 9am and run until 4pm with a cars and motorbikes on display and food from Junkyard BBQ including Take Away Packs for Fathers Day. Owner Nick Contojohn said "if you have a nice car bring it along and park it in the driveway"."We are not sure how many cars there will be," Nick added, "Car Clubs have said they will bring their cars along but we don't have an official count from all of the people involved".There will be free pinball, fussball and a classic space invaders game for the kids or big kids at heart to play as well as quoits set up for some fun.The warehouse is a very large area but with the COVID restrictions this means a maximum of 80 in the shop at any one time. You may have a short queue at various stages of the day and there will be hand sanitiser available.Nick explained it is difficult to put pricing on all the shelves because it varies so much depending on the exchange rate so if you wish to get a price look for the Code Scanner above the item and hold your camera over the code. This will take you to the NPC website and give the current pricing of the products you want.This is also your way to get 10% off your Fathers Day presents. When you use the scanner to check the price and you want to buy it, you can check out via the website by paying on-line. Once you have done that take your purchase to the front counter and show your receipt."It's all about making purchasing items a quicker process for everyone," Nick said.Another way to save 10% is to buy on-line before you go into NPC Amusements and pick up your goods when you are checking out the store.Stepz Fitness have been working hard finishing off their brand new gym on the ground floor of Lismore Central under the escalators.It is worth getting up early on Saturday morning and heading into Stepz Fitness in Lismore Central. Stepz has FREE Group Fitness Classes between 7am and 9am with Stepz Hiit, Stepz Fit and Stepz Strong.Manager Alyce Benson said there will also be a Kids Colouring Competition between 10am and 11am along with free prizes and giveaways."The rest of our equipment has arrived just in time for our grand opening which is fantastic so I want to invite everyone to come and have a look at our brand new gym with brand new equipment," Alyce said, "we are ready for action."If you are looking for something to do Saturday as well as supporting two new local businesses, call into 16 Rifle Range Road, East Lismore and ground floor Lismore Central.

Volunteer organisations can now apply for Federal Government grants of up to $5,000, to support the efforts of their volunteers. Page MP Kevin Hogan said the supplementary grants program funding was provided through The Centre for Volunteering. “Grants of between $1,000 and $5,000 will help community organisations buy equipment such as laptops, pay fuel costs, train volunteers and improve their fundraising,” Mr Hogan said. “Volunteers are the lifeblood of our community and by continuing to help each other and work together we are building a stronger and safer community.” “I encourage all not-for-profit organisations in our community to apply for the Volunteer Grants to help make the work of our volunteers easier, safer and more enjoyable.” For more information or to apply, visit https://www.volunteering.com.au/supplementary-volunteer-grants/ Applications close September 20.

The Premier of NSW, Gladys Berejiklian, has given local Year 12 students a glimmer of hope regarding this years graduation ceremonies when she announced a review of milestone events for Term 4.Until then all high schools were forced to make alternative arrangements involving a graduation ceremony that involved their fellow students and a handful of teachers but no parents, siblings or extended family.The positive news is that in a worst case scenario, parents would not miss out completely as all High Schools will create an on-line ceremony which will be streamed and recorded so the ceremonies can be downloaded as a keep sake.Ian Davies Executive Principal of The Rivers Secondary College (Lismore High, Kadina High and Richmond River High) told the Lismore App "To compensate for the inability for parents to be a part of the celebrations each campus has committed to creating an online ceremony. The ceremonies will have pre-recorded speeches, musical items and of course the students themselves being awarded their 2020 portfolios."Lismore High 2020 Captains (from front row left) Abbey Bailey, Angus Gallagher, Ella Campbell, Emily Buckner, Alyssa McDonald, (back row) Lockyer Wilson, Liam Pollack, Inanna Ihalainen and Bailey Crabtree. Photo: supplied.HSC Trails are now complete with the HSC Exams to begin on Tuesday October 20.In a sign of maturity beyond their years the school captains from the campuses are very appreciative that they will be recognised in some way as they complete their secondary schooling. Ben, one of the school captains from Kadina High Campus says “considering everything that is going on I feel lucky to be able to complete the HSC in a modified structure and still have some opportunity to celebrate our graduation with my peers.”Richmond River High 2020 captains (from left) Elijah Wraight, Will Scott-Wales, Rattana Bowyer, Joshua Bryant, George Shepherd and Tameka Devine-Davey. Photo: supplied.Catholic Schools Office media officer Lisa Kwok confirmed that similar plans were in place at Woodlawn and Trinity College's to provide on-line streaming of the Year 12 graduation ceremonies. Details had not been finalised as this story is being written and now the regulations around milestone events may be changed for Term 4, the ceremony day may have a number of alternate options.Hopefully, for the sake of our graduating Year 12 students the 2020 graduating ceremonies will physically include their families.Stay tuned.

As four-year-old Charlotte fights for her life in Brisbane Children’s Hospital, her heartbroken Lismore-based father Brad Jones can’t get over the border to see her.Charlotte and her mother Melissa have been in Brisbane since January 23, since Charlotte was diagnosed with leukemia at Lismore Base Hospital.For the past few months, Brad has been holding down a job, as well as regularly travelling up to visit them while Charlotte undergoes chemotherapy - however the recent changes as to who is allowed to cross the border have put a stop to that.To make matters more complex, Brad is looking after the couple’s other children at home, while his partner and daughter stay in children’s cancer care accommodation in Brisbane.Read the update: Border politics still stands between Lismore dad and his sick daughterDeterioratingCharlotte’s health has been deteriorating and this week, she even stopped breathing. Brad said he is desperate to find a way that the family can be together.“I’m trying to not show too much emotion for my children’s sake,” Brad said. “I’ve been talking to border control and I’ve enlisted the help of Page MP Kevin Hogan.“Before the border closure I could go as freely as I chose as we had compassionate grounds passes and oncologist reports.Stuck“The last time I was up there, I left three of my children up there as I didn’t think we would be locked down as hard as we are – then I found out there was no medical or compassionate grounds any more and they were stuck up there.“Last week, my partner’s brother drove the kids down and they walked through the border and I picked them up. We are lucky he was up there, or no one would have been able to look after the kids in the unit while Melissa was at hospital with Charlotte.Border crossing“While I was there waiting at the Queensland border to pick them up, I watched surfboard riders and dog walkers walking across and back again.“I could have walked across too – I guess if I was stopped by police and asked for ID my licence would have shown I’m not in the border bubble - the security were only stopping cars.“When I talked to Queensland border security, all they said to me was we can exempt you but you will have to stay in hotel quarantine at your expense and pay for your meals – and you’ll only be allowed at the hospital for a maximum of two hours.Ridiculous“That’s ridiculous. The people at the cancer support unit have said if I can get over the border, I can stay there."Brad said even if he could get an exemption to go up there for a week and take the children with him, there is still a two hour visit restriction at the hospital.“And I don’t know if they’ll let us do it again anyway,” Brad said. “There’s hardly any COVID-19 cases up there now – there’s more road crash fatalities than coronavirus. I know it’s a pandemic, but this is a hard one.“I knew this year would be hard with Charlotte, but it’s harder than I ever could have imagined.Football disgrace“I think it’s disgraceful that Queensland is allowing footballers to go back and forth - it’s not right. It’s not State against State – maybe they are taking it hard that they lost the football – but they can have the trophy back if it gets us over the border.Birthday tears“I haven’t held my daughter for four weeks – we’ve never been apart that long before.“We missed out on a family birthday together – we had a video call and a cake on both ends and there were lots of tears.“She’s got a port in her chest and been through chemotherapy, steroids, had 11 blood transfusions and platelet transfusions.“She needs support and her dad needs to be there. When we Facetime, she’ll look at me and say ‘daddy I need you to come here’ and then she gets sad.“She’s a warrior. If she died and I didn’t get to see her…. I don’t know what will happen.“I’ve done 21,000 kilometres travel in seven months visiting her already. Now, it breaks my heart that she is 2.5 hours up the road and I can’t see her.”MP Hogan slams border decisionFederal Member for Page Kevin Hogan has released a statement slamming the Queensland Premier’s decision to keep the borders closed.“There seems to be one rule for some and other rules for others,” Mr Hogan said. “Following extensive lobbying by the Premier, Queensland is now hosting the AFL Grand Final.“Why is she happy to open the border for AFL footy players, but not for us from our COVID-free region?“Our region has no community transmission of the virus. We are not a 'hot spot'. There is nothing but heartache and damage being done to families health and livelihoods.“This might be playing well for the QLD Premier politically in the short term, but this border closure is causing havoc."TragedyMr Hogan also cited the case of a local tragedy of a pregnant mother from Ballina who needed emergency care for her unborn twins.“She waited 16 hours to fly to a Sydney hospital, rather than a short trip to Brisbane. Sadly, one of the babies has now tragically passed away,” Mr Hogan said.“This is not Australian, this is not how we operate.“The Queensland Premier says Queensland hospitals are only for Queenslanders, well more than 6000 Queensland citizens were treated at Tweed Hospital (in NSW) in 2019. This represents 20% of all in-patients.”

If you see more mullets around Lismore than usual, don't worry it is not a massive new trend than has moved from the AFL into the broader community.It is all part of 'Mullets for Mental Health" that is running throughout the month of September.Anthony MacDonald from Greg Clark Building got in touch to promote the cause, raise some money and show off their newly acquired hairdos."There is seven of us and now six of us has got the mullet cuts in the last two days but to be honest the seventh guy kind of already had a mullet so he's just getting a tidy up," Anthony told the Lismore App.(The Mullets For Mental Health cut begins for Jack Jeffrey. Photo: supplied)Anthony has had three tragic personal experiences with mental health in his life, two this year. An ex Lismore Swans AFL player committed suicide and a painters father, that was used by the company, also committed suicide in 2020 while a school friend of Anthony's ended his life in 2006.The company behind Mullets For Mental Health is the Black Dog Institute. Anthony and his work mates heard about their September endeavour through emails and watching footy when the NRL Canberra Raiders wore the logo on their jumpers.Black Dog say that 1 in 5 people will experience mental health issues in any given year, that equates to about 5 million Australians. The sad fact and the part of the reason for the campaign is that 60% of those people will not seek help. For some one like Anthony MacDonald it is not only raising money for the charity but to gain awareness of mental health issues and that we need to openly talk about our experiences more and that will help save lives.(Jack Jeffrey's new mullet for the month of September. Photo: supplied)"It's one of those things, it is everywhere and you know it's there but the awareness is not. We decided to do something about it in our small way," Anthony said.When Anthony and the team at Greg Clark Building started their campaign on Monday their financial goal was to raise $2000, I am pleased to say that they have raised $1858 already. You can help by pushing on the link and donating what you can afford https://www.teamblackdog.org.au/fundraisers/GregClarkBuilding.What has been the reaction to their new mullets?"We did send an email out to our clients and friends to warn them," Anthony said, "People were interested to see what we looked like"."You look hideous has been the first reaction but there have been many comments from people who have donated that are positive like 'rocking that mullet for a great cause."(Abe Crawford shows off his new mullet. Photo: supplied)"After all this is a cause close to my heart."Mullets For Mental Health runs for the month of September.

Young writers from Northern NSW have the opportunity to win cash prizes from a prize pool of $1300 and publishing opportunities through Byron Writers Festival.You can submit a short story of up-to 1000 words into the 2020 Susie Warrick Young Writers Award (SWYWA ) - which is open to Stage 3 Primary students and all Secondary School students. Susie Warrick was a much-loved member of the Byron Writers Festival team. The award was established to honour her memory, celebrate the art of the short story and to support emerging young writers in furthering their career. This year Byron Writers Festival has introduced a new age category for Stage 3 Primary students in memory of the late Jesse Blackadder, founder of the children’s outreach creative writing program, StoryBoard. Jesse was an acclaimed author, StoryBoard mentor and Byron Writers Festival board member. ‘We encourage all eligible young aspiring writers to apply’, says Byron Writers Festival’s Gabby Le Brun ‘entering a competition can be the push you need to finish your story, regardless of the outcome’. This fantastic opportunity for young people is generously sponsored by the Warrick Family, Hilarie Dunn and the Byron Writers Festival Jesse Blackadder Memorial Fund. Applications close Friday 18 September, 11.59pm.For submission guidelines and to apply go to byronwritersfestival.com/swywa/Enquires contact storyboard@byronwritersfestival.com

Spring in Northern NSW is the peak of the tick season. All pet owners need to be more vigilant in checking their fur babies to make sure they do not end up at the Vets in a life or death situation due to the dreaded paralysis tick.Local veterinarian Daryl Deeley from Keen Street Vet told the Lismore App while Spring is the peak time of year for ticks we do get them all year round in the Northern Rivers. "We had four tick cases in June", Daryl said, "they are around all year so pet owners should be aware for 12 months of the year not just the peak time."This was supported by VetLove Vet Director Simon Arnesen, "we have had three cases in the last week and if the forecast wet spring weather comes true then it will only get worse because ticks become even more prevalent after we have rain."Both vets said 'prevention' is essential, it is the simplest and best solution.Daryl Deeley said the cost of prevention is around the $55 mark for 3 months treatment for a medium size dog if using Brevecto. This amount varies depending on the size and weight of your pet.Simon Arnesen said there are some very effective products that have been released in the last 18 months to two years which has seen an 80% reduction in the amount of ticks cases.If you are weighing up the cost of prevention versus the risk, something to keep in mind is the vet bill if your animal gets rushed to your local vet seeking treatment from a paralysis tick."With no complications and depending on the size of the animal, an owner would be looking at $500-600 and if there were breathing difficulties or other issues the cost will be closer to $1200", Mr Deeley said.What signs do you look for in your pet?If your pet has been outdoors especially in bush areas then stroking their coats feeling for ticks is a good habit to get into.If you miss the tick, other symptoms to look out for are weak in the back legs, vomiting and nausea, gagging, difficulty breathing and if your pet is off their food. "The key is to get them in early to your vet before the symptoms progress," Daryl said.How do you remove a tick?Both vets said the easiest way is to get down to your local vet let them remove it and do a test to see if it is a paralysis tick or not.If you are likely to try and remove the tick from your pet, the advice is to pinch it with your nails under the head and pull gently with tension to remove the entire tick. Another way is to get some cotton, make a lasso, tighten it under the ticks head again and pull gently with tension again.Importantly you are looking to get the entire tick out of your pet and not leave the head, this can cause a small infection."You can see the head and legs still wiggling if you remove the tick properly," Mr Arnesen said, " people should keep in mind that just because the tick is out doesn't mean your pet is out of danger.""A paralysis ticks poison is slow working so monitor them closely over the next 24 hours. Pets can get sicker once the tick has been removed."AntiserumWe are lucky in the Northern Rivers as this is the only place where an antiserum is made.Mr Deeley explained that in the 1950's and 60's his old boss Jack Frogley along with David Jones and Keith Curtain produced an antiserum that is still available today, in some cases it is being produced by their children.When you think of ticks this spring, the key word appears to be 'prevention'.

George and Anne Singh just can’t get enough local workers to come and pick blueberries at their Caniaba blueberry farm.Their daughter Suzanne Singh-Dhesi (owner of Pirolos Fruit Barn) said it’s because the people who pick regularly for them, year after year, are sitting comfortably at home, receiving Jobseeker payments.Read more news: Border closure brings heartbreak to local family“They don’t want to work 20 to 30 hours picking blueberries to make same amount of money they are given in Jobseeker,” Suzanne said.“Normally we would have 30 people picking at this time of year, but now its only family and friends helping us out.“I’m even helping mum and dad picking and packing, even though I’m working all week in the shop. Our kids go picking after school and my son who works full time as a lawyer also helps out when he can.”Local help neededThe blueberry season runs from May until the end of November and Suzanne said the family really needs more locals to come and help pick the berries before the hotter months kick in.“When the weather gets hotter, the berries will waste on the trees, so we really need to get onto it now,” she said.Suzanne said other blueberry farms are hiring backpackers to pick the berries, but the Singhs have strictly chosen to avoid that.“My parents are elderly and we don’t want the risk of backpackers bringing Covid-19 to the farm,” she said. “That’s’ why we want to make sure the pickers are locals.“You don’t know where the backpackers have been – sometimes they go missing for a few days and they might go to Sydney and come back.”A day in the life of a pickerSuzanne said the average day for a picker can be flexible depending on what your needs are.“Some people with kids start at 9 or 10am and leave at 2.30 or 3pm to pick up the kids,” she said.“Some don’t have responsibilities and when daylight savings changes, they start early and finish late.”The one thing to note about blueberries is that you can’t start picking in the morning until the dew had dried off the berries.How much can you make?Suzanne said the good pickers can make $800 over three or four days.“We pay $10 a bucket and the good pickers do 2.5 to 3 buckets an hour,” she said.“People often expect to start picking that straight way, but you have to get used to it and it takes a few weeks to get to that speed. There’s also a technique to picking the berries and we grow a few different varieties that are picked a bit differently.“We also do everything above board and pickers receive a pay slip every week and they know how much tax and superannuation is.”Covid-safeSuzanne said distancing between pickers is taken very seriously and people are given opposite ends of a row to pick so there’s no close contact.“Pickers write on their own tickets for their buckets so they can keep tabs on it, then people pick up buckets for them.“We also have a shed with a shower, toilets and kitchen where people can heat up their own food.”What to bringIf you want to pick berries, make sure you pack your hat, a long sleeved shirt and a water bottle. It’s an outdoors job but it’s not too sunny because the branches of the bushes shade you.Suzanne said the farm, which has been growing blueberries for 11 years now (among other things) is closer to Lismore than Goonellabah, about 10km out of Lismore after the airport.You can phone George Singh for information if you are keen on 0468 352 497.

Every Wednesday night at Christina Sharman’s Lismore home, there’s an open invitation to friends to come over and watch The Bachelor on television. It’s a show that many love to hate - watching 22 women compete against each other for one man.For Christina, seeing her daughter Izzy Sharman-Firth on the show is something best done with a glass of wine.“I’m horrified I’m watching it - it’s not a feminist show is it?” Christina said. “It’s not my thing, but Izzy told me she wanted to apply for the show and I’ll support her in what she does.”Izzy meets the bachelor Locky.Izzy (Isabella), 29, grew up in Lismore and went to Trinity Catholic College and according to Christina, she has brains as well as beauty. Izzy now works as a human resources consultant in a cyber security firm in Brisbane.So why would she choose to go on a national TV show where women fight for the love and attention of a man?Christina said Izzy went on The Bachelor as a profile-building move for her career – and her Instagram profile has got quite a few followers now.“She wants to go into business by herself and have a job where she can travel with her consultancy,” Christina said. “She loves her job and has no intention of leaving it, but she always thought she would travel next.“I’m not horrified with how she’s conducting herself in the show. I said to her, ‘you’re not going to be the bitch are you?’“When I wonder how come my daughter is not on screen? - it’s because the ones with all the screen time are bitching madly - the producers want drama.”The idea behind The Bachelor is spruiked as the search for love - and this year’s bachelor, Locky, is an outdoors adventure type man. Christina said Izzy also has a sense of adventure and likes those things too - perhaps one of the reasons why she was chosen for the show.“Applying to get on the show was big process for Izzy,” Christina said.“First you apply, then there’s a video call and finally a screen test,” she said. “It was all done last year before Christmas.“Then the show started and they had to lock down in the Sydney mansion, and the girls were all given dresses and nice clothes to wear - until Covid made them all come home and they did the show via zoom.“She was looking forward to getting an adventure date with Locky, but Covid put a stop to that.”Contestants on the show.Christina said once Izzy entered the mansion, her mobile phone was taken away and she was allowed one phone call once a fortnight - with a producer listening in. So, who does Izzy call with her one call?“Of course, she calls her mummy,” Christina said. “She’s not allowed to tell me too much about the show, but she can tell me how she’s feeling. She often says ‘yeah good, thanks mum’. She says the bachelor is funny, nice and charming.”While the show is already “done and dusted” and Christina can’t say what happens next, she did say that if Izzy makes it into the final four, it means Christina heads off to Sydney to grill the bachelor about what kind of man he is, along with the other contestants’ family members.The Lismore App will keep you updated as the fun and games of The Bachelor progresses. You can watch it tonight (Wednesday) at 7.30pm on WIN.