"It seems that every generation needs to be told why Black Lives Matter. Here we are again." Professor Marcia Langton Byron Writers' Festival is going online for the first time this year from August 6-8, and this week features a powerful keynote address from Indigenous academic Professor Marcia Langton.Prof Langton, will deliver the Byron Writers Festival 2020 Thea Astley Address, which will be made available by podcast tomorrow, August 5. Professor Langton said "I hope Thea Astley in the other world has watched the last few weeks of the Black Lives Movement and pondered on the history of Palm Island"."When she wrote The Multiple Effects of Rainshadow, published in 1996, she could not have imagined that the injustices meted out to the Palm Islanders from 1918 when the settlement was established, to 1957 when the Palm Island strike was savagely put down, and which she fictionalised in her second last novel, would result in a telling instance of how Black Lives Matter in history, in the present and for our future," Prof Langdon said. "She passed on in 2004, the same year as Mulrunji (or Cameron) Doomadgee who died in a police cell on Friday 19 November in an encounter with Sergeant Chris Hurley. Chloe Hooper's The Tall Man, published in 2009, is an account of the events that followed."It seems that every generation needs to be told why Black Lives Matter. Here we are again."Prof Langton’s Thea Astley Address will be released together with a series of free podcasts and video presentations to mark what would have been the 24th annual Festival, regrettably cancelled due to Covid restrictions.Festival Director Edwina Johnson said "ordinarily at this time, we would all be gathering on Bundjalung Country in beautiful Byron Bay for three days of storytelling, conversation and ideas," said . "But of course these are not ordinary times and sadly we will not be able to gather together until August 2021.” Byron Writers Festival's free digital program also includes new Conversations from Byron podcasts to add to those already released over the past couple of months, featuring interviews with writers who would have attended the 2020 Festival.Writer, director and performer Maeve Marsden has curated a special compilation of Queerstories, a national LGBTQI+ storytelling project she has been curating for nearly five years. The Byron edition features tales from local writer Hayley Katzen, activist and Executive Director of change.org Sally Rugg, journalist and Junkee cultural editor Michael Sun, and award-winning author, playwright and poet Ellen van Neerven.   Also in Conversations from Byron, guest curator Sunil Badami talks with playwright S. Shakthidharan about his acclaimed play Counting and Cracking, which swept the prestigious Helpmann Awards in 2019, as well as winning the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award.He also talks with political correspondent Annika Smethurst about her book On Secrets, which details her terrifying ordeal of being raided by the AFP and charged under obscure national security laws, and what this might mean for all of us.The digital program also features comedians and writers Jean Kittson and Mandy Nolan discussing Kittson's latest book: We Need To Talk About Mum And Dad. These podcasts are available along with previously released Conversations from Byron podcasts featuring authors Evie Wyld (The Bass Rock), Chris Flynn (Mammoth), Yumna Kassab (The House of Youssef) and Christos Tsiolkas (Damascus) amongst many others. The Festival, in partnership with Southern Cross University is making its popular Secondary and Primary Schools Programs publicly available for the first time. In a series of entertaining sessions filmed for the Festival, audiences can explore talks with Clare Bowditch, Craig Foster, Matt Okine, Vivian Pham, Sally Rugg, Christos Tsiolkas and Ellen van Neerven. The Byron Writers Festival 2020 Thea Astley address by Professor Langton is supported by The Conversation and the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund. It will be available via podcast on http://wwwbyronwritersfestival.com/digital and the full transcript will be published by The Conversation at theconversation.com.  The new Conversations from Byron podcasts will be available from Wednesday 5 August. The Schools Programs content is available to the public on Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 August only. Visit http://wwwbyronwritersfestival.com/digital to access the full program.

Lismore Base Hospital staff in the Intensive Care Unit are now caring for one patient who has been confirmed to have COVID-19. A Northern NSW Local Health District (NNSWLHD) spokesperson said the person in care is one of the couple (both in their 60s) who returned home from Sydney recently – and likely caught the virus after being associated with a series of funeral gatherings and a church service attended by a woman in her 40s from Fairfield in western Sydney.Read more news: UPDATE: Two new COVID-19 cases in the Northern RiversThe couple drove between Sydney and their home before presenting themselves for testing in Byron Bay.The spokesperson said this brings the total number of cases to 58 in the local health district, with only two currently active cases. Strict procedures for Victorian flightsWith concerns escalating about the spread of Covid-19 and the introduction of mandatory mask wearing in Victoria, today NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard announced new strict procedures for all flights from Victoria. Mr Hazzard announced that a strict permit system is in place for all flights arriving in NSW from Victoria and passengers undergo comprehensive police and health checks upon arrival.“All flights are met by NSW Health staff and police officers to ensure anyone entering NSW complies with the current health orders,” Mr Hazzard said.“There are only limited reasons anyone from Victoria should be entering NSW and people have been turned back despite being allowed on the plane in Melbourne.“Victorian residents are not permitted into NSW at all unless they are needed for specific purposes and even then have to apply for and get a permit.“We are constantly reviewing the situation in Victoria and will adjust the health orders as necessary to protect the people of NSW.”What are the new rules?Anyone who flies into NSW from Victoria must either be a NSW resident or have a relevant permit that allows entry into NSW – that can include: defence officials, doctors and nurses, critical workers in energy, mining and construction, child protection workers and disability workers.All travellers will be provided with a pack of two masks and hand sanitiser by the airlines.Upon arrival into NSW all passengers from Victoria are given masks if they left them on the plane; have their temperature checked; asked relevant questions about their health; and their permit is checked to ensure it complies with the strict permit system.Anyone without a valid permit is referred to NSW Police and taken to the Special Health Accommodation to complete 14 days of quarantine.Home isolationStrict instructions and rules are in place for those going into ‘Home Isolation’ including:Recommended they be collected in a private car by family or friends;Not to use public transport to get home;To only sit in the back seat of a car with the windows open and air conditioning not on recirculation;Told to wear their face masks and observe hand hygiene recommendations ; andCalled to make sure they arrive home.NSW Health is provided the contact details of everyone who enters NSW from Victoria.Police checksNSW Police is conducting regular compliance checks for people told to go into ‘Home Isolation’ as well as responding to reports from the community in relation to suspected breaches.  Over the weekend, NSW Police visited almost 600 homes to check that those that were meant to be self-isolating were doing so.In addition to that, over the same period NSW Police received 374 calls to Crime Stoppers reporting suspected breaches of the health orders, the majority of which were for people suspected of not following self-isolation rules.Personal Infringement Notices - MullumbimbyLast weekend, local police issued a Covid-19 related Personal Infringement in the Mullumbimby area.About 2.45am on Saturday (1 August 2020), officers from Tweed/Byron Police District were called to a house party on Melaleuca Drive, Mullumbimby Creek. Police saw a large number of people inside and outside the house, none of whom were appropriately physically distanced. The 53-year-old male resident told police he was aware there were too many attendees but wasn’t worried because he believes Coronavirus is just a flu.The group was dispersed, and he was subsequently issued a $1000 PIN.

Meeting rugby league great Brad 'Freddy' Fittler at the Lismore PCYC this morning was the highlight for over 50 young people at the newly re-started Fit For Life program.Youth case manager Senior Constable Clare Beek said the NSW Blues State of origin coach was one of the PCYC’s ambassador and they were lucky he could drop by for the pre-school activities.The Fit For Life program has been on hold for a few months due to Covid restrictions, but today, the weekly morning program designed to get disengaged kids back at school, kicked off again.Snr Cons Beek said the program runs every Tuesday, from 7-8am for young people aged 10 to 17 who are at risk of making poor choices, and anti-social behaviour.Activities include basketball, boxing and general fitness workouts - and the young people get breakfast afterwards before they go to school.“Through physical fitness, nutrition and social engagement, Fit For Life aims to improve overall wellbeing as well as prevent and divert youth from offending behaviours and school truancy,” she said.“We have a great boxing coach and we get involved in the boxing too.“It helps to break down the barriers, and build good relationships between the police and young people when they see us join in with them in police uniform.”Brad Fittler, the NSW Blues State of Origin coach, and the former captain of Australia and New South Wales. Snr Cons Beek said if parents or caregivers were interested in having a young person join the program, they should call the PCYC or drop in to fill out the necessary paperwork beforehand.“We need to sign participants up as PCYC members first,” she said. “So it’s important that they come in and let us know they are interested before Tuesday mornings.“We encourage caregivers to drop off the young people at the PCYC by 7am then if they are able to, to pick them up and take them to school afterwards.“We do have limited transport available to take the children to school, but if parents can do it, it is a preferred option – especially if we have lots of participants.“We rely on volunteers helping us out, so it is crucial that people come and talk to us about their needs beforehand."If you are interested in the program, call Lismore PCYC on 02 6621 6276.

Police are seeking community assistance in locating 48 year old David Kassis, wanted by virtue of a conviction warrant. David is known to frequent the Lismore area.Anyone with information regarding David's current whereabouts is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000

Member for Page Kevin Hogan was handing out the love and the dollars to the people of Dunoon today when two significant grants were announced to the Dunoon United Football Club and the Dunoon Mens Shed.Mr Hogan announced a $32,200 grant to build new female change rooms for players and referees.“I am very pleased to be able to support the Club with this funding,” Mr Hogan said. “It will be used to construct a referee room for female match officials and will also provide sun protection.” “Currently there are no facilities and this is a real barrier for female participation.” “I congratulate Dunoon United on this project, it will benefit the club and the whole community.” Dunoon United Football Club Secretary Rob Gatt said the project was very important for the future of the club.  “Giving women their own space will increase female participation for both players and officials,” Mr Gatt said.  "At the moment the referees are sharing a store room which in no way encourages referees which is one of the shortfalls we have""Football Far North Coast wants to encourage female participation and the specific rooms we will be building mean that the women will have a dedicated facility to use for changing" At present there are two change rooms which are shared and have caused awkward moments when there are mens and women's games kicking off at the same time.The new change rooms are being built by local builder Luke Sullivan and is expected to be completed before the end of the year and hopefully by the end of this season.The second grant today was a $9,400 grant for the Dunoon Mens Shed was be used to purchase new tools and build an extension to the existing building.“Men’s Sheds are a vital community assets and play an important role in the lives of many", Mr Hogan said. “This funding has allowed them to purchase new safety equipment, including new safety glasses, earmuffs, welding helmets, gloves and a wall-mounted First Aid Kit.” “They also purchased a new planer, a folding table with clamps, a new grinder and a pedestal drill.”“It is great to see the extension of the shed now complete and being fitted with the new tools.”“The growth of the group is testament to the work they’re doing in our community.”Dunoon Mens Shed President Ross McDougall said the extension allows up to 16 men to utilise the facility at one time, this was from a starting point of 6 people when it opened in 2011."It's main function is for men from the district to come and meet and socialise which is good for mental health plus produce some products for the community", Ross said.Next item on the agenda is a new kitchen for the Dunoon Mens Shed.

As we start our working week under clear blue skies I would like to outline Melbourne's Stage 4 restrictions that serve as a reminder for us all to be aware of how quickly our somewhat normal life can change very quickly.From 6pm last Night Melburnian residents were under a State of Disaster and a State of Emergency. This means that the Victorian Government has introduced their strictest restrictions yet, including;A daily curfew from 8pm to 5am preventing people from leaving their home.All Victorian students have returned to on-line learning.All Melbourne childcare centres will be closed by Thursday.The warning from the Premier was, if Victoria did not take these strict measures now then Stage 3 Restrictions would be in place until the end of the year.That would result in the likely closure of many small businesses.Businesses in Melbourne will operate largely the same for supermarkets, butchers, green grocers, take away food outlets and pharmacies. These businesses may be asked to reduce output which would lead to less shifts to reduce contact between workers. Other businesses will be asked to work from home and if they cannot the business will be asked to close.With Victorian coronavirus cases still at very high levels 671, 397 and 723 plus over 20 deaths this should serve as a reminder that we are not out of the woods in Northern NSW.It is easy to become complacent with the social distancing rules and not being tested if you start to experience COVID like symptoms like a sore throat, cough or runny nose.We don't want to see our local businesses threatened any more than has already happened this year let alone experience more restrictions to our life.

NSW Police has confirmed the skeletal remains found on the state’s far north coast two weeks ago belong to missing Nimbin woman, Thea Liddle, who has not been seen since October last year.Thea Liddle, a 42-year-old microbiology graduate, was last seen in the Mooball area, north of Byron Bay, in northern NSW on October 31. On November 4, Liddle left her ex-partner's property on Tweed Valley Way in Mooball.The former partner had recently been released from hospital, according to police, and Liddle "being the big hearted person she was", went to check in on him from a campsite near Nimbin.Her family, who live in Queensland, reported her missing in January, prompting a large scale investigation into her disappearance.Thea Liddle was known to live a nomadic lifestyle, camping at various locations in the Northern Rivers, which made it difficult for authorities to know where to start their investigation.The Daily Telegraph reported that the breakthrough came in June when Thea Liddle's smartphone data was analysed. From the phone tower her phone activity last "pinged" from, police created a search arc.Combined with local insight, police started a two-day search for campsites in the scrub and sand dunes skirting the Byron Bay coastline. Officers from the Tweed/Byron Police District, the Public Order and Riot Squad and the Dog Unit joined forces for an extensive two-day search of bushland near Tallow Beach Road, Byron Bay, on July 14.On November 15 at 1.20pm, near Tallow Beach and in the shadows of the lighthouse, officers stumbled across a tent. There also was luggage, women's clothing, a library card, mail and a milk carton with the use by date November 7, 2019. Police officers also discovered female human remains. The human remains were identified as Thea Liddle last week.NSW Police said Thea Liddle’s relatives had been informed of the developments and her remains would be returned to her family.State Crime Commander Assistant Commissioner Stuart Smith said investigators from the Tweed and Byron Police District had been reviewing their initial investigation into Thea Liddle's disappearance under the unsolved homicide framework when they identified information about the Byron Bay bushland where she may have been residing."As a result, a coordinated search was conducted of the area and human remains were located, which were then analysed by forensic experts at NSW Health Pathology," he said."It is this coordinated approach – both within the (police force) and with our partner agencies – that is seeing answers provided to more families and, in many cases, far quicker than we ever have before."The discovery comes ahead of Missing Persons Week, an annual national campaign beginning on Sunday that raises awareness about the issues and impact surrounding missing people.Tweed and Byron Police District Commander Superintendent Dave Roptell said the circumstances of Thea Liddle's death remained under investigation."While the positive identification of these remains is a good result for (detectives) it is also devastating news to Thea’s family and friends," he said."We are urging anyone in the community who may have seen or spoken to Thea in late October or early November last year, in and around the Far North Coast, to please come forward."When Thea Liddle's remains were found last month, Superintendent Roptell said the woman had lived a "very transient lifestyle"."Shifting from place to place, changing campsites often and would opt for places in remote bushland away from the public," he said."It wasn’t uncommon for Thea to travel throughout the Far North Coast."

When COVID tightened its grip in March life as we knew it completely changed including all sport which regional communities like ours thrive on most weekends of the year.July 18 saw the re-birth of local sport then last weekend Far North Coast Football and NRRRL kicked off their shortened seasons.The Lismore App is pleased to announce that Matthew Barlow has joined our team to bring you all the latest sport results over the weekend.(Matt with his sons Jye and Toby)Matthew or Matt is no stranger to local sport having been involved in the North Coast sports industry for 25 years. He has played AFL, Basketball as well as coaching the Lismore Rugby Club.Matt moved to Lismore to complete a Bachelor of Human Movement degree at SCU. He finished his degree, fell in love, got married, had two children and hasn't left like many before him.Currently Matt is employed as the Manager of College Sport at Trinity Catholic College which as Matt says "allows me to enjoy witnessing the positive impact that sport has on young people in our community."He is also a Board Member of the North Coast Academy of Sport and the Lismore Turf Club, Chairman of the Lismore Masters Games, Patron of Lismore and District Netball Association and Tournament Director of the Byron Bay 7's.If that doesn't make you think Matt is adequately qualified to report on local sport, he has previously had the privilege of working on events such as the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne and the FINA World Swimming Championships in 2007."I love the fact that sport teaches so many things, resilience, teamwork, discipline and leadership and I love giving back to the industry that has brought me so much enjoyment, friendship and fun over many years," Matt said."I look forward to assisting with expanding the coverage of sport in the region."If you would like your sport covered on the Lismore App, get in touch with Matt via email [email protected]

With the Lismore Car Boot Market moving to a new location this month, how will the market experience change for stall holders and market goers? What if you want to hold a stall and what do the new covid regulations mean for you? And importantly, what happens if it rains?Creating a market in a new location is like putting together a jigsaw, according to Lismore Car Boot Market manager Marny Bonner.She has taken on the challenge of bringing the popular market back to life after a covid-induced break and said the move from underneath Lismore Shopping Square to Lismore Showgrounds is a massive challenge.“We only made the decision this week to move once we got clarity that it would be too hard to keep holding it under the Square,” she said. “We put in a proposal to Lismore Council and the new location has been approved in principal for three months.”Read more news: Lismore Car Boot Market moves to new locationMarny said one of the major factors in making the move to the Showground was the difficulty of having to fence in the undercover area of Lismore Shopping Square to adhere Covid safety regulations and control the numbers and flow of people entering and exiting the market.Undercover or outdoors?While the new location at the North Lismore Showground has an easier to manage entrance and some large undercover sheds, Marny said not all stall holders will be able to get a space undercover.“There are two sheds and we will give priority to stall holders with products that won’t be good in the sun – like cakes, vinyl records or people who can’t manage putting up a gazebo,” she said.“I will be sending out a survey soon to ascertain people’s needs. Many stall holders prefer to be in the sunshine and they set up in gazebos and do other markets.Survey“The survey will give me the jigsaw pieces I need to create the markets and then I will work to best prioritise and place everyone.“It will take a great deal of work to reengineer the market into a new footprint.”Marny said about 80% of Car Boot Market stall holders have permanent bookings and are used to the stability of arriving at the market knowing they have a pre-booked site, with no queueing at the gate.In order to keep the first market flowing as smoothly as possibly while organisers iron out any kinks in the way it runs, Marny said she will be limiting the number of new stall holders until they work it out.“We already have our staff working as parking marshals managing the off-street parking in a new setting – we can’t be trying to manage casuals on the morning too,” she said.ContactIf you want to be a hold a stall or be part of the stall holder survey, make sure you contact the team soon by email [email protected] or phone 0437 995 859.Social distancingMarny and her team have also taken on the challenge of creating spaces for stall holders that follow Covid regulations of distance, as well as allowing for customer traffic flow.“We need to allow more space between stalls for social distancing,” she said. “So, when we create a four by four metre stall space, if a marquee is three metres wide, there will be a half metre either side of it.“Covid requirements also say the side walls of a marquee must be down.”Marny said the sheds in the showground also present challenges because they have poles that she has to navigate when laying out stall spaces.UnpredictableThe outdoor nature of the new market also means what the weather is doing could potentially change whether the market will be on or not.“Now we’ve gone from being one of the most predictable markets on the North Coast to being just as affected by the rain and weather as all the other markets,” Marny said.Stall holders“All stall holders will be given an information sheet on how they need to comply with covid regulations and they will be sold a bottle of hand sanitiser if they haven’t brought one for their stall,” Marny said.“Stall holders must also be mindful of maintain 1.5 metres between customers. They are encouraged to mark the ground in front of them at 1.5 metre distances.“Stalls with queues need to be placed in a way that the serving side of stall is not projecting out too.Community“It’s a huge mission to get traders up and running and pull our community back together again – the hardest thing is not being able to hug each other.“People who had neighbouring stalls for years are missing seeing each other.”Manry said Robyn Kelly, the organiser of the Channon Craft Market, was the first to identify how huge the changes to markets were going to be.“She called all the other market organisers up to form a collective and make sure we are on the same page,” she said. “It’s such a blessing and a wonderful aspect of our North Coast community.“It’s one of the positives coming out of this. We’ve all already had three zoom meetings and a meeting, where public health officers from Byron and Lismore Councils attended to help guide us.The futureThis Sunday, August 2, Byron Bay Market is the first cab off the rank as our regional markets open up again.Marny said if there are any Covid regulation or weather changes in the lead up to the Lismore Car Boot Market on August 16, she will update the Lismore Car Boot Market Facebook page. The market phone (0437 995 859) will also have a recorded message with information.

As we head into August we also head into more weekend activity with some of the major markets back in operation.You may have read that the Lismore Car Boot Markets are moving temporarily to the Lismore Showgrounds with their first market since March on Sunday August 16. The Channon Markets will be the first to open their gates next Sunday August 9 while the Nimbin Markets have not confirmed a date yet.(Lismore Car Boot Markets pre-COVID)Tomorrow morning the Lismore Farmers Markets are are on at the showground from 8am to 11am with loads of fresh fruit and Veg while the Blue Knob Markets are on from 8:30am to 11.The weather for the weekend will be fine unlike last weekends heavy rain. The mornings will be cool with 3-4 as minimums and the maximums a comfortable 19 to 21 degrees Weather.This information will please those that are running the various sporting bodies in the region.The Lismore app welcomes Matthew (Matt) Barlow on board as our new Sports Editor from this weekend. You can read more about Matt tomorrow morning in News.The Marist Brothers Rams will tackle last years Premiers on Sunday at Crozier Field at 3pm in what will be a litmus test for coach Mark Sivewright's boys after their last minute win over Casino last week. Northern United also have a tough contest as they travel to Cudgen on Sunday.Richmond Rovers and Lismore Thistles do battle at Nielsen park tomorrow at 3pm while Goonellabah take on South Lismore at Western Park, Goonellabah on Sunday with kick-off at 2:30pm.After a bit of a touch up last weekend Lismore City play Bangalow at home tomorrow with kick off at 3:15. All lower grades are at home as well.See Sport for a full roundup of your sport on Sunday afternoon or Monday Sport.Petrol prices have not moved in weeks with the cheapest E10 Unleaded at United on Ballina Road with 112.9 while diesel has three locations including United, Liberty on Ballina Road and the Shell station on Wilson Street, South Lismore.Let's end the week with a few funnies, as usual;

A new play area at Clunes Public School has brought a new world to students in wheelchairs.Not only is the play area accessible to students in wheelchairs, it is sheltered from the weather, has soft fall rubber on the ground and includes low level climbing and play equipment for the students. The play area project was funded with $15,000 from the Federal Government Local Schools Community Fund. This week, Federal Member for Page Kevin Hogan joined school students to officially open the play area. “This is a fantastic new facility that will be used by the whole community,” Mr Hogan said.  “These upgrades mean the playground is now safe, durable and suitable for all students at the school.”  Clunes Public School Principal Michelle Slee was excited to see the playground opened today.  “This is an inclusive playground that all students of age and ability can use together,” Mrs Slee said.  The Local Schools Community Fund was open to all schools. For future rounds, visit https://schools.education.gov.au/ to apply. 

A 38 year old man has been charged following his arrest yesterday by Lismore police. The man was charged with five counts of aggravated sex assault-victim under the age of 16 years, aggravated sexual assault-inflict actual bodily harm on victim, common assault and intentionally touch child between 10-16 years.The man was refused bail and will appear at Lismore Court today.On Wednesday 29 July, police received a report a 12-year-old girl was approached by an unknown man near Magellan and Carrington Streets, Lismore, before being sexually assaulted near Molesworth Street.Officers from Richmond Police District, together with detectives from the State Crime Command’s Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad, commenced an investigation into the incident.Following inquiries, a 38-year-old man was arrested at a home near Lismore just after 10.30am yesterday (Thursday 30 July 2020).Later that day, officers executed a search warrant at the home and seized a mobile phone and other items relevant to the investigation.The Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad is comprised of detectives who are specially trained to investigate matters against children and adults, including sexual assault, serious physical abuse, and extreme cases of neglect.Anyone with concerns about suspected child abuse or exploitation should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page: https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au.Information you provide will be treated in the strictest of confidence. People should not report crime information via our Facebook and Twitter pages.ORIGINAL STORYPolice are investigating the sexual assault of a 12 year old girl in the Lismore CBD last night.Richmond Police District Detective Commander Cameron Lindsay said police today arrested a 38 year old man who is currently assisting police with enquiries.“We anticipate he will be charged in relation to an assault on a 12 year old girl last night,” Det Comm Lindsay said.“Police will allege that around 6pm on Carrington Street, the man approached a 12 year old and later assault her in bushland near Molesworth Street. “We will allege the girl was alone and they were unknown to each other.”Det Comm Lindsay said local detectives and the State Crime Command's Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad worked overnight on the case to bring the matter to the court.“Police executed a search warrant and seized a number of items which have been examined as evidence,” he said.“I anticipate he will face charges tonight and appear in Lismore local court tomorrow morning.“We are pleased to have made the arrest, but it is an extremely concerning offense to us that a young girl walking the streets at a relatively early time was assaulted in such fashion.“It is absolutely disgusting and a big concern for us, so we are happy to place this matter before the court.”“We remind parents to know where their kids are.“It was a traumatic incident and the girl is receiving counselling.“We urge people who may have seen anything last night to contact Crimestoppers or Lismore Detectives,” he said.You can contact Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000.

A new study could be the answer to reliving chronic pain in Australian military veterans.Southern Cross University’s National Centre for Naturopathic Medicine (NCNM) researchers are conducting the first comprehensive examination of integrative healthcare in military populations in Australia – a study that hopes to highlight the potential benefits of this approach to the management of chronic pain.This week is National Pain Week (July 27 to August 2), which champions the needs of many Australians living with chronic pain. Australian veterans are affected by complex pain conditions at a disproportionately higher rate than the general population.With musculoskeletal and nervous system conditions representing the top 10 health conditions suffered by Australian military personnel, these conditions are often inter-related, with chronic pain experienced by nearly half of this population.This pragmatic randomised clinical trial, funded by the Defence Health Foundation, aims to measure the success of integrative approaches in military personnel and veterans with chronic pain.Professor Jon Wardle, Professor of Public Health and Director of the National Centre for Naturopathic Medicine, is leading the trial and said many armed forces across the world now recommend integrative medicine, but Australia had not yet followed suit.“It is helping to bring to patients the potential benefits of an integrative approach that has been proven useful elsewhere but has had problems being adopted into the Australian landscape.“We are examining whether integrating complementary medicine in real-world military and veteran clinical settings offers clinical improvements, resource or cost-savings or other benefits to individual patients or healthcare organisations,” Professor Wardle said.The trial integrates acupuncture/Chinese medicine, naturopathy, massage therapy and yoga classes alongside usual care, comparing the effects of usual care to an integrated model of complementary medicine alongside usual care.“We are analysing these complementary therapies against markers such as pain intensity, quality of life, cost effectiveness and safety – among others,” said Professor Wardle.   The trial is currently being conducted at the largest veteran health clinic in Australia, GO2 Health at Everton Park in Brisbane’s north.Andy McLintock, a naturopath and veteran himself, is coordinating the trial at GO2 Health.“GO2 Health provides a suite of therapies, including GP, allied health and complementary therapies - it really puts the veteran at the centre of the care. With the client base and number of veterans going through the clinic, it really makes it the ideal location to host this study,” Mr McLinktock said.“We are about half-way through patient recruitment, so at the moment we are still looking for veterans in the South-East Queensland area who have chronic pain to participate in the study.”Professor Wardle is optimistic of the study’s outcomes and what this could mean for the future of military and veteran health care in Australia.“We already know the benefits of complementary medicine in managing chronic pain. Overseas military organisations like NATO and the US Department of Defence recommend inclusion of some complementary medicines in military care on this basis. Now we are building the evidence base to help inform future policy around military and veteran care here in Australia,” Professor Wardle said.

How do actors keep busy while stage lights are dimmed and curtains closed?With their next play Educating Rita on hold, Lismore Theatre Company (LTC) has turned to Shakespeare and the company's actors are ready to tackle the play Macbeth. Now, they are working on an innovative 45 minute version of it.The idea to film local actors in a rehearsed, abridged reading of Macbeth came from LTC’s artistic director Kylie Fuad and Educating Rita director David Addenbrooke.Mr Addenbrooke said local faces will lead the cast, with Elyse Knowles (Rita) playing Lady Macbeth and Gray Wilson (Frank) playing Macbeth. They will be supported by a small group of LTC actors in this short version of Shakespeare's play. “The stage remains set for Educating Rita while these marvellous actors bide their time,” he said. “But there’s only so much rehearsing they can do, so the idea is to engage them in a new project to keep them fresh and involved.”The innovative project is a collaboration with Star Court Theatre, which was hit hard by Covid-19 when it had to close for several months. This small business, run by Sarah-Jane Loxton and Sharon Rigby, is trying to stay afloat in these turbulent times for the arts. Sarah-Jane, a local performer herself, is keen to bring live performance back to Star Court once it is safe to do so. In the meantime Star Court Theatre has opened its space for Lismore Theatre Company for this project.“I’ve loved being part of various performances with Lismore Theatre Company including last year’s production of The Vagina Monologues so it’s wonderful to work with the Company again- this time in our theatre space,” Sarah-Jane said.LTC has brought several plays to the larger Star Court Theatre stage in the past. Now, in this time of the one person per four square metre rule, the cast can safely come together and create while awaiting the reopening of its Rochdale Theatre home for Educating Rita once it is safe to do so.“With social distancing an issue, our own Rochdale Theatre stage was too small for 12 actors,” Kylie said. “So, we are delighted that Star Court Theatre agreed to let us use their stage and we will film the performance to be available on line.”The rehearsed reading of this abridged version of Macbeth will be filmed on August 22, then released for public viewing. Audiences are encouraged to follow the Lismore Theatre Company Facebook page for updates.

If you have seen wild dogs on the loose, North Coast Local Land Services (NCLLS) need your help.Wild dogs are considered a significant pest species and often attack livestock and native animals and a new project testing dog DNA samples hopes to help manage them.NCLLS Invasive Pests team leader Dean Chamberlin said wild dogs are potentially spreading diseases and threatening human health, safety and wellbeing.“We are seeking the assistance of the community to gather information on wild dog genetics by providing samples from any wild dogs that are controlled as part of their regular management programs,” he said.“These samples will be tested to determine the genetic makeup and the kinship - or how they are related to each other- of wild dogs”Dean said the information will be used to help local and regional wild dog control groups better target their management activity.The project will run for five years and is part of a national program to gain information on the relatedness of wild dogs and their dispersion across the landscape.“By knowing which dog is related to which other dogs, we can work out the size of the area local people have to consider for effective control of livestock predation,” Dean said.“Having a better understanding of wild dog movements through the landscape helps us to identify which neighbouring landholders need to work together for better control. This can help to reduce impacts on livestock, wildlife, domestic pets and people.”The success of the program will be reliant on LLS getting good samples from the community.“By involving community members in the DNA research, there is the opportunity to build a better understanding of the issue, and this will lead to greater involvement in local control programs,” Dean said.Local Land Services is keen to recognise participation in the Wild Dog DNA Sampling Project by offering a monthly prize draw of a $250 voucher to your local produce store, firearms dealer or trapping supply store for eligible participants who submit samples.If you are interested in becoming part of the program and would like more information, contact Tiffany Felton, Senior Biosecurity Officer at NCLLS on 1300 795 299

The Lismore Car Boot Market is set to move, temporarily, to the Lismore Showground.Marny Bonner, owner and manager of the Lismore Car Boot Market announced the changes today.“In response to Covid-19 safety requirements, the Lismore Car Boot Market team, with the support of the Lismore Showgrounds Trust, are temporarily relocating the market to the Lismore Showground starting Sunday, August 16,” Marny said.“For 32 years we have operated safely undercover in the Lismore Shopping Square car park but Covid-19 presents special challenges. A temporary move to the Lismore Showground, where there is a lot more space, enables us to provide the safest possible venue whilst allowing the market to recommence.” With over 200 stalls at an average market, the Lismore Car Boot Market has not only supported thousands of small home-based businesses over the past 3 decades, but also hundreds of charities and non-profit organisations as well as musicians, performers and artists.As has been the case with other north coast markets, the Lismore Car Boot Market suspended trade in response to Covid-19 in March.“The Team at Lismore Car Boot Market are aware of the important social and economic role of the market in the community,” Marny said.“Our stallholders and the broader community are our partners. We are keen to recommence operating to provide much needed economic and connection opportunities.”Ms Bonner highlighted that, if Covid-19 restrictions change, the market will have to respond accordingly.In preparing for the temporary move, the market team has been working with other north coast market managers, Councils and the NSW Department of Health to prepare operational plans that safely maximises the opportunity for the public to enjoy the traditions and services the market has provided for over three decades.The Lismore Car Boot Market at Lismore Showground will operate on the first and third Sundays of each month starting on Sunday, August 16 until the Covid challenge has passed. Stalls will be set up from 8am – 2pm.

If you don’t already know, KITTEN op shop on Bridge Street in North Lismore has reopened.Like most op shops in the area, the charity shop has opened with reduced operating hours because of coronavirus restrictions, and has changed the entrance and exits of the shop to keep the traffic flow Covid-safe.Run by volunteers, Kats in Traumatic Times Emergency Network (KITTEN Rescue Inc.) relies on donations - and rescues, rehouses and rehabilitates cats and dogs.The shop was opened by Lucinda Dyason, manager of Pets and Saddles on Bridge Street and she and her team rehome on average more than 300 animals each year. Anyone wishing to rehome a cat or dog can drop into Pets and Saddles and see which animals are in care and needing new homes. All the animals are desexed and wormed.The shop’s volunteers said they love working in the large space and seeing the variety of items donated to the op shop. All money raised goes toward KITTEN and they encourage people to come in and browse – just make sure you use the hand sanitiser on your way in.Read more news: Covid rules change for gyms: new cases found in Queensland For more information about KITTEN, phone 0412 996 748 KITTEN op shop is now open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10am to 2pm.

Gyms and fitness centres in NSW will be required to have a dedicated Covid-19 Safe Hygiene Marshal on duty at all times as of Saturday, August 1. They must also register and have a Covid-19 safety plan.The new rules were announced today – on the same day that two Coronavirus positive cases have been discovered south of Brisbane.NSW Minister for Customer Service Victor Dominello said the extra measures for gyms and fitness centres are necessary to stop the spread of Covid-19 in NSW.“Gyms and fitness centres must take all reasonable steps to reduce the transmission of COVID-19. Businesses who fail to be compliant will risk facing a fine or venue closure,” he said.“Whether it’s maintaining social distancing, cleaning equipment after use or making hand sanitiser available for customers, these dedicated Covid Safe Hygiene Marshals will play a pivotal role in keeping gyms safe and compliant.Submit or update your business COVID-19 Safety Plan here: https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/covid-safe-businessesTwo new virus cases in QueenslandThe two 19 year old women who tested positive for the virus are the first Covid cases in Queensland outside quarantine since May. The two women, from Acacia Ridge and Logan, returned by plane to Queensland from Melbourne via Sydney on 21 July and tested positive for the virus eight days after returning. Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said contact tracing of the two women was underway and pre-emptive measures were being taken in case the virus had spread through the community.“The women did not self-isolate, despite the rule that everyone entering Queensland who has been in Victoria in the past 14 days should do so,” Ms Palaszczuk said.“We need to be making sure that any of those people who may have come into contact with the two confirmed cases need to go into quarantine and also need to be tested.Aged care facilities in Brisbane’s metro south area will be closed to visitors and will have enhanced screening for staff, who will not be able to work across multiple facilities.The Premier has already declared that the greater Sydney area will be considered a coronavirus hotspot from Saturday morning, and no one from that area will be allowed to enter Queensland. “It is incredibly important, now more than ever that anyone feeling sick should get a test," she said.Read more local news: North Lismore op shop reopens to help animals

With the first weekend in August approaching, the question being asked around the community is will the North Coast regional markets actually be returning after months of a covid-induced hiatus?The sad news is that the Lismore car boot market won’t be beginning until August 16, but Byron Bay market is scheduled to begin again this Sunday, August 2, with the Channon craft market following on August 9.With the changing coronavirus situation in our local community, market organisers advise people to check in as the days and weeks go by to see if the situation has changed and the markets are not able to go ahead as planned.Read more about the changes to how the markets will operate under Covid-19 restrictions: https://lismoreapp.com.au/news-sport/news/weekend-markets-to-reopen-with-a-new-landscape?id=5efadd13fb6e00002837ed23If you don’t know the market schedule, the markets follow a set pattern:1st Sunday of the month: Lismore car boot and Byron Bay markets2nd Sunday of the month: Channon craft market3rd Sunday of the month: Lismore car boot market4th Sunday of the month: Bangalow marketThere are also plenty of other markets on, like the farmers’ markets at the Lismore Showground every Saturday morning, and the organic market every Tuesday at the Showground.For more information on all regional markets, visit: https://www.visitnorthcoast.com.au/regional-markets/