The Lismore App reported on Saturday evening that two new cases of coronavirus had been confirmed at the Byron Central Hospital fever clinic following a visit to Sydney by a couple in their 60's.The couple were exposed to one of the current COVID-19 clusters at a funeral gathering and church service.At the time no further details were available.A spokesperson from Northern NSW Local Health District today revealed that the couple in their 60's did not fly from Sydney into Ballina airport but drove between Sydney and their home before presenting themselves for testing.Contact tracing is underway to identify any potential points of contact with the public on their journey home.The couple is self isolating at home.This brings the total number of cases to 58 in the local health district.ORIGINAL STORYNorthern New South Wales Local Health District Chief Executive Wayne Jones has confirmed two new coronavirus cases in the Northern Rivers today.A couple in their 60's had recently returned from Sydney. They then presented for testing at the Byron Central Hospital fever clinic with a positive result.The cases have been associated with a series of funeral gatherings and a church service attended by a woman in her 40's from the Fairfield area in Sydney.NSW Public Health Unit is conducting relevant interviews and contact tracing to ensure all steps are being taken to manage the risk. The couple are currently self-isolating at home.This now brings the total number of cases in Northern NSW to 58. "We encourage anyone with even the mildest of symptoms to come forward for testing to help contain community spread of COVID-19", Mr Jones said. The symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, headache, loss of smell and taste. Even if minor symptoms develop, please seek testing and self-isolate. Fever clinics are located at Lismore Base Hospital, Byron Central Hospital or other GP and pop-up clinics in the region. 

If you are 12-25 years old and passionate about making a difference, headspace is looking for you.The local youth organisation wants young people of all diverse walks of life to join its Youth Advisory Group (YAG).The volunteer position will give you a chance to have your say and get actively involved in helping your community.headspace aims to have young people involved in every aspect of the decision-making for the centre to ensure young people's voices and opinions remain front and centre.What does a YAG do?Plan and run youth events, workshops, school talks, community awareness headspace stalls at festivals and more.Use social media platforms to connect with and empower other young people and their familiesAssist in the design and development of the centre - shaping the delivery of headspace services, including policy, staff recruitment and trainingrepresent headspace at events for local organisations/services/schoolsheadspace wants to hear from a diverse range of voices. You are especially encouraged to apply if you:have experienced your own struggles or feel passionate about improving the mental health and wellbeing of local young peopleare an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young person, have a disability or identify as LGBTIQAP+If this sounds like something you'd like to be part of, complete an expression of interest form here: https://buff.ly/2Cnbv1TIf you have any further questions about the YAG or headspace, contact your nearest Community Engagement Officer:Madeline Seely, headspace Lismore, phone 0418 769 174, or Damien Becker, headspace Tweed Heads, phone 0437 188 715. 

The Bureau of Meteorology were spot on with the weather forecast for Lismore for this weekend earlier in the week. If they are correct again we can expect more rain this afternoon/evening and a potential thunderstorm.To 9am this morning Lismore received 27mm's at the airport while Nimbin had 20mm's in the rain gauge. As expected the highest falls were on or near the coast with Evans Head recording 56mm's and Alstonville 49mm's.So far this morning, the rainfall has been light with only 1mm falling but that is the calm before the potential storm.Gabrielle Woodhouse from the BOM says we will have persistent showers easing later tomorrow, "this is a tricky one as that trough deepens on the NSW coast and moves slowly south", Gabrielle said."Where that low is situated tomorrow will determine the time when conditions will clear".How much rain can we expect?Another 20 to 40mm's today with about 50 for the coastal towns then another 10-20mm's tomorrow.The good news is that when the low does push south we should see some clear skies and light winds from Monday which will continue into next weekend. There is the chance of fog towards the end of next week and into next weekend.You can view the BOM radar in Weather/Travel on the Lismore App Weather/Travel.

NPC Amusements have moved to bigger and better premises in East Lismore on Rifle Range Road. As soon as you walk through those big warehouse doors you can see why owners Nick and Bec Contojohn made the move.The building itself is five times bigger than their previous two story house on Ballina Road opposite Lismore Nissan. Not only that you immediately see the result of three months, 7 days a week work that went into the fit out which makes it one of the best Man Cave businesses in the Northern Rivers not just Lismore.The other reason for the move "It is out of flood", Bec said.From the eye catching epoxy concrete swirl floor at the entrance to the old rusted mini above the new office and a moving gantry this is an impressive result.When Nick and Bec were on Ballina Road the mainstay of their business was an impressive on-line offering of anything and everything you need to fill a man cave or entertain the kids. As that building was an old two story house there was no room to display their stock so Nick and Bec had to show people the stock through their website. Now, the Rifle Range building is open there is plenty of room to park, go in and browse the well stocked shelves before you buy, and I challenge you to not buy something.What you see in the photo is not the end of the journey as there is a further 10 metres of floor space that will be utilised in the coming months meaning more stock and more options. For pop culture fans this will be perfect for you as there will be movie memorabilia like posters, actual movie props and collectables.To give you an impression of the range on offer NPC Amusements has over 700 different types of pool cues as well as 150 different AC/DC products as well as sporting team products, pogo sticks for the kids, quoits, hookey, in fact there is far too much for sale to mention now but suffice to say that if you are stuck for a gift for Fathers Days then look no further. "We have over 750 different product lines landing here in the next three weeks", Nick said.The Contojohn family has been in the amusement game for over 50 years with Nicks grandfather building and selling pool tables out of the Lismore Arcade but with the progress in technology Nick and Bec have taken that on-line.While some businesses have suffered through COVID others have thrived. "Our on-line business is up 400%", said Nick, "it is just crazy".NPC Amusements employs 9 full time people. "We have 20 freight trucks dropping off and picking up different freight. We have a team of pickers to sort the stock then the packers pack before being dispatched"You will find NPC Amusements at 16 Rifle Range Road, East Lismore just up from the Uni roundabout off Cynthia Wilson.They open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm and Saturday 9am to 2pm.It is worth the short drive.

There is a lot of activity on this weekend with rugby league and soccer (or football depending on your code) due to kick off their 2020 seasons but the rain may spoil the party or at least make it a wet debut for these codes.As Steve Mackney GM of Football Far North Coast said there is 5,500 players and 550 teams all champing at the bit to get on the field. That is only soccer you can add rugby league and union, hockey and netball into that list too.Checkout the results in Sport on the Lismore App.As we wrote on Tuesday (Weather: rain is on the way with more than 30mm's expected), it is going to be a wet weekend with 30mm to 60mm expected to be dropped by Sunday night. For sports sake, let's hope for the minimum 30mm's. The good news is that the skies should clear on Monday night for a decent week of sunshine.Friends of Lismore Rainforest Botanic Gardens are holding a guided walk of the Wilson's Park Species Gardens at the LRBG this Sunday at 9.30 am. This is a flat, unpaved walk. Gates open from 9 am. Meet at the Visitor's Centre. Wear sturdy shoes and hats. Join the volunteers for morning tea after the walk. Gold coin donation. BOOKINGS ESSENTIAL at  publicity@friendslrbg.com.au  because of Covid restrictions. Organiser Tracey Whitby says the gardens look lovely in the rain!Of course you have local bush walks available too if you don't mind getting wet. Rocky Creek Dam was looking fantastic during the week so if you are looking for a short, simple walk that gets the kids out of the house Rocky Creek would be an option.The Lismore Farmers Markets will be a quick trip in and out for your fresh fruit and veg tomorrow morning from 8. With social distancing you cannot fit too many people under the large shed's roof. Blueberries and strawberries are in season as well as snow peas so get your fresh produce from the showgrounds and support local farmers, big and small.Blue Knob Community Markets are on from 8:30 to 11 tomorrow morning.What to do indoors? There is roller skating at Rollerworld, a movie at Lismore Cinemas or Ten Pin Bowling as options.You always have the Lismore App games & puzzles to waste a few hours as another option. From crosswords to sudoko to blackjack, noughts & crosses or solitaire there is something for everyone (Games & Puzzles). Just go to the very bottom of the Lismore App.In his regular Blog tomorrow morning Neil Marks talks about his tough journey to lose 20kg's, get fit and keep it off. While the Sunday Profile this week is Les McGuire from Future Proof Financial. Les has an incredible story that involves a near death experience that is worth reading with your Sunday cup of coffee.If you need to fill the car up over the weekend, prices are still the same from last weekend with 112.9 the cheapest E10 unleaded at the United station on Ballina Road which also has the cheapest diesel with Liberty also on Ballina Road. In case you didn't know, the Liberty is locally owned.Some jokes to end the week and to kickstart the weekend. Stay dry and have fun.

After four months of being closed, the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service op shop in Lismore has finally re-opened. Read more news: Tropical Fruits club cancels Lismore's new year festivalThe Service’s regional marketing manager Zeke Huish said when pandemic hit and the shop was forced to close in mid-March, they were just about to have a summer clearance and change the stock to winter clothesSo, the good news is that for a limited time as a reopening special, all summer clothing in the op shop has been reduced to $1 and all winter clothing is $2 per item.Zeke said it took so long to reopen the shop because it was a big task reviewing each of the service’s op shop locations to make them covid-safe, then training volunteers to work in a covid-safe environment.“We’ve been focussing on making it safe for our volunteers – many of whom are in the vulnerable category,” he said.“We have had to change the way we operate in order to make sure only one team of volunteers is in the shop each day.“When they sign on, they get a temperature check and use hand sanitiser and have personal protective equipment available to them. “We want to make sure they are all comfortable working there. It means that some of the volunteers have also decided to wait a bit longer before volunteering again. This means that some days we may not have enough volunteers and we may not be able to open. “It’s a fluid situation and we are working with it.Zeke said the shop also has limited hours of operation and customer numbers in the shop are restricted. “We have reduced volunteer number too because the back area they work in is quite small,” he said. “We are also not accepting any donation items from the public at the moment until we are back on our feet and volunteers are able to sort them.The Magellan Street op shop will be open from 10am until 2pm, Monday to Friday, with hopes they can extend the opening hours over time. To find out more about the helicopter op shops or how you can become a volunteer, visit http://www.helirescue.com.auFundraiser rescheduledThe Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service has also rescheduled its Byron Coast Charity Walk fundraising event which was cancelled earlier this year.Zeke said the date is now set at November 7, and hopefully Covid restrictions will allow for the event to happen later this year.“It’s a changing situation guided by government restrictions and we will monitor it to make sure we can run the event safely,” he said. “All registered participants will be automatically transferred to the new date of Saturday 7 November 2020.“If participants cannot attend, they will be able to donate their registration fee to the Rescue Helicopter or receive a refund.”All registered participants can check their email for more details.New registrations for this event are open and will remain open until the week prior to the event at http://www.coastalcharitywalk.com.au/byroncoast“If you wish to receive a refund and then re-enter closer to the date you can,” Zeke said.

After two years at 91 Magellan Street, Shoes on Magellan owner Melinda Turner is moving across the road - a hop, skip and jump away - to number 92.While she said she’s been happy at that location, right now, her store room is “chock-a-block with stock.”“Soon it’s going to be hot and I’ll need somewhere to put all my summer shoes,” Melinda said. “I’ve got nowhere to put them, so I’m moving across the street to another bigger shop with a storeroom."Read more news: COVID claims another Lismore business“I’m sad to be leaving here, but I’m hoping someone else takes it on. It has an awesome view out the window and people come visiting."Melinda hopes the current shop’s easy no-lease agreement will entice a new tenant quickly.“It’s a week to week rent payment here, with no commitment and no bond,” she said. “There must be other entrepreneurs in town – like market stall people who just want to set up shop.“You’ve got a key and everything is how you left it for the next morning. It’s good for people who might want to transition from markets to a shop.“Anyone interested can contact real estate agent Andrew Gordon.”Melinda’s new shop is already being painted, builders are contracted – and family is helping her move in this weekend. She plans to open the shop on Monday.“But I intent to close again on Tuesday for two weeks,” she said. “I have my new shoe collection coming in and have to sell it all over Australia.Read more news: New Indian restaurant's head chef cooks for the rich and famous“I have sensitive feet and so do lots of other lots of people,” she said. “I go for soft leathers and shoes with technology that make them comfortable and stylish.“I’ll officially open the shop again on August 17.”If you want to check out Melinda’s shoes and boots, visit her website and order them online, http://www.byronbayshoecompany.comRead more news: Tropical Fruits club cancels Lismore's new year festival

COVID-19 has claimed another business victim with the Staunch Outdoor Adventure Centre closing its doors at 5pm today.Owner Jeff Davey said stock availability from their supplier Kings has made it impossible to keep the business on Ballina Road open.Jeff and his brother Russell only moved to the new premises on Ballina Road in October from their South Lismore location.It wasn't the restrictions that were placed upon us by the NSW Government but lack of stock supply which ultimately came from China. No stock meant no cashflow as people wanted camping items now not in a few months."Everything was looking good after we moved here, the business was on the up then COVID hit and we asked ourselves what's going to happen and that's when the stock dried up", Jeff said. "I was standing here for up to five hours a day constantly saying to people "no sorry we can't get it or don't know when it is coming"."Things went ballistic when the restrictions eased on July 1", Jeff said. "But I still couldn't get Big Daddy swags, I still couldn't get Rooftop Tents, I still couldn't get gazebos, in fact I still can't get gazebos and these are my quickest movers"."When the stock did finally arrive it was gone as soon as it hit the floor".While the doors will be closed Jeff will be in the building tidying up the rest of the floor stock with some going back to the supplier and the rest being sold to the public."Whatever is in stock I'll sell", Jeff mentioned - so get on the phone quickly (02) 6622 2561.Read more news: New Indian restaurant's head chef cooks for the rich and famousSo, what next for Jeff and Russell?They are lucky enough to run two other businesses in South Lismore, Staunch Window Tinting and Blackline Discount Tyres.You can find them at 5/9 Kraus Avenue, South Lismore.

It’s been three years in the coming, but finally the Wilson River Cycleway is repaired and ready for walkers, skaters and bicyclists to enjoy the stunning scenery as they travel along the side of the river. The cycleway was destroyed in the 2017 flood, and Lismore City Council has been waiting for funding to come through under the NSW Government’s Natural Disaster Relief Assistance Program to repair the cycleway.  Mayor Isaac Smith cuts the ribbon to officially re-open the Wilson River Cycleway which marks a milestone in the city's flood recovery. Looking on are Councillors Neil Marks and Elly Bird and Council staff members.Today, Lismore Mayor Isaac Smith unveiled the new track and cut a celebratory ribbon.“Three years is a long time for the community to wait to have vital infrastructure repaired but thanks to State and Federal Governments delivering the funding we now have the project completed,” Mr Smith said.So why did it take so long to get fixed? Mayor Smith said the only delay was the State and Federal Government bureaucracy in getting things repaired after a disaster. “That’s something we’d like the government to look at in the future – how they support any community after a drought, fire, flood or pandemic,” he said.The repair work included the installation of new timber piles and a concrete cycleway on the section of track located below the Kirklands carpark along the riverbank at the western end of Magellan Street. The track also links Fawcetts Bridge (Lower Hensley Carpark) and the Rowing Club Carpark.What happened in the 2017 flood?Mayor Smith said during 2017, the “massive” flood event was one of the biggest in Lismore’s history.“Here we have the confluence of two rivers and Leycester Creek pumps into the bank here on the Wilson,” he said. “Unfortunately it scours out anything on that side of the bank. “But these new pylons here - more than 50 of them - will protect it in future and it won’t be scoured by a flood again.”Mayor Smith said the previous infrastructure consisted of wooden walkways and gravel paths that were laid about 15 years ago and “sadly in a bad position and not fit for purpose”.Lismore cycleway planMayor Smith said the new track is a part of Lismore’s future cycleway plan. “The path connects up to the road cycleways that go down Woodlark Street and at the other end down Ballina Road,” he said.“This will connect up in future to other cycleways across to South Lismore to make up a loop track around Lismore Base for walking, cycling and passive recreation.“It circumnavigates the river which is beautiful. It’s a stunning spot so people need to come and have a look.”

With 20,000 covid-19 tests under his belt, Lismore laboratory microbiology manager Glenn Hawkins has hit a milestone.As the team manager at NSW Health Pathology’s only dedicated virus testing lab in Lismore, he has seen his team go from conducting 300 to 400 diagnostic Covid-19 tests per day.With the Queensland/NSW border reopening, the team are preparing for an increase in the number of test requests across the Northern NSW region. The patient samples are collected at NSW public hospitals and mobile clinics from Grafton, up to Tweed Heads and across to the coast.Glenn said having the testing done locally means samples do not need to be transported elsewhere for testing and means greater testing capacity and faster turnaround times for our community.“Our laboratories diagnose Covid-19 cases using the PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test, which is the main type of test used around the world to detect Covid-19,” Glenn said. “It works by detecting the genetic material of the virus in a patient’s sample.How does the test work?Glenn said the testing process begins with a sample arriving in the lab and it is given a number to track the process through to completion. When it comes to safety, Glenn said the samples are only opened in a safety cabinet and all staff wear gloves and gowns.“We take portion of liquid in the swab into cartridge to extract and purify the DNA," he said. "It takes about an hour. Then it goes into another instrument where we amplify the DNA before taking it through a third process where we pick out certain genes to detect the virus.”“This has become the standard test for detecting the virus - we used to try and grow them and it took one or two weeks.“Now, we can do a quick test called a rapid test which is ready in a couple of hours - but we can only do them one at a time.Ballina Jetstar flight Covid-19 test“In the recent case of the girl who arrived on the Ballina Jetstar flight – she went through the standard test first then when it came up positive, we did a rapid test to confirm it.“The great thing about testing locally is that we can test lots of locals quickly and contain an outbreak if one happens.”Glenn said the lab became a dedicated testing lab in 2007 when there was an influenza outbreak, so the capability to move into dedicated testing for Covid-19 was already here in the local area.Lismore is part of NSW Health Pathology’s network of 12 specialist laboratories across the state conducting COVID-19 diagnostic testing; around half of which are in regional areas. “Over the whole network pathology network in NSW, we have done over one million tests,” he said.Why is this a great thing?The availability of local Covid-19 testing in regional laboratories deliver greater testing capacity and faster turnaround times. This enables early diagnosis and management of cases, which is vital to curb the spread of the virus. NSW Health Pathology’s Lismore laboratory is also set up for rapid PCR testing, to be used for high-risk, high-priority cases where an urgent diagnosis is needed. These include the elderly, acutely unwell patients or those with pre-existing or chronic health conditions. Rapid testing is now available at 37 NSW Health Pathology labs across the state. NSW Health Pathology reviews its statewide testing network daily to ensure reliable, timely testing is available where it is needed. Highest testing ratesNSW has one of the highest COVID-19 testing rates in the world. A total of 1,218,155 tests have been done since testing began, including 15,903 over the past 24 hours. NSW Health Pathology has been working hard since the outset of the pandemic, conducting almost 60% of these tests and averaging 7,500 a day. NSW Health Pathology has also now received more than 350,000 registrations for their pioneering SMS Results Service that has halved the average waiting time for negative results. Get tested“As restrictions ease gradually, it is crucial to come forward for testing, even if you only have minor symptoms, to ensure we keep community transmission at bay,” Mr Hawkins said. “Anyone with flu-like symptoms, no matter how mild, should get tested. Common symptoms include cough, sore or scratch throat, shortness of breath or fever.” Coronavirus

When Tarsem Singh ate out at Lismore’s Indian restaurants, he was always disappointed with the food he would taste on the menus. So, when he decided to open his own Indian restaurant, he wanted to make sure the food would stand out from the rest.When Tarsem opened Brown Boyz Indian restaurant on Magellan Street last Saturday, he brought with him a very experienced head chef who has cooked for the Indian Prime Minister and at the famous Taj Restaurant in India – as well restaurants in Australia’s major cities.“Gutty my head chef has 29 years of experience and comes from South India,” Tarsem said, “I’m from North India and the styles of cooking are very different.“So now, we have a good mix of great dishes on our menu, the way they should taste – and more like what I’m used to eating in the big restaurants in Sydney."Tarsem said his favourite dish is the north Indian style green chicken curry.So, what is the difference between north and south Indian food?Tarsem said in the north, gravy is a popular part of a dish – but in the south, using coconut is more popular.“Every week, my chef will put up one or two new special dishes on the menu to keep it interesting,” he said.Tarsem came to Australia in 2007 and studied hospitality, so even though this is his first restaurant, he understands business.He’s already opened two car washes - one in Sydney and then another one in Lismore.When he decided to open a restaurant in Lismore, he spent months looking for a good location. When the Peppertree Kitchen moved from its Magellan Street location to Carrington Street, Tarsem took the opportunity to take over the premises.“When I was looking for a shop, I met Helen, the owner of Peppertree Kitchen who said the shop was too big for her and she wasn’t doing cooking classes there anymore,” he said.“She really helped me set up and get the restaurant approval through Lismore Council.”While there are already quite a few Indian restaurants in Lismore, Tarsem thinks his chefs and menu will keep people coming through the door.He also said the restaurant name Brown Boyz was a memorable one and easy to pronounce - and hopes to see everyone dropping by to check out the menu.The restaurant is already fully booked out tonight - and he hasn't even started advertising yet. It seems the people who've tried the food are already recommending it to their friends.Brown Boyz Indian restaurant is located on Magellan Street, Lismore and is open Monday to Sunday, 10 to 3pm for lunch, then 4.30pm to 10pm for dinner.You can visit http://www.brownboyz.com.au phone 66214 124 and order takeaway.

Playing alone for her ensemble music exams was a strange experience for Southern Cross University (SCU) student Sophie Ozard.The third year Contemporary Music student didn’t have ready-access to an on-campus student ensemble band for her music performance exams last month, and she had to get creative to deliver her live set, virtually.Sophie laid down her own backing vocal tracks and piano loops for a 40-minute set.“I played guitar to accompany myself for about half of the performance,” she said.“The situation pushed me to do more in terms of production. Piano is not an instrument I usually play so that was hard but it was a good challenge.“It’s always weird watching yourself on video, up close. It was different to most other exams I’ve done yet I’m happy with the final result.”Sophie has been a regular on the Northern Rivers gig scene for the past couple of years. She plans to return to Melbourne to pursue music therapy when she graduates.“I found doing music online in Session 1 hard actually,” Sophie said.“Music creation is about coming together for collaboration, jamming, arranging and playing to an audience. The student ensemble is a big part of it and the part that everyone likes doing.”Senior music lecturer Dr Leigh Carriage acknowledged the challenges students faced because of the University’s COVID-19 lockdown.“It was so uplifting to witness so many students surrounded by so much uncertainly and under less than favourable circumstances, yet rising to the occasion playing and singing with so such passion and commitment,” Dr Carriage said.Dr Carriage also said the additional skills and experience the music students gained was invaluable.“The situation meant developing technical skills like creating backing tracks or learning to set-up for a video shoot. Self-sufficiency is essential within the portfolio of musicians. Students now know how to create good quality footage to add to their own social accounts.”Dr Carriage also credited the enormous effort of all involved.“For practice-based creatives the changes brought about by COVID-19 lockdown restrictions required music staff and students alike to dig deep and respond immediately with creative innovations and flexible online delivery.“Our Contemporary Music course co-ordinator Dr Matt Hill and lecturer Dave Sanders were keystones of much innovation and problem-solving, and offered incredible stewardship during this time.”Enjoy a selection of the Contemporary Music exam performances, including Sophie's: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-erLSIp1rj4

Pasta, prosecco, coffee and cake are on the menu for Lismore’s Friendship Festival – which, despite being postponed this year, is getting ready for June 2021 in Spinks Park.The festival with a strong Italian flavour is set to be better than ever after receiving a big cheque for $3,210 from Federal Member for Page Kevin Hogan this week.Festival president Ros Derrett said the money will go towards providing a “waste” experience, as well as first aid training qualifications and a dedicated marquee for festival volunteers.This year would have been the fifth year for the Friendship Festival, which celebrates Italian culture in the community and brings approximately 5000 people into the CBD each year.Ros said getting volunteers on board was going to be made even easier with the grant money.“We are all volunteers,” Ros said. “We are excited to engage more young people as volunteers for next year and be able to upskill them and provide them with training.”“Aliison Kelly, our festival manager is also looking at how we can recycle, reuse and educate people about being in public spaces and not leave a lot of waste.“When you are serving food in a public space, waste is a big problem a big problem – and we are engaging partners in the local community to help us with the community education.”With Covid still looming into the future, Ros said the festival will still likely be looking at social distancing, but encouraging people to bring their own receptacles and have water available.Italo ClubThe Australian-Italo Club and its volunteers have played an important role in the running of the festival over the years, and despite the club’s recent financial worries and potential closure, Ros said the club will remain a part of the Friendship Festival.“The Italo Club was instrumental in auspicing us in our first year and uses the festival as a fundraiser,” she said.“We are participating as members of the Italo Club and look forward to seeing them go forward if the Club Marconi amalgamation opportunity comes through.“It’s a good relationship because this festival has a strong Italian feel and celebrates the relationship between Lismore, its Italian settlers and two sister cities in Italy.“We need more people on board with a commitment to Italian relationships and look forward to working with the Italo Club and the wider community to make sure the festival works.“We have a relationship with a city in Italy known to be the centre of prosecco making in Europe so will certainly acknowledge that.”The festival is hoped to he held in June 2021, but Ros said they will just have to wait and see what happens. Regardless of when it is held next, it will offer lots of Italian food, a kids’ stage and workshops for children, as well as an Italian film festival. 

After 30 years of working with veterans, the Veterans Motorcycle Club Rock Valley Chapter is ready to upgrade.Thanks to a volunteer grant from the Federal Government, the club can now upgrade their food preparation capabilities, storage space and laundry facilities. Federal Member for Page Kevin Hogan, today announced a $4,860 grant would be given to the club to support its new projects. “The work they do supporting our veterans is incredibly important,” Mr Hogan said. “The group have been working in our community for decades, this funding will ensure they can continue to support our returned servicemen for years to come.” “One of the great aspects of the club is the different people it brings together.There are Army, Navy and Airforce veterans that are all being brought together at the club. It’s a great support network for people who may not have had the opportunity if the club weren’t here.” “Volunteers are central to so many local organisations and provide important services in our community. “It is important to support the efforts of these organisations and the individuals that allow them to function.”

The Federal Government's extension of the JobKeeper Payment and the Coronavirus Supplement for businesses and households comes at a time of uncertainty for many people in our community.Federal Member for Page Kevin Hogan said today that the extension was the next phase in helping to support for Australians who are without work.“This unprecedented economic support will bolster our economic recovery,” Mr Hogan said."For businesses and their workers in our community, it will help them to not only get through this pandemic crisis, but recover on the other side."Under the Government’s next phase of support, the JobKeeper Payment will continue at its current level until September 27, after which it will be extended for a further six months to March 28, 2021. A two-tiered payment will also be introduced so as to better reflect the pre-COVID-19 income of payment recipients.Specifically, from 28 September until 3 January next year, the two payments will be $1,200 and $750 per fortnight, with the lower payment for employees who worked less than 20 hours a week in the month of February pre-COVID-19.From 4 January to 28 March next year, the two payments will be $1,000 and $650.The temporary Coronavirus Supplement for those on income support will also be extended until 31 December 2020. The $550 per fortnight Supplement will continue until 24 September. From 25 September until 31 December, the Supplement will be $250 per fortnight, reducing by the same amount as the JobKeeper payment."The Government’s focus remains on reopening the economy where it is safe to do so, but the extension of these measures recognises that some parts of the economy will continue to be affected and need continued support," Mr Hogan said.

When Lismore DJ Big Furr (Rodrigo Aguilar) cancelled an upcoming event at the Civic Hotel because he was told by the venue manager he wasn’t allowed to play music anymore, it meant the end of a new way of living in a covid world.So, The Lismore App decided to get to the bottom of this new world with no music or dancing and see what was happening in local pubs and what it meant for locals.Read Weather news: Weather: rain is on the way with more than 30mm's expectedNo singing, dancing, mingling - but karaoke is okWhile restrictions relaxed in NSW for a while to allow small groups of 20 to book a venue, last Friday’s decree from the NSW Government changed the rules to venues having a maximum of 10 in a booking.While the NSW Premier said dancing and singing were frowned upon, they were not actually prohibited. However, the changes to group booking numbers meant an end to potential gigs for many local musicians and DJs – including the Tropical Fruits event Fruity Fridays at the Civic.“When my gig was cancelled, I through ‘oh no, not again’,” DJ Big Furr said. “This is what I do for a living. The government is clamping down and now, I’ve got to push back my gigs till something changes.”“I’ve been a DJ for 20 years and before coronavirus, I had gigs every week - it’s meant a loss of a lot of income for me and I had to go onto Centrelink to pay the rent."Read more news: 'We’ve got to stop the mingling': new restrictions for cafes, restaurants, gatheringsPolicing the singing rulesNSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the Government was working with the Australian Hotels Association (AHA) to create a safe environment for pubs and venues in NSW.AHA director of liquor and policing John Green said singing and dancing are not actually prohibited, but there are additional planning rules around having karaoke and wind instruments.“The rules state a singer must be three metres away from the audience [to minimise transmission of airborne saliva particles] and AHA has distributed this information to member organisations,” John said.“A pub also needs to have a covid safety plan, have customers seated while consuming alcohol and comply with public health regulations.”Is karaoke music?Rodrigoz said over the past few weeks, he would play music that “wasn’t too high energy”.“People could only sit down at tables, and I didn’t want the organisation to get stung by authorities if people danced.”While the Civic Hotel has decided to can the music and potential dancing, the Northern Rivers Hotel in North Lismore still intends to hold regular karaoke nights. Some may argue that karaoke isn’t exactly music, but for others, a good singing session is considered good medicine.Civic Hotel Civic Hotel manager Dan Jenkins said stopping the live music was about not attracting attention to the pub.“We can’t afford to get a 72 hour shut down and risk the owner’s licence as well – it’s just not worth it,” Dan said.“And we can’t afford to pay to put a band on for ten people.“So, we thought it’s safer to keep it as simple as possible so we can open up, serve meals and have few people dining.“If the police do the rounds and someone pissy starts dancing, our business is on the line. It’s already hard enough to monitor and keep the pub sitting down and not mingling.“The regulatory police are hammering the pubs right now, I don’t understand why they not going for shopping centres.“All our glasses are cleaned and sanitised and we can monitor our cleaning ten times better than Woolies.What about Woolies?“People in a pub drinking don’t let go of that glass until they leave – how many people at Woolies have touched a packet of rice?"Dan said he has been the manager at the Civic for 14 years and knows the pub generally pulls in an older crowd and not travellers. He said pubs like Mary Gs will have a harder time regulating social distancing as they pull a much younger crowd who wanted to party.Travelling crowd“I was in Surfers Paradise with my family recently and there were thousands of people on Cavil Avenue and we couldn’t move,” he said.“Everything was open and people were shoulder to shoulder. I felt weird.”Read more: Letters To The Editor: flight seat allocations to make you pay more“So, here, we are doing what we can to keep the doors open and make sure it’s safe for everybody.”So, if not having a DJ or live music puts people off coming to the pub and potentially dancing, that’s what the Civic Hotel intends keep on doing.

The brilliant winter sunshine in the last week is about to come to an end tomorrow with more than 30 millimetres forecast over the next five days, the wettest of which will be the weekend.The Bureau of Meteorology said is an onshore flow will bring a little rain tomorrow then increasing on Thursday and Friday with between 3-8mm's expected.That onshore flow will combine with an upper level weather system on Saturday to produce more than 10mm's with the same expected for Sunday.We will return to those idyllic winter days on Monday once again.Sport has only just returned following the COVID pandemic with rugby league already postponed from last weekend and soccer due to resume. Hopefully the forecast rain will not affect our local sporting fields.Stay up to date through the Weather link in the Lismore App Weather.

The Buttery is offering a free four-week online program to help people with alcohol and other drug issues, without needing to join a residential program.This time around, the program is especially focused on helping people in Nimbin, Kyogle, Casino and the surrounding areas.In response to COVID-19, The Buttery has adapted its popular Community Rehab Program (CORE) to become an online program that can be done from home.CORE will be delivered from August 3 for four weeks, Monday to Friday from 9.30am to 1pm. It will include group and individual therapy. The program will also provide meditation and online peer support for participants. People taking part can access case management, advocacy and referrals to other agencies for issues such as education or accommodation. The program will be followed by aftercare to help prevent relapse.Program manager Tanya Magnay said the program concept is more cost-effective than residential rehab.“It is also flexible enough to help people during the pandemic who would never have been able to put their family commitments on hold to seek intensive rehab,” she said.CORE will address lifestyle issues such as nutrition, exercise, stress management, mental health, and budgeting.To find out more about the program go to The Buttery website or call The Buttery Intake line during office hours on (02) 6687 1111.CORE is funded by Healthy North Coast through the North Coast PHN program.

Free online workshops from Byron Writers Festival are being made available to teachers and children at local primary and secondary schools this year.The annual Schools Programs are going online this August due to Covid restrictions cancelling the annual gathering. But that doesn’t stop Australia’s writers and thinkers being streamed on-demand into classrooms. Interested teachers need to register at byronwritersfestival.com/primary-schools or byronwritersfestival.com/secondary-schools to access the free programs.Byron Writers Festival director Edwina Johnson said she was pleased to present the online programs free of charge thanks to the support of both Southern Cross University (SCU) and The Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund.SCU School of Education Dean Professor Amy Cutter-Mackenzie-Knowles said for the first time, teachers will be given resources to support student learning during these sessions.“This includes a selection of teacher’s notes, videos, podcasts and classroom activities curated by academics from SCU,” she said.The Secondary Schools program invites students to explore their unique writing style and voice with Christos Tsiolkas (The Slap, Damascus), discover the stories behind the songs with musician and writer Clare Bowditch (Your Own Kind of Girl) and be inspired by former Socceroos captain Craig Foster (Fighting for Hakeem) who is now an Ambassador for Human Rights and Refugees with Amnesty Australia. The Secondary Schools program also includes engaging sessions with former Triple J presenter, comedian and writer Matt Okine (Being Black ‘N Chicken, & Chips), teen novelist Vivian Pham (The Coconut Children), award-winning writer and poet Ellen van Neerven (Comfort Food, Throat) and LGBTIQ rights activist, writer and Executive Director at change.org, Sally Rugg (How Powerful We Are). These topical, enthralling conversations are exclusive to Byron Writers Festival and facilitated by authors Sunil Badami, Zacharey Jane, Benjamin Law, Maeve Marsden and Story Factory executive director Cath Keenan.Primary School students will be inspired and entertained by best-selling author of funny books for kids Tristan Bancks (Nit Boy, Tom Weekly series), beloved children’s author Felice Arena (The Boy and the Spy, Fearless Fredric, A Great Escape), celebrated climate-change trilogy author Deborah Abela (Grimsdon, New City and Final Storm), award-winning children's author, poet and NSW Aboriginal Woman of the Year Kirli Saunders (The Incredible Freedom Machines, Kindred) and author and illustrator Dub Leffler (Once There was a Boy and Sorry Day with Coral Vass). Registration and more info at: (Primary Schools) www.byronwritersfestival.com/primary-schools/ (Secondary Schools) www.byronwritersfestival.com/secondary-schools/