"We were looking at a worst case scenario", these were the words of Jason Ainsworth, the son of Warren, who spent over a month in Lismore Base Hospital including ICU being treated for coronavirus.Warren Ainsworth's story was shared on facebook by Jason, some of you may have read this story already, if you haven't take the time to read it. You will see why the Federal and State Government as so cautious and worried about easing restrictions too fast and why we should all be very careful in the coming months as we state to socialise and holiday throughout NSW.The story was written by son Chris Ainsworth and what you read is unedited.First a bit of context.Warren and Julie Ainsworth travelled to the UK to visit their daughter who had her first child when the pandemic struck, they were there 5 months. March 24 saw them on a rushed flight home with a fourteen hour stop-over in Singapore. This is where doctors think Warren contracted COVID-19. The borders weren't closed and forced quarantine hadn't begun so after an overnight stay in Brisbane Warren and Julie returned home. Warren started with a scratchy throat and mild cough one week later.This is their story.....This was written by my brother Chris. It sums up Dad's story and how grateful we all are for the wonderful doctors and nurses at the Lismore Base Hospital, that did and still are making sure he recovers well and continue checking on him. We cannot thank them enough.Dad is now home looking pretty well and back to stirring mum!!! Our COVID-19 storyFirstly, our thoughts are with all families who have been affected by COVID-19, particularly those who have lost loved ones to the virus.Never for a moment did we believe someone within our family would become a statistic of COVID-19. The statistics are what the public is now accustomed to hearing daily, categorized by the number of new COVID-19 positive cases, number of cases occupying intensive care beds, number of cases who have died, and number of cases recovered. Each number represents a person, with family who care about them deeply. We soon learned the virus does not discriminate, with one of the numbers representing our father. This is our COVID-19 story.Soon after returning home from overseas & self isolating our father fell ill and was subsequently diagnosed with COVID-19. His condition worsened and dad was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Lismore Base Hospital on day 12 of his battle with the virus. After hospital admission dad’s condition deteriorated rapidly and ventilation was determined as the appropriate platform for our father to fight the virus, supported by a medical team constantly by his side. The next 11 days we will never forget.Our family thought we were ready to deal with dad’s condition, however the rapid deterioration in his health caught us by surprise. The reality is brutal and emotional, heightened in this case by the tyranny of being separated. Separated by oceans, state borders and social distancing laws, ultimately leaving the patients family feeling completely helpless. To make matters worse, mum was home alone self isolating as dad’s condition declined. This is stress no partner should have to burden alone, particularly when they are wanting to be with their loved one. Our family chose quickly to accept the situation, no matter how overwhelming and focus on ways of supporting mum as well as dad’s medical team. We commonly would say “it is what it is“ as a reflection of accepting the gravity of the situation, in order to then focus on the daily actions of the medical team and dad’s response to each intervention. The specialists were making decisions quickly and we needed to be accepting of their actions. Our solace was knowing dad was in the best place and in the hands of specialists who cared for his wellbeing. For 11 days they were by his side monitoring everything, treating his constant fevers, managing his oxygen support, providing supplements, watching his heart rate, testing for infections, undertaking neurological assessments and intervening whenever required with a simple goal of keeping dad alive. Day 8 in ICU (day 20 with the virus) will never be forgotten by our family. Dad’s condition had taken a turn for the worse, and we started to feel the impact of COVID-19 on our father’s system was almost irreversible. The virus appeared to be getting the upper hand in this fight. Our discussion with the doctor that day was about ensuring the medical team could accommodate mums wishes to say goodbye, in the event that time were near. The on-duty specialist acknowledged they would support our wishes and then made the point, they were not done and dad still had some fight left. The response gave us renewed hope to stay positive and stick to the routine of daily calls and updates to the broader family. Our target each day was to celebrate wins, no matter how small. We reset ourselves and moved through day 20.  The next two days passed with little change to dad’s condition, then on day 23 we received the most unexpected news. The virus was subsiding, and dad’s condition was improving. It was now a matter of staying the course of continued improvement & setting a goal of having our father alive and coping with the virus without support. Till this time dad had been 11 days completely reliant on a ventilator and a team of specialists to keep him alive.We are delighted to say dad continues his road to recovery without any significant side effects. He continues to build strength and retrain his voice, standard rehabilitation having spent 33 days in hospital (11 days ventilated).Given all the COVID-19 literature from overseas regarding survival rates of ventilated patients, dad’s outcome could be viewed as being extremely lucky. Our family prefers to believe his outcome is a direct result of the care our father received, both medicinal care and human care, when his body was most vulnerable to the virus. This is exactly why frontline medical staff are the heroes in the fight against COVID-19. Not only are they treating their patients against a virus, which they are understanding on the run, they are also bearing the burden of families, acting as support and comfort to patients when family cannot be there.Whilst we had some dark days during dad’s ventilated period, we never gave up hope, because dad’s medical team never gave up hope. England’s Prime Minister, Boris Johnson best described the importance of the frontline medical team upon his release from ICU. He stated, “he owed his medical team his life, particularly referring to the nurses who stayed by his bedside ensuring his body received enough oxygen, watching, thinking, caring and making interventions when needed”. It really is a minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day proposition for the sickest COVID-19 patients. This same care was afforded to our father by the team at Lismore Base Hospital. Our father is no world leader, however during his time in ICU, he was treated as such. We will forever refer to his critical time in ICU as the Boris Johnson experience. London and Lismore may not have much in common but when it comes to COVID-19 medical care, the two are equals. As a society we are quick to call out the failures of a system, however in Australia’s case the health system is standing tall against COVID-19 and is forefront & envy of the world currently.To all the staff @ Lismore Base who have been involved in dad’s care, from front line doctors, social workers, specialists, cleaners, caterers, administration & importantly the nursing team, there are too many to name – you know who you are & we will be forever dedicated to you. We are truly appreciative to have a husband, father and poppy with us today and it is only because of your combined efforts he is still with us.Forever in your debtJulie, Jason & Bek, Chris & Kirralee, Brad & Rosie, Kate and Nick and grandkids

UPDATE 2:15PMSome good news from this mornings truck and car accident in Alstonville, the female occupant of the car has only suffered minor injuries, a hand laceration according the NSW Ambulance Service.It was thought the female passenger, believed to be in her 70's, suffered serious chest injuries but this has now been adjusted after she was assessed at Lismore Base Hospital. Her condition is stable.UPDATE 10:30AMThe Bruxner Highway is now open and clear following this mornings accident.ORIGINAL STORYA truck and car have crashed on the Bruxner Highway near Kays Lane this morning at 8:21am.The Live Traffic NSW website says that westbound traffic is still moderately affected with a tow truck in attendance.A spokesperson from the NSW Ambulance Service said there were two people involved with the female driver of the car transported to Lismore Base Hospital by road and the truck driver sustaining a shoulder injury.There were no more details available at 9:24am.

During the last council meeting on May 12, Councillor Gianpiero Battista put a motion forward that would encourage councillors and council staff to voluntarily donate 10% of their income back into council funds during a time where the 20/21 Draft Budget and Operational Plan was being approved which included a cashflow deficit of $282,000 after cuts of $2 million were made to get it to that point. $1-$1.5 million of this was due to the impacts of coronavirus.The motion was deferred following legal advice to General Manager Shelley Oldham due to Cnr Battista's wording of the motion.Cnr Battista then called for an urgency motion which was dismissed by Mayor Isaac Smith so now the motion is due to be re-heard on the June 9 council meeting in two weeks.Cnr Battista said that the 10% model was based on modelling from the NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian."I am frustrated and disappointed this was not finalised at the last council meeting", Cnr Battista declared."We have the chance to show the community we are supporting them", Cnr Battista said, "I am proposing that the money councillors raise go to rate payers and money raised from staff go to general funds to keep some services and staff jobs".According to Cnr Battista this would mean $155 per month from the monthly Councillor wage of $1,555. "If everyone could afford to do this and we could donate for 12 months this would raise $3.8 million from a total wages bill of $38 million", Cnr Battista added.General Manager Shelley Oldham was confused about the frustration from Cnr Battista."A specific bank account has been opened up for contributions to be made into", Ms Oldham said, "and an email has been sent to all councillors and staff outlining the details".Cnr Battista was concerned where the money would be distributed because it has not been officially stated as yet with Ms Oldham saying "that is up to councillors to decide".Now, we wait for the June 9 council meeting and to see if Cnr Battista's motion will be on the agenda and how much support it will receive from the other councillors.

Police are reminding all road users to be safe around schools, as students return to normal schedules today.During the COVID-19 restrictions school zones have remained in place as normal, however the number of children in attendance has been greatly reduced. Assistant Commissioner Michael Corboy of the state’s Traffic and Highway Patrol Command said with school students back in full attendance from today, all road users need to consider the risks to themselves and young people.“School zones will become busy from today, with student numbers, vehicles, pedestrians, and buses returning to normal frequency,” Assistant Commissioner Corboy said.“With recent restrictions changing student attendance and impacting on vehicle, pedestrian and bus flows, we can’t afford to become complacent for the remainder of the school term.“All road users, including pedestrians, need to consider their own behaviour in school zones; pay attention to the flashing signs, comply with requests from school crossing supervisors, and keep everyone safe on our roads.”Traffic and Highway Patrol Command officers take this opportunity to remind road users of the following:• Drivers - to either park away from school and escort students in, park in designated areas, or heed the kiss and drop zones• Parents - to hold their school age child’s hand, along with younger siblings, when crossing the road and escorting them into school groundsPolice will be patrolling school zones throughout NSW ensuring road users comply with the road rules, keeping everyone safe. Penalties for school zone offences include:• Drive on path - $457 / 4 demerit points• Drive without proper control - $572 4 demerit points• Drive using mobile phone - $457 / 5 points• Drive with animal on lap - $572 / 4 points• Stop in bus zone - $344 / 2 points• Exceed speed >45kph - $2636 / 7 points

Another much loved Lismore shop is closing its doors on Saturday. But don't despair, it is not the end of Two Roads Vintage in Zadoc Street (next to the Rous Hotel) it is evolving in to an increasingly popular modern model, an online store.Owner Mel Watson said that "after 6 years in my little black shop It's time for change and a new chapter in the Two Roads Vintage book".(Mel Watson out the front of her beloved Two Roads Vintage shop in Zadoc Street)"2020 is proving to be quite the year of transformation and I'm not immune to the pull of the new. This unexpected time at home has further revealed to me what I have long known inside...I'm craving change, freedom and new creative expression".Mel opened her shop six years ago after it had been a lifelong dream which was first ignited after reading 'Go Ask Alice' in high school, a somewhat controversial diary styled book from the 1970's about a 15 year old girl who develops a drug addiction and runs away from home to California where her and a friend open a shop. "The part I remember most about the book was the girls opening a shop and thinking I want to do that someday", Mel said."Then I was working for a friend in a vintage shop in Byron Bay when she was in the process of selling it. My son was in year 12 at Trinity and I thought instead of driving to Byron it would be easier to open my own place. One day I drove by and saw the store empty and thought why not".Two Roads also became a sanctuary for Mel when her mother passed away six months before opening the shop, giving her somewhere to channel her energy during a very difficult time."I have met so many gorgeous people through this space, both in person and through socials, lovely customers that have become beautiful friends. And so many rad vintage treasures have passed through the door and found their new home!", Mel said."For those local ladies and ladies visiting the area who like me, love the tactile experience and treasure hunt of vintage shopping I will be setting up a beautiful little Two Roads studio at my home for you, which I'm super excited about", she added.Mel says it has taken her a long, long time to get to this place and let go of her little shop but now she is super excited about the change and brimming with ideas for the future.As well as her studio at home and the on-line store Mel will also be on the road buying and selling clothes.You can keep in touch with fashions from Two Roads Vintage via the online craft and vintage platform 'etsy' (https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/TwoRoadsVintage?ref=shop_sugg) for now. Mel will have her own website within a month or two and if you follow Mel on instagram this is another platform to purchase goods.Two Roads Vintage will be closing its doors this Saturday for the last time. Mel is having a closing down sale all week and you will find her at 32 Zadoc Street, Lismore.The final word goes to Mel's words from he facebook page, "So lovelies as I move online, at home and on the road I hope Two Roads stays in your hearts"."I want to THANK YOU so, so much from the bottom of My heart, for your wonderful support over the years!""Your decision to support small, support local and support the environment by buying vintage is one I'm super duper grateful for."

During COVID-19 we have had a great deal of negative news from personal restrictions to slow the spread of the virus to business closures and job losses.As it is Sunday, we felt it time for a good news story. Another example of people helping each other when help is needed.Recently, the NightOwl convenience store on Woodlark Street (near the Gollan Hotel) had their freezer blow up.The freezer was a 4x4 metre walk in that was operating at -10 degrees instead of -25 and fixing the freezer meant contacting a trade and turning off the unit for 24 hours then turning it back on and waiting another 24 hours to cool to the correct temperature.To give you some perspective, we are talking $10-15,000 worth of potential stock loss on top of a 35% drop in revenue due to the coronavirus restrictions.Owners Carlos and Heather McDiarmid started contacting other owners and managers close by to see if they could lend a helping hand as well as a freezer."We had frozen pizza, cheesecakes, ice creams, bags of ice, pies, bread rolls, the whole lot. We had to find somewhere to store our stock"."First we contacted Glenn at the Gollan Hotel, he comes here every day to buy a coffee" Carlos said, "we got a trolley and stored what we could in his freezer but it wasn't big enough to handle all of our stock. We have a large freezer".So, it was off to talk to Cath Simes at Mary G's across the road who luckily had a freezer they weren't using due to the coronavirus pub restrictions and another load of stock was saved.Finally, Wayne from PFD brought in some coffin freezers and another friend offered their freezer so that all the NightOwl stock was saved until the problem was fixed, a $5000 bill.(tradies fix the NightOwl 4x4m freezer)When all was fixed and their stock was back in the freezer, Carlos left some surprises to say thank you."I just want to say thank you to these people for helping me through a tough time", Carlos said."It reminds me of the flood from 2017. We bought this place three months before and then came the water, 1.6 or 1.7 metres and then all of our money was gone because we just bought it.""We were wondering what we were going to do when we saw 40-50 people asking if they can help us. More than half of these we have never seen before in our life as we only just opened the doors.""They were all dressed up with a mop, bucket and rag to help clean"."This is what I love about the Lismore community", Carlos added.As a community we have seen some hardship in the last three years.Business owners are resilient, overcoming each disaster or obstacle put int here way but they would not stay open without your help and support.This is where we, as a community, excel.

With travel restrictions easing, if you're out and about next week and heading toward the coast, you might need to take a detour if you are near Byron Bay. Transport NSW is advising motorists of changed traffic conditions on the Pacific Motorway and Ewingsdale Road for asphalting work to be carried out on the Ewingsdale Road interchange bridge.To reduce impact to motorists, work will be carried out between 6pm and 3am for three nights from Monday 25 May, weather permitting.Ewingsdale Bridge will be closed to traffic with detours in place while work is carried out.A detour will be available southbound via a dedicated U-turn area just north of the St Helena Tunnel for motorists on the Pacific Motorway travelling to Myocum and those travelling from Byron Bay to Myocum.A northbound detour will be available via Tyagarah Road for motorists on the Pacific Motorway travelling to Byron Bay and those travelling from Myocum to Byron Bay.Access will remain available for northbound motorists wishing to access Myocum and for southbound road users heading towards Byron Bay.A reduced speed limit will be in place during work hours, which may affect travel times.Transport for NSW thanks motorists for their patience during this time. For the latest traffic updates download the Live Traffic NSW App, visit livetraffic.com or call 132 701.

The big national news yesterday was the announcement by Wesfarmers Chief Executive Rob Scott, that about half the Target stores throughout the country were either closing or being rebranded into the more profitable Kmart stores.Mr Scott said “With the exception of Target, Wesfarmers’ retail businesses are well-positioned to respond to the changes in consumer behaviour and competition associated with this disruption.”Of the 102 small format Target Country stores 50 will change to Kmart while the other 52 will close.Why? Mr Scott explained his reasoning, “To convert stores costs money and there are some stores that are not commercially viable in the current structure,” Scott told Chanticleer on Friday morning. “In some cases, it's better to close stores than to keep pursuing unviable stores.”This leads to the Goonellabah Target Country store located in the Village Goonellabah complex on Simeoni Drive. The questions being asked were "will it change to a Kmart or close its doors".That answer came in the list of stores to close across Australia today.Not listed under NSW but Qld, Goonellabah Target Country will be closing from early 2021 along with Casino (early to mid 2021) and Murwillumbah (early 2021).While this will mean local job losses early next year, there will be more job opportunities in 2021 with a new business opening to replace Target Country in the Village Goonellabah space.Village Goonellabah is owned and managed by McGees Property backed by Exceed Capital. It was purchased by the group 18 months ago.Managing Director of Exceed Vaughan Hayne and co-founder Justin Clarke from McGees Property said "disappointed, yes we are but we did think it would go. The trade was not that great".(inside Target Country Goonellabah)"We have started looking at opportunities for the space which is 2000 square metres. We have identified a gap in the marketplace for a hardware store so that is one avenue we will pursue but we are open to other ideas too such as creating smaller spaces for a number of new businesses".Village Goonellabah will have two new businesses opening up in the future with a laundromat and pizza place taking up leases recently.So, while Target Country closing appears a negative there is an upside with an exciting opportunity around the corner.

The Lismore App has introduced a Games & Puzzle button so you can have something fun to do on your mobile phone.You will locate the button at the very bottom of the Lismore App, the very last button.There you will find Crosswords, Sudoku, Solitaire and Tic-Tac-Toe (or Naughts and Crosses as some would know it by), all for free. Why should you have to pay for something that is easily accessible, like your news and sport.The puzzles all work very simply once you get to know how they function. The advice is to read the 'how to play' instructions before beginning especially the crossword puzzle. Once you get the idea, it is very simple to open the Lismore App push Games & Puzzles and then push the game you want to play. If you would like to see other games or puzzles on the Lismore App please email me at simon@lismoreapp.com.au with your suggestions.

This week, we celebrated World Bee Day, so The Lismore App is bringing a little sweetness to your lives with a look at the world of bees through the eyes of local beekeeper Brian Windows, today and in tomorrow’s Sunday Profile.The past year has been the worst year for Lismore beekeeper Brian Windows’ honey bees.After 30 years of keeping bee hives, Brian said the drought, the fires and the rain impacted last year impacted his bees so much that his normal honey yield was more than halved.From his 50 hives, he normally get five tonnes of honey, but he was lucky to get under half that.“The drought affected the flowering of macadamias in spring and there was little yield.“Then I took the hives to Bungawalbin and then the fires came and I had to rush out there and move them ahead of the fire. "I took them to the macadamias, but the custard apple growers there didn’t like the bees stealing pollen. The bees don’t do well in bush either.“In autumn I move them to the broad leaf tea tree, but it was raining and so wet, I couldn’t get up hill to move them and I missed first flowering.”The shortage of honey means that the price of honey has gone up. Brian said Capilano normally pay $3 a kilo for honey, but now the price is $6.40 per kilo.Brian said despite rumours, Capilano honey is not watered down, but it is heated up to make it easier to flow -and this denatures the honey a bit.These days, China is the biggest honey producer in the world.Queen bee and the worker bees.Bigging up the bee club Brian is the secretary of the Northern Rivers Amateur Beekeeping Club and he said the club has grown from 40 members to 150 over the past ten years. The main reason is the invention of the flow hive by locals who live at the Channon.The flow hive makes bee keeping cheaper and easier and people are joining the club to learn about how to do it with their flow hives.Brian said it’s good news for bees and honey production, as more people are getting into producing local honey.With a global decline in bee populations and in the volume of honey being produced, the increase in beekeeping means rather than the death of a sweet industry, it’s a locally growing one.“When they are starting out with their flow hives, they come to me to get their stock of European honey bees,” Brian said.“Then they have to have to learn how to look after them and we teach people to look out for common diseases.“Fifty years ago, some of the diseases we now have were unheard of, and the hive beetle is a big problem – if people have them, they have to destroy the hive and the bees and get the equipment sterilised.”Brian and his hive.Flow hiveIn a conventional bee hive, bees put honey into wax cells and the bee keeper then spins the frame with the wax cells to extract the honey. It can be expensive to get the machinery to spin the honey.The flow hive design however, has plastic hexagonal cells that split up the middle – so, spinning the frame is unnecessary and makes the extraction process cheaper.“You turn a lever and it separates the cell into two halves and the honey runs out of a pipe in the back and into a jar,” Brian said. “You wind the lever again and they come back together again.”CostsIf you are interested in starting your own hive, Brian said it costs about $100-$300 for a conventional hive. You will also need to buy a bit more equipment, plus your bees – starting with a minimum of 10,000 bees.“You’ll get 1000 kilos of honey a year from a full scale hive,” Brian said. “That’s a profitable hobby.”To find out what it’s like to tour a bee hive and go indepth into the world of bees, read tomorrow’s Sunday Profile and take a sunny day stroll with Brian as he tends his bees and find out some interesting and funny insights into the sweet world of honey bees.

You may have seen the sign as you walk down Magellan Street about Peppertree Kitchen moving around the corner.That move is now complete and the new store opens at 9am this morning in Carrington Street, right before to Cafe Cappello's.Helen Nott has been in business for twenty eight years with the last fourteen of those in the Magellan Street store.Just like empty nesters that downsize their homes when the children leave home, Helen has decided to downsize her shop. Amazingly all the stock that was in her Magellan Street store is in the new Carrington Street store.With Carrington Street being a lesser main thoroughfare was there a concern about less foot traffic with the new store?"I am right next door to the busiest cafes in town" Helen said referencing Cafe Cappello's.So, what is happening to the building that Helen is vacating and owns?"A couple from Sydney have leased the building and will open a restaurant", Helen said. The good news here is that the couple who already own a local carwash business will become locals as they are moving to Lismore.Staying with the current 'support local business' theme Helen went on to say the restaurant owners are using all local trades and suppliers for their fit-out and signage.If you are in the CBD and looking at upmarket kitchenware then pop in and say hi in the coming weeks.Read more news: The sweet hobby of bee keeping gains popularity

It is not officially winter but this week has certainly introduced some wintery weather and it looks set to continue into the weekend.Jumping out of the car this morning in the CBD the temperature said 15 degrees! While the average winter temperature in Lismore is 20 for June, 19 for July and 21 in August we have certainly hit a cold snap.It doesn't get too much warmer tomorrow with 18 degrees the top and Sunday sees us hit 20. While Monday will be 19 the rest of the week looks like early twenties so back to normal after these antarctic conditions.While boaties had some good news this week when the Premier announced that a family can resume recreational boating activities, conditions over the weekend don't look the best if you intend taking the boat in the ocean with large surf and swell predicted. Fishermen should also take note.If you look for a mental challenge over the weekend check out the new Games & Puzzles button on the Lismore App. There is Sudoku, Crosswords, Solitaire and Tic-Tac-Toe. Why pay for games and puzzles when you can access them for free. Please read the instructions first to avoid frustration, especially on crossword as it may take a little time to adjust to the way it works. Here is a direct link Games & Puzzles.If you would like us to include other games or puzzles please contact me at simon@lismoreapp.com.au with your suggestion.The Lismore Farmers Markets open their gates at 8 tomorrow morning or a little earlier as usual. With the cold weather hit AJ up for a good deal on a fire pit!This weeks Sunday Profile is Brian Windows, a local beekeeper. You can read Brian's story from 6am on Sunday just go to News/Sport and push the Sunday Profile tab (Sunday Profile).School is back on Monday for full time face to face teaching so there will be increased traffic and potential car queues because parents are not allowed to walk their children into their respective schools. Be patient if you get stuck for a while.The coronavirus jokes have dried up just like the new cases in Lismore so I have sourced some Dad jokes in tile form to make you cringe, smile or laugh.Get out and support local business and have a great weekend.

Bikes are perfect for it and it’s about to get even better for scooters and skateboards. The Nesbitt Park BMX bike track aka ‘pump’ track’ is about to be upgraded from a dirt track – to as soft, asphalt pump track.If you are not sure what the ‘pump’ in pump track means – it indicates a different style of riding to the normal pedal riding. Your movement instead relies on your motion of rolling up and down banks and using your body to generate momentum.The pump track is a circuit of rollers, banked turns and features designed to be ridden completely by riders ‘pumping’.It’s benefit over a dirt track is that it is easier to ride on for scooters, skateboard or rollerblades.The new track will be constructed soon with $99,769 grant money that Lismore City Council received from the NSW Government to help upgrade the track.The conversion will mean people can use the facility safely, all year round.Nationals Member of the Legislative Council Ben Franklin today visited Lismore to announce the funding and said the upgrade would mean more people could use the track and not have to worry about weather damage.“This will now be an even better space for people to get outdoors and ride safely, especially for young people,” Mr Franklin said.“Parks are playing a big role for recreation and exercise in people’s lives at the moment and so any upgrades to local parks are great for the community.“Asphalting the dirt track will open up the facility to include BMX riders, scooters, skate boards, trikes, balance bikes, mountain bikes and gravel bikes.Lismore City Council General Manager Shelley Oldham, Lismore City Councillor Neil Marks and NSW MLC Ben Franklin.“The existing track is easily damaged by the weather and is often impacted by soil cracking, compaction issues, dust and water retention and often remains unsuitable and unsafe for community use."Converting the track will mean this would no-longer be a problem.”Lismore City Councillor Neil Marks said the upgrades will make a positive impact in the community.“This is a great outcome for the community,” he said.“Nesbitt is a very popular and well-used park. Over many years Council has invested in Nesbitt Park to improve its facilities."This latest upgrade of an asphalt pump track means the park can be used by even more people, more often, regardless of the weather.” 

A man and woman will face court after allegedly assaulting a child in a domestic-related incident in Nimbin.Earlier this month, officers from Richmond Police District commenced an investigation following reports a three-year-old boy had been physically assaulted by a woman who was known to him.During the investigation, police received further reports the child had been physically assaulted by a man who was known to him.As part of their inquiries, police attended a home in Nimbin and the child was taken to Lismore Base Hospital with bruising.Following further inquiries, a 57-year-old man and a 39-year-old woman were arrested at Lismore Police Station about 3.40pm yesterday (Thursday 21 May 2020).The man was charged with assault occasioning actually bodily harm (DV) and breach ADVO.He was refused bail to appear at Lismore Local Court today (Friday 22 May 2020).The woman was charged with assault occasioning actually bodily harm (DV) and breach ADVO.She was granted conditional bail to appear at Lismore Local Court on Monday 27 July 2020.The child has been released from hospital and alternative care arrangements have been made.

Forget winter swimming in the outdoor pool, because the Lismore Memorial baths on Molesworth Street are going to stay closed for the winter season.The decision to keep the baths closed was made by Lismore City Council after it conducted a recent public poll to see how the community felt about it.Council released a statement this week thanking the 1100 who took part and voted in the poll.Out of the people who voted, 65% said they did not support opening the facility early.“Taking this into consideration, and the cost of opening the pool for a small number of people, the Memorial Baths will remain closed and will reopen in September as usual,” Council’s statement said.

Small businesses struggling and recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic can apply for $10,000 of much needed funding until June 1.The Small Business Relief Fund opens for applications on Monday May, 25. The funding is offered through the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia (COSBOA).There are 67 grants of $10,000 each designed to assist businesses that are recovering from the effects of the pandemic. This fund has been made possible by a philanthropic donation from Salesforce.The Small Business Relief Fund is aimed at supporting initiatives by small businesses to adapt and innovate in order to emerge from this challenging period in a strong position.COSBOA would like to welcome a wide variety of proposals from applicants. Proposed initiatives could address re-designing and re-modelling of workspaces, upgrading or adapting a business’s digital presence or a new approach to marketing.Applications will open online at 9am on Monday, 25 May 2020 and close at 5pm on Monday, 1 June 2020. To apply, visit https://www.cosboa.org.au/smallbusinessrelieffundEligible applications will be reviewed by a selection panel of three people and successful grant recipients will be announced on 29 June 2020.

The number of electives surgeries carried out in local hospitals is set to increase to 75% by the end of June. Northern NSW Local Health District chief executive Wayne Jones announced that health staff would contact patients to reschedule surgery as appropriate.Mr Jones said the increase in surgeries after consultation with surgical and anaesthetic directors, as well as hospital management, nursing and other staff involved in operating theatre and recovery units. “The gradual resumption of elective surgery will be coupled with ongoing review and assessment of supplies and usage of PPE that keep both staff and patients safe, as well as continuing to significantly expand the state’s ICU capacity,” he said.“As always, patients will be assessed and prioritised by their clinicians, as well as being risk assessed for admission during this period. “I want to thank our clinicians and non-clinical staff for their resilience over these past few months as we’ve made swift and important changes to our hospital operations to help us respond well to the pandemic. “Thank you also to our community for their understanding during this period, and as we continue to work through the COVID-19 pandemic.”The NSW Government has already committed $800 million extra funding for NSW Health to help boost ICU capacity and purchase additional services and medical equipment, to help respond to COVID-19. In addition to this, the NSW Government is also injecting $25 million to fast-track statewide research and clinical trials to tackle the global COVID-19 pandemic and reduce its impact on the community. Read more news: Lismore's Covid-19 clinic is not as scary as you think

If you haven’t already been to the Covid-19 testing clinic at Lismore Base Hospital, it’s not as scary as you might think. The sign at the door says ‘Fever Clinic’ and it can feel a little ominous approaching a nurse wearing a blue surgical mask, gloves and protective coverings.Today, I don’t have a dry throat, headache, or other cold or flu like symptom, and my initial trepidation at approaching a masked hospital employee quickly dissolved.Lismore Base Hospital's practice manager of the special outpatient clinic, Kathy Hillier, greeted me and told me that up to 60 people a day are now coming to the clinic to be tested for coronavirus - and numbers are slowly growing.This morning alone between 10am and 12pm, 40 people had already arrived to be tested. Kathy said the busiest times for people arriving to be tested are between 10am and 3pm.“But staff are quickly getting people into and through the clinic – especially in this rainy weather," she said.“Sometimes, the line-up can stretch up the front steps of the hospital.”While I’m there, it’s very quiet and only one person arrives to be tested before I leave.Kathy said anyone arriving at the clinic door will have their temperature checked by a nurse holding a device to their forehead. Blood oxygen levels will also be measured by a simple clip-on device on the finger – and you will be asked a few questions to work out ascertain where you’ve been and what level of risk category you might be in for contracting coronavirus.If you’re wondering about whether to get tested or not, Kathy said if you are suffering from any respiratory symptoms at all, you should come in at any time and get tested. There’s no shortage of swabs and tests.“If you have scratchy throat or a headache, shortness of breath – any mild symptoms at all, you can come in – don’t wait,” she said.“Even if you’ve been tested before, don’t be afraid to come in again.”Once you arrive inside the clinic, you’ll be greeted by the reception staff, then head into the waiting room, before you see a nurse.Sheridan and Kelly-Anne waiting to greet people at reception.Eldreth is one of the nurses in the Fever Clinic.Eldreth said she works with other nurses in a team to take notes on patient information and triage people as they come in for swab testing – working out who needs more urgent, immediate care.The coronavirus test itself is a fairly simple swab test – it involves two different swabs – one inside your nose, and the other one inside your mouth. It’s probable you’ll get watery eyes.“Sometimes we might send someone with problematic symptoms to the Emergency Department for further triaging,” Eldreth said.  “A young boy came in recently and we sent him to emergency and it turned out that he had appendicitis.“People sometimes don’t understand what’s happening to them, or what their symptoms mean.“Some people come in and they are pretty anxious, but we explain what’s going on and they say afterwards that it wasn’t as bad as they thought it was going to be.”CleaningFever Clinic cleaner Julie spends all day constantly cleaning surfaces inside the clinic.“I’m always going between the waiting room to the triage area – anywhere people have been,” Julie said. “I clean every surface – chairs, tables, toilets – any surfaces touched by nurses or patients.”It’s a big job.Nurse Eldreth ready to take down details outside the clinic.Cold and flu seasonWith the cold and flu season just starting and July and August tipped to be the biggest months for people catching viruses and colds, the clinic staff are preparing for an increase in numbers of people coming in to be tested. It coincides with an opening up of travel and social restrictions across the country, and while Lismore has been in a lull for a while, with no new cases for weeks, Kathy warns people against becoming complacent.“Don’t wait too long to come in and get tested if you are unsure,” Kathy said. “While we are more relaxed about Covid-19 than we were a couple of months ago, we are not letting our guard down.“We haven’t had any new cases, but we are still running the hospital at home for people who tested positive for Covid-19 and doctors are checking up on them regularly.”Coronavirus numbersCoronavirus case numbers in the Northern NSW Local Health District now stand at 56. Of these 56 cases, 51 are now recovered. There are no cases being treated in hospital. NNSWLHD chief executive Wayne Jones said there have now been more than 10,600 tests conducted in Northern NSW Local Health District.“Which is an outstanding effort by both our community and health staff,” he said.“If we continue to see high numbers of testing in our community, it will help us to stay on top of any possible new cases that may emerge as activity increases across NSW.“Please stay home if you are unwell, or while awaiting test results, and continue to wash your hands thoroughly or use hand santiser regularly. “While out and about, don’t forget that physical distancing is still in place, so be mindful of keeping clear of other people and avoiding large groups.”Read more news: Good news if you’ve been waiting for elective surgery

Volunteers are the lifeblood of so many local events – and the Lismore Friendship festival is no exception.So, when festival coordinator Ros Derrett heard that she’d been successful in gaining volunteer grant funding to help buy essential equipment and train volunteers, she was over the moon.With this year’s July festival already cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions, Ros is gearing up to recruit and train new volunteers and make next year’s event bigger and better than ever.The festival’s funding grant of $3210 was announced by Federal Member for Page Kevin Hogan this week as part of National Volunteers Week. It was one of many local applicants to receive funding of between $1000 and $5000.Ros said training new volunteers and upskilling existing volunteers in how to run an event means the festival’s future is looking rosy.“We are always looking for people keen to help out run our Italian themed festival,” Ros said. “There are many roles people can take on – from distributing food, to preparing performers and setting up.“Last year we focussed on people with mixed ability –and had lots of people with their carers attend and the support for them was incredible.Carer Johnno assisting Tamarrah who volunteered to keep pathways clear and safe at the 2019 Piazza in the Park.“This funding will also help us with more practical logistics and we’ll be able to purchase things we normally hire for the event – like chairs, tables, furniture for the kids space – we run a performance and visual arts program for the kids too.“We also can update our first aid equipment and so many other things.”The one day festival is held every year and includes an Italian film festival and the Piazza in the Park, (held in Spinx Park by the river).“The festival began as a celebration of Lismore’s two Italian sister cities,” Ros said.“Lots of Italians immigrated here and we have volunteers from the Italian community participating – including the Italo Club involved.“We had arranged for the Ferrari club to come from Queensland this year – hopefully they will come next year. Volunteers from the Italo Club delivering a stall full of authentic Italian food led by Shirley Pirlo (R).“We are working on other things that will happen this year and in the lead up to it. We are looking at creating digital music and engaging professional musicians here and in Italy – people can log on and we’ll see what comes out of it.“Anything that gets created can be performed at Piazza in the Park next year.”If you are interested in getting involved with the Friendship Festival for next year, you can contacts organisers through the festival’s Facebook page or website https://lismorefriendshipfestival.com.au/MP Kevin Hogan said organisations can use the volunteer grant funding to purchase new equipment, pay fuel and transport costs or cover training costs.Other local recipients to receive funding include:$3,240 for Australian Breastfeeding Association Lismore Group to support volunteer Mums run education classes.$1,350 for Rainbow Region Community Farms Incorporated to undertake first aid training and purchase new garden tools.$4,860 for Veterans Motorcycle Club Rock Valley Chapter Incorporated to establish food preparation, storage and laundry facilities.$1,800 for Nimbin Neighbourhood and Information Centre Inc to upgrade and purchase new furniture.