Good Morning Border
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A frosty start this morning but the good news is it will warm up ready for the weekend. Sunny and 23 in Albury-Wodonga. Max temps: Corowa 22, Culcairn 23, Wangaratta 22, Corryong 23, Bright 22, Falls Creek 10.
Catch up on news here:
$20 million East Albury Bunnings building contract awarded Troon
Bunnings is eyeing off a mid-year start on its East Albury warehouse after confirming Ballarat-based construction firm, H. Troon, as the builder for the $20 million project. More here
North East electronic identification workshop at Violet Town on May 4
Agriculture Victoria is running on-farm workshops to demonstrate how electronic identification (eID) technology and data can be used to make better management decisions. More here
Albury councillor John Stuchbery questions need for Yambla Place improvements
The council's engineering director Brad Ferris defended the decision to upgrade Yambla Place with works to include 1694 square metres of pavement, kerb and guttering improvements, drainage and landscaping. More here
Lavington to celebrate three milestones in opening round of Ovens and Murray netball season
The Panthers have three players celebrating milestones when they face Wangaratta in the season opener, with A graders Ainslee O’Connell and Courtney Mason reaching the 100-game mark, while Erin Haberecht plays her 150th in B grade. More here
Adam Prior will miss the first two weeks of the O&M season
Lavington will field a smaller, but quicker outfit when its season starts on Saturday against Wangaratta. More here
Need a national news snapshot first thing - well, we have you covered.
Regional news
► BATHURST: It may be only four round bales high, but the design and construction of the winner of this year’s Hay Bale Art Challenge involved a fair bit of work, especially the construction of the seven metre long plait made from baling twine.
Andrew and Maxine Meek created the winning entry in this years Hay Bale Art Challenge called ‘Let Your Hay Down’. Read more.
► WOLLONGONG: It was meant to be their first getaway together in four years.
Now, Amy Hubbard and her partner, Nick Breslin, have memories of a Daydream Island holiday they won’t forget any time soon – for all the wrong reasons.
The Towradgi couple arrived at the Daydream Island Resort and Spa on Saturday – the day after Tropical Cyclone Debbie, then located well away to the north east of the idyllic holiday spot, was named as a category one system. Read more.
► NEWCASTLE: A 91-year-old woman from Dora Creek has been left without a landline phone connection for six weeks, but that’s not what has annoyed her most.
What’s really got Anne Fordham’s goat is Telstra’s failure to have a technician turn up at her Baker Street house when they said they would. Three times. Read more.
►TASMANIA: Tasmanian log truck drivers are “upset and irate” over “derogatory” comments made by Greens leader Cassy O’Connor.
During debate on the Forestry Bill last week, Ms O’Connor stated that “log trucks kill people”.
Now, truck drivers are uniting to voice their disappointment in her comments. Read more.
►TAMWORTH: One Tamworth business is practising (or pedalling) what they preach.
Along with sponsoring Pedal the Peel, Forsyths is entering to the charity cycling event, which raises money for local charities Youth Insearch and the Banksia mental health unit.
“Many of our staff volunteer on the day, and some even don their spandex and cycle in the event,” said Forsyths’ Andy Chambers said. Read more.
►WAGGA: When Combaning’s Jane Booker half-heatedly submitted an entry into Sunrise’s Cash Cow competition on Wednesday morning, she would never have entertained the possibility of ending the day $30,000 richer.
Yet when the former Cootamundra resident received an official call to congratulate her on her good fortune and winnings, Mrs Booker was exactly that. Read more.
►BALLARAT: Ballarat has continued to grow with a two per cent increase in the city’s population between 2015 to 2016.
The latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed Alfredton, including the suburb of Lucas, was the second fastest growing suburb in the state outside of Melbourne.
It added 610 people and grew by 5.9 per cent from 2015-16, with only Grovedale in Geelong growing at a faster rate. Read more.
►WARNAMBOOL: Koroit export Willem Drew is a chance to make his AFL debut on Sunday.
The three-time Saints premiership player was named on the Power’s extended bench when round two teams were announced on Thursday evening.
Port Adelaide, which is coming off a surprise season-opening win over Sydney, will finalise its team to face Fremantle on Friday. Read more.
►JIMBOOMBA: As rain and wind intensify motorists are being urged to take heed of warning and stay off the roads.
The Mount Lindesay Highway was closed for more than two hours this morning after a two truck crash.
Flood warnings are in place for the Logan and Albert Rivers between Wyaralong and Logan City. All schools remain closed. Read more.
National news
►Three years of wrangling over a section of Australia's racial discrimination laws has again amounted to naught after the Senate killed off the Turnbull government's proposed changes late Thursday night.
A bid to amend section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act and make it lawful to offend, insult and intimidate others on the basis of race was voted down by Labor, the Greens and a slew of crossbenchers, including Nick Xenophon and the Tasmanian Independent Jacqui Lambie. Read more.
►Six years ago, less than two months after the Coalition won the 2011 election, Gladys Berejiklian made a decision which will soon result in a lot of people missing a lot of family dinners.
Berejiklian's decision - more on that later - looked to be a relatively minor one at the time. But the decision helped trigger a chain of events which, from next year, will mean anyone travelling to places like Macquarie University or North Ryde will be unable to catch the train for at least six months. Read more.
►After years of infighting and protracted speculation, the NSW Police Force has moved into a new era, with promises of a fresh leadership style and no tolerance for past grievances.
Incoming commissioner Mick Fuller said his brief was different to that of his predecessor Andrew Scipione and in it was an aim to change the model of policing that has existed for 20 years. Read more.
National weather radar
World news
► KOREA: The body of Kim Jong-nam will be flown to North Korea as part of a complex deal with Malaysia, brokered to end a bitter row between the two nations which began with Mr Kim's brazen nerve agent assassination.
Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak announced the deal, which includes nine Malaysians being allowed to fly out of the North Korean capital Pyongyang to return to Malaysia. Read more.
►BEIJING: Chinese authorities would use "other options", such as persuading fugitives to return by pressuring family members, if an extradition treaty with Australia is not ratified, analysts said.
The director of Peking University's anti-corruption study centre, Zhuang Deshui, said the extradition treaty was only one way for China to return fugitives and recover stolen funds as part of its anti-corruption drive. Read more.
►BANGKOK: An Australian man plunged four floors to his death at Bangkok's busy Suvarnabhumi Airport on Thursday morning.
Surveillance cameras showed that the man, aged 32, took the escalator from the third to the fourth floor before the incident took place at 6.25am.
Medical staff tried to revive the man and he was taken to Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital, according to the Bangkok Post, but he died from his injuries. Read more.
On this day
1492 – Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand of Aragon issue the Alhambra Decree which expels Jews from their Kingdoms of Castile and Aragon
1657 – English Parliament makes the Humble Petition to Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell offering him the crown: he declines
1920 – British parliament accepts Irish Home Rule law
1965 – US orders first combat troops to Vietnam
Faces of Australia
Scott Eppelstun –
Three days was the verdict.
Three days to live unless new lungs became available or he would die.
This was the stark message conveyed to Jackie Eppelstun and her three daughters from Grenfell in October, 2005 about her husband and their father. Read more.