9.00am: That's just about it from me on this Tuesday, June 17.
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From all us at the Central Western Daily please stay warm and safe.
As a final goodbye, a sad but very cute reminder, we're getting closer to our beloved weekend!!
8.55am: Now to the polls.
It took millions of years for water, seeping at an infinitesimal pace, to fashion the limestone pillars and mazes of the ancient Cliefden Caves. But the $150 million dam announced for the Belubula River near Canowindra will flood the cave system and destroy the rare formations in just a few moments, scientists and caving enthusiasts say.
8.45am: When it comes to sport - it's all about State of Origin two.
NSW hard man Greg Bird has added fuel to the already simmering fire, labelling Brent Tate a hypocrite for lashing out against Josh Reynolds after a dangerous tackle in game one (which Reynolds somehow got off).
Bird was quick to remind Tate of what was described by his teammates as a "dog shot" back in 2012, when Tate landed a right fist to the cheek of Bird while he was held on the ground by Greg Inglis.
Not that it needed it - but State of Origin two promises to be a fiery encounter.
And while still on NRL, Cronulla chairman Damian Keogh estimates the financial toll of the 17-month doping investigation centred on the Sharks has reached $4 million.
Anxiety has heightened further among players, staff and officials at the struggling NRL team since the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority issued show-cause notices to 34 past and present players from AFL club Essendon last week.
8.35am: Let's wind the clock back with this gallery of golden oldies pics.
Take a walk down memory lane to May 1996. We're sorry if we've offended anyone with some of these fashion statements - but we know you'll get a smile out of them all the same.
8.30am: Now i've ruined your day with that utterly terrible song you'll have stuck in your head until lunch time, let's check out some local sport.
Orange Tigers have jumped to the top of the Central West AFL ladder after downing arch rivals Bathurst.
The Tigers led from the outset in a performance that pleased coach Nathan Pearce and puts them in pole position going into the second half of the season.
In Orange Toyota Cup netball, CYMS Gladiators welcomed new coach Kylie Jordan to the helm with a razor-sharp performance against Kinross 1sts.
8.20am: Now for some really exciting news which I know will make your Tuesday just that little bit better...
Miley Cyrus is coming to Australia.
Yep, it's clearly the biggest and most exciting thing to happen to this country since her father Billy Ray released Achy Breaky Heart way back in 1992.
Miley will perform in Sydney on October 17 - so you teeny boppers better get in quick because I'm sure tickets will sell fast.
8.15am: Now to some national news, which is of course, dominated by the budget.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott faces parliamentary dissent on a new front after two senior Liberal senators signalled they will not support the government's new deficit levy in the Senate.
In an impassioned speech to the Senate yesterday, Senator Ian Macdonald said he would oppose the federal government's plan to introduce a 2 per cent tax on incomes of $180,000 or more, saying he did not think it went far enough.
Also on the budget, the man who restarted the debate about free healthcare, Terry Barnes, a policy consultant who worked for Tony Abbott when he was health minister, believes pensioners should get a pay rise to compensate for the proposed $7 Medicare fee.
8.00am: Check out what's making news in Orange today.
Former Australian Idol winner Casey Donovan was at Orange High School yesterday.
Miss Donovan told ORANGE High School’s diverse student population to follow their dreams, no matter the barrier. The speech was part of cultural diversity talks, which the school believes will help students become more involved with the local community.
Meanwhile, Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham has slammed the Needles Gap Dam project.
Opponents to the dam have cited heritage concerns, environmental devastation and downright senselessness as reasons to abort the idea.
7.50am: Now we've looked at the big movie winners for the week, let's see who's performing well on the small screen.
Reality singing series The Voice easily won its timeslot but not the ratings on the treasured Sunday timeslot after being oddly beaten by Seven News.
The Voice pulled an audience of 1.533 million viewers, it's second lowest Sunday night audience this season, to finish second.
Even though The Voice ratings were strong, Seven News was first with 1.560 million watchers.
Top 10: 1. Seven News (Seven) - 1.560 million; 2. The Voice (Nine) - 1.533 million; 3. Nine News (Nine) - 1.414 million; 4. House Rules (Seven) - 1.407 million; 5. 60 Minutes (Nine) - 1.369 million; 6. Sunday Night (Seven) - 1.208 million; 7. MasterChef (Ten) - 1 million; 8. A Place To Call Home (Seven) - 968,000; 9. Grand Designs (ABC1) - 944,000; 10. ABC News (ABC1) - 812,000.
7.40am: Now let's turn our attention to the big screen.
Figures for the weekend's box office have been released and we have a new number one.
Taking in a whopping $2.438 million for the weekend in Australia is The Fault in Our Stars.
The story is narrated by a sixteen-year-old cancer patient named Hazel, who is forced by her parents to attend a support group, where she subsequently meets and falls in love with the seventeen-year-old Augustus Waters, an ex-basketball player and amputee.
Close behind in second spot was How to Train Your Dragon with $2.170 million, ahead of Tom Cruise's Edge of Tomorrow ($1.773 million).
Top 10: 1. The Fault in Our Stars - $2.438 million (Fox); 2. How To Train Your Dragon 2 - $2.170 million (Fox); 3. Edge of Tomorrow - $1.773 million (Roadshow); 4. Maleficent - $1.733 million (Disney); 5. Blended - $1.315 million (Warner Bros); 6. X-Men: Days of Future Past - $1.230 million (Fox); 7. A Million Ways to Die in the West - $639,249 (Universal); 8. Grace of Monaco - $333,830 (Entertainment One); 9. Bad Neighbours - $312,173 (Universal); 10. The Trip to Italy - $299,930 (Madman).
7.30am: It's a busy period on Orange and surrounding roads for Orange City Council.
Council's warning travellers heading to the Orange Airport to leave a couple of minutes early because of a road closure.
Crews building new approach roads near the airport have started work on the new intersection at the corner of Huntley Road and Aerodrome Road.
Detour signs are in place which will take traffic off Huntley Road and alongside the construction site. No major delays are expected and the route will only be slightly longer.
Weather permitting, the intersection is expected to take around a month to complete.
Other roadwork being completed by Orange City Council this week includes:
- The final stages of work on the intersection at the corner of Hill and Margaret streets, with a new asphalt surface to be laid on the intersection this week.
- The asphalt will be laid in Cox Avenue.
- The section of Burrendong Way south of the council boundary will be sealed.
7.15am: If you're celebrating your birthday today, I hoped it's filled with love and happiness (and of course some great presents too!).
You share your special day with tennis superstar Venus Williams who turns 33.
Venus won the Australian Open and French Open singles titles in 1998 and was also the first American black woman to become world number one.
Overrated and overpaid Australian cricketer Shane Watson turns 32 today, while another over-hyped Aussie Stephanie Rice turns 25.
Golden oldies singer Barry Manilow is 70 today, while soccer superstar Alex is 31.
Legendary Australian author Henry Lawson was born on this day in 1867.
If you or someone you know is celebrating a birthday this week, don't forget to email us a picture along with name and age to luke.schuyler@fairfaxmedia.com.au
7am: Welcome to Orange Express on this lovely Tuesday morning, June 17.
Central Western Daily's Luke Schuyler here with you again today with everything you need to know, plus some things that you'll wonder why they're relevant.
Anyway, if you have anything you'd like to share with our readers, please e-mail luke.schuyler@fairfaxmedia.com.au or text it to 0477 308 571.
As usual, let's kick-off with a look at today's weather.
Wouldn't you know it. It's going to be cold. Again.
Today we're in for a top temp of 9 degrees, with a low of 1 degree.
It's a little bit better for our mates in Bathurst. They're in for a predicted top of 13 degrees, and a low of 1.
In Dubbo it's almost shorts weather. They're in for a top of 15 and a low of 4 degrees. Wouldn't that be nice?