9am: After posting that Rebecca Black song last Friday I thought I should give you something to start your week off well.
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Orgy's cover of Blue Monday. Only cover to do New Order's song justice.
That's all from me. Enjoy your week.
8.50am: "The difference between a democracy and a dictatorship is that in a democracy you vote first and take orders later; in a dictatorship you don't have to waste your time voting." -Charles Bukowski.
To the polls.
Grieving mother Leeanne Thurn cannot understand why anyone would take flowers and keepsakes from her son’s grave.
She has joined the push to have CCTV cameras installed at Orange cemetery to catch those responsible.
8.40am: I thought about standing in the cold to take a photo of the magnificent sunrise this morning but then I remembered there was coffee in the office.
Thanks to Printhie Wines for taking the time.
8.30am: It's that time of the morning again, time for sport. I will do my best.
Two tries in the final ten minutes of Sunday's Group 10 local derby helped Orange Hawks steal a 24-18 victory over rivals Orange CYMS.
With Hawks trailing CYMS 18-16, two blues' stand in halfback Brock McGarity orchestrated a stunning comeback in the final stages of the game.
McGarity set up tries for Justin Howarth and Lawrence Fogg in the final eight minutes to secure the come from behind victory, extending the two blues' unbeaten run to four games.
Hawks gained ascendency from the outset, with the opening exchanges riddled with green and gold handling errors.
And to Hockey..
Orange Wanderers bounced back from last weekend’s 9-0 rout at the hands of Bathurst St Pat’s to secure a come from behind victory over Lithgow Zig Zag.
Nick Sharp starred for Wanderers scoring a double as his side potted three second half goals to steal the win.
8.20am: Here's some national news so you don't have to look elsewhere.
So plain packaging might be working after all.
The federal Treasury has entered the debate over cigarette sales, publishing previously secret information that shows sales falling since the introduction of graphic health warnings and plain packaging.
The Treasury collects data on sales per stick in order to levy tobacco excise, but has until now withheld it from publication to protect commercially sensitive information.
And now for something completely different...
Driverless cars. They might reduce the road toll but they take all the fun out of driving.
Self-driving cars could be mainstream in Australia within a generation, and could slash the road toll by 80 per cent, an expert says.
The technology that will one day make it possible for driverless cars to operate on our roads is already well advanced, attendees at last week’s annual Victorian Transport Industry conference heard.
It exists in modern-day vehicles with features such as automated braking, electronic stability control and dynamic cruise control systems designed to make driving safer.
8.05am: It seems the lads from the Great Moscow Circus have talent outside the big top. Hehe
Also Boris the three-metre-tall, inflatable clown is still missing. There a $500 reward for information on his safe return.
8am: There were some lookers out strutting their stuff at the weekend.
Orange was a hive of parties and events this weekend ... and we were there to capture them.
On Friday night photographer Steve Gosch was at Duntryleague for the Soiree with Vicky Lovatt.
On Saturday a large crowd rolled in for the matinee performance by the Great Moscow Circus, as well as the Anytime Fitness weightlifting Challenge.
Later that night Steve was at the Orange Hospital's 'Gangsters and Gals' Ball, the Canobolas Lions Club board changeover dinner and James Caulfield's Breastcancer Foundation fundraiser at the Orange City Bowling Club.
7.50am: Erswhile, Sir Tony Robinson has led tributes to his Blackadder co-star Patsy Byrne, who has died at the age of 80.
The actor and Time Team presenter joined Blackadder producer John Lloyd in hailing Byrne, who became well-known for playing Nursie in the second series of the hit 1980s' comedy.
Byrne is the second star of Blackadder to die in as many weeks. Rik Mayall, who played Lord Flashheart in the second and fourth series, was buried on Friday. He died at his home in Barnes, south-west London, last week.
7.40: Here's some tidbits from our headlines today so you have something to talk about at work.
Mother of two Francine Sammut says words have not been invented to express her gratitude towards the Orange community.
In a matter of weeks, friends, colleagues and strangers have dug deep and raised about $17,000 for vital cancer treatment that will enable Mrs Sammut to fight on.
“We’re just blown away,” she said.
Mrs Sammut, a breast cancer sufferer, is the only woman in Orange to receive the treatment, a mixture of Kadcyla and Herceptin, and because it is a relatively new concoction it is not part of the pharmaceutical benefits scheme.
In other news the proposed 90,000 megalitre dam at Needles Gap will wipe out recovering Murray cod populations in the Belubula River, according to the Central Acclimatisation Society.
The state government announced $1 million in funding for a feasibility study into the dam as part of last week’s budget.
The society, which represents anglers from the Blue Mountains through to Bathurst, Mudgee and Canowindra, believes the recovering population of the vulnerable fish species, which lives in the lower parts of the Belubula River, will be wiped out.
7.25am: Think of all those Sydney-siders sitting in traffic and be grateful you live here.
There are some roadworks going on but nothing that would disrupt your travel too much.
To help you have a hassle free drive to work today, Orange City Council let us know about the following roadworks:
The upgrading of the section of Burrendong Way south of the Council boundary is continuing with pavement works undertaken last week.
A work site alongside Forest Road was established to begin construction of a new traffic lights intersection at the entrance to the Bloomfield Hospital Gates and the new aged-care facility.This week preliminary excavation will be happening alongside the roadway.
Council staff have responded to customer requests for maintenance works across the city including pothole patching on Shirralee Road, Burrendong Way, Icely Road, Stephens Place, Ophir Road, Bulgas Road and Berillee Road.
Work on the concrete footpath in Coronation Drive continued last week between Pirinari Place and Kooronga Avenue and that work will continue this week.
Cabonne Council have let us know about the following roadwork to be done today.
Part of Molong’s main street will be closed for three days this week. Bank Street (between Gidley and Edward Streets) will be resurfaced from Monday June 23 to Wednesday June 25.
Gidley Street will also be closed at the intersection with Bank Street while the work is being carried out.
Traffic control will be in place from 7am to 5pm during which time residents will not be able to park along that section of Bank Street.
Access to the Waluwin Medical Centre will still be available.
7.15am: If you're having a birthday today then you're in good company.
The amazing screenwriter Joss Whedon turns 49 today.
He is responsible for the creation of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Dollhouse and responsible for helping me spend hours upon hours procrastinating at university.
I think I watched the entire Buffy series twice just to avoid assignments.
Sticking with the writing theme, also celebrating a milestone today is Johannes Gutenberg.
Well he would be celebrating if he hadn't been dead for 546 years.
The German is remembered for his invention of the printing press which started the printing revolution of the 15th and 16th century.
Without Gutenberg, Lutheranism may not have spread like it did. Because of Gutenberg's innovations with print, Martin Luther was able to spread his ideas on Christianity faster.
There's some trivia for you today.
If you know someone having a birthday today, be a good sport and let us know about it.
nicole.kuter@fairfaxmedia.com.au
7am: Welcome to Orange Express on this ridiculously pleasant Monday morning, June 23.
Central Western Daily's Nicole Kuter here with you today with everything you need to know, plus a whole heap of stuff that you didn't.
I say this morning is ridiculously pleasant because I am eternally grateful I am not going to be up and out of the house by this time tomorrow morning when it could be snowing.
Anyway, if you have anything you'd like to share with our readers, please e-mail nicole.kuter@fairfaxmedia.com.au or text it to 0477 308 571.
As usual, let's begin with a look at today's weather.
We're in for a whopping top of 11 degrees today.
Looking at it glass half full, unusual for me I know, but we're still in double digits.
AND.. we should not hit freezing with a predicted low of 1 degree.
Things in Bathurst are looking up with a maximum prediction for 14 degrees but it has a low of zero.
Dubbo's weather just makes me miserable.
17 degrees. Seriously.
Just to make things worse, tomorrow we're expecting snow and knowing our luck, it will fall over night then it will rain and we won't even see it.
Yep, the pessimist is back.