The state election race finally fired into action, bats and snakes were back in town but the burning issue in January 2019 was the spate of stolen car blazes.
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The car fire issue dominated Orange conversation for the first few months of the year and it was taking hold in January.
A burnt out yellow Audi in Newman Park on January 19 was the latest incident.
On January 25 Orange resident Debbie Thornton put out a call on Facebook for a group to be formed to monitor and report on crime - just like the old Neighbourhood Watch scheme.
With at least 20 cars already burnt and a police strike force formed it was a hot issue.
On January 29 the situation was further inflamed when a burning car was found metres from a child's bedroom in a house in Maxwell Avenue and another car was found burnt out in the Canobolas State Forest.
The state election campaign battle was fairly limp in 2018 as the Nationals struggled to find a candidate.
He's everywhere but he does nothing - Kate on Phil Mrs Hazelton will still be required to toe the party line - Phil on Kate
- State election rivals Kate Hazelton and Phil Donato.
But that all changed on January 15 when Kate Hazelton was announced as the person to challenge sitting member Phil Donato.
Mrs Hazelton came out firing suggesting Mr Donato was ineffective because he was not part of the government but he replied she could not work for Orange's best interests as she would have to follow party lines.
On January 8 the Central Western Daily had revealed Orange had missed out on a lot of funding provided to Bathurst and Dubbo, largely attributed to them having government members.
By January 31 Mrs Hazelton was in full campaign mode beside the parliamentary secretary for NSW Rick Colless, as $3 million of state government funding was announced for the Southern Feeder Road.
The funding was for Stage 3, a 2.2 kilometre stretch from the Mitchell Highway to Leewood where work was about to start on Stage 2, a bridge over the railway line.
Water, and the lack of it, was a big topic a year ago as the drought continued.
On January 2 propagation specialist with the Friends of Orange Botanical Gardens, and keen gardener, Chris Mills offered his tips on how to save your garden in the then-Level 3 water restrictions in Orange.
Back then hose watering was allowed for a maximum one hour every second day on the odds-and- evens house number basis.
Mr Mills suggested dividing your garden into sections for watering and concentrating water of 1-2 litres a time on each plant with larger plants needing 5-10 litres.
The weather was a constant topic of comment during January with lightning strikes leading to some stunning photos on January 5 and January 23.
Cudal farmer Floyd Legge remained hopeful for April rains on January 8 after good pre-Christmas rain had lifted hopes the drought might ease.
"We're certainly not out of the woods yet. The drought certainly hasn't broken," he said.
"Once we get a good autumn it sets up things for the whole year."
However, by January 16 Orange was forecast to record its hottest four-day spell in 50 years of temperatures over 35 degrees.
Weatherzone meteorologist Brett Dutschke said it was extremely rare.
"It's not just the days but the nights are particularly warm, it is just getting to 20 degrees on a few nights and staying above 20 degrees on a few nights," he said.
New Year's Eve went off with a bang in Orange with police confirming on January 2 three officers had been assaulted with one needing treatment after a night of alcohol-fuelled violence in Orange.
The violence occurred in the CBD outside licensed premises, at parties around town and there were also several domestic violence incidents.
They're not dumb, they'll remember and come back next year.
- Guy Gaeta, orchardist
But, all that violence didn't dissuade our regular summer visitors, bats and snakes, from turning up.
On January 7 it was revealed a large colony of flying foxes was roosting in trees on Ploughmans Lane and upsetting orchardists with nightly raids on their fruit. Farmers had already suffered from hail damaging cherries.
Grower Guy Gaeta said the bats posed an ongoing threat.
"They've got memories, and most of them, they are going to come back to your place. They're not dumb, they'll remember and come back next year," he said.
And they have.
Snakes were also about by January 7 with catcher Jake Hansen reporting he had caught 70 in the season.
On January 19 it was revealed the biggest selling property in the region in 2018 was a 61-hectare property north-west of Orange on the Mitchell Highway which sold for $3 million in February.
And Airbnb was becoming a big provider for share accommodation in Orange.
On January 30 it was reported there were more than 240 Orange houses, cottages, farms and apartments available for short term lease on the Airbnb website.
That had jumped from 110 at the start of 2017.
And then there were the mystery news stories for the month.
There was the January 18 case of the 'Poplar Misconception' as residents claimed the wrong tree had been chopped down after storm damage was reported to Orange City Council.
And on January 17 the case of the 'Missing Fountain' was reported with the cast iron garden ornament stolen from the grounds of Croagh Patrick.
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