YEAR IN REVIEW | Funding for $25 million Orange sports complex approved

Residents and sporting groups were urged to come forward with ideas on how to make the sporting precinct the best it could be.

It was then up to Orange City Council to develop full plans, costings and development stagings to present to the state government to allocate the money.

It was proposed the multi-sports complex with fields for a range of sports and activities would be built on council-owned land alongside the Northern Distributor Road near Ophir Road but that has now changed in favour of the golf course land at Bloomfield.

While that was great news for the council June didn't start that way.

On June 3 three cars were burned and a building caught alight in an early Monday morning fire at council's works depot on McLachlan Street.

Hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of damage was caused to the building, while the three vehicles were gutted and a fourth had some fire damage.

Crime was a hot topic in the month with June 10's reveal that Orange households were increasingly under siege compared to the rest of the state.

The city was above the state average in all 17 measurements of crime recorded according by the Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research's quarterly report into crime over the 12 months leading to March 2019.

It found homes in the Orange council area were 2.8 times as likely to be broken into as the average dwelling in NSW, while break and enters which don't involve houses were twice as likely to happen here.

And on June 18 it was shown more police had been bitten, spat upon, bashed or abused while on duty in Orange over the 12 months to March than during the same period last year. Orange had 33 incidents of assault against police recorded in the period.

June also saw three operations close, though one has since relocated.

On June 19 WIN News staff in Orange, Albury, and Wagga Wagga in NSW and Hervey Bay in Queensland were told they would not have a job within a few days, with the news bulletins being closed down.

The closures would affect 35 to 40 staff, including casuals, across the local television news services. WIN News Central West chief of staff Annabelle Amos said it was "a sad day for regional news".

On June 13 it was revealed Percy's Bar and Kitchen had gone into voluntary administration with its owner Rohan Cook blaming rising overheads, high rent and a lack of planning in the CBD.

Mr Cook said since taking over the lease for the Summer Street property more than two years ago the annual rent increase coupled with unplanned equipment and maintenance expenses had prevented the business from being viable.

And on June 15, some 40 years after it took over the old Kelly's Bakery in McNamara Street, St Vincent de Paul moved out of the building to look forward to a new home.

Pending approval from Orange City Council, Vinnies was to set up its Care and Support service in Anson Street, while the retail store would continue to operate from Peisley Street.

The extent of gambling in the region was revealed on June 11 with figures showing every poker machine throughout the Central West made more than $50,000 profit, on average, in the past year.

And that was an average of $1950 each better than they did in 2017.

The latest Liquor and Gaming NSW statistics showed the 1643 poker machines in clubs and pubs in Orange, Bathurst and Dubbo made a total net profit [the difference between what punters put into the machines and what they take away] of $86.5 million - up by $3.2 million on the previous year.

But it wasn't all bad news in June 2019.

On June 3 we celebrated teams in the 2019 Stars of Orange Dance for Cancer event raising a record amount of more than $250,000 for cancer research.

Organisers said they were delighted with the result which has been described as the most at a Dance for Cancer event in western NSW and the second highest for the whole state.

Cancer Council NSW Community Engagement manager for the Western Region Ricky Puata said Steph's Sass Squad won both the people's choice and highest fundraiser contests.

The team raised about $33,000. He said the judge's choice award went to television news journalist Mel Wightman while the judge's highest score award was given to both Johneen Keen and David Chapman plus the One Strength team.

On June 4 Orange police officer Phil Mounce-Stephens was shown to have conquered Bathurst's Mount Panorama.

He completed an excruciating 24 laps of the racetrack, totalling just over 149 kilometres - in a little over a 24-hour period to raise money and awareness for NSW Police Legacy.

On June 11 one of the Rural Fire Service Canobolas Zone's longest-serving members was awarded the state's top firefighting honour as part of Queen's Birthday honours.

Geoff Selwood said he was "chuffed" to have been awarded the Australian Fire Service Medal, which recognises distinguished service by members of Australian fire services.

Mr Selwood has been with the RFS since he joined the Springside brigade in 1968, and has been group captain of the Orange district since 1995.

On June 14 after six years the Nock family's dream of a boutique hotel in Orange was set to be achieved.

The Central Western Daily toured their Byng Street Boutique Hotel to reveal the interior work was nearly done with furniture and art works soon to be installed.

And on June 21 the kind-hearted work of Sarah Thomas was revealed.

She took welfare into her own hands by providing free food and books for people outside her home in Summer Street, East Orange.

She set up the 'Little Pantry' which is still operating from her front fence.