The Armidale Express

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Gunnedah's Cameron Mitchell takes on the Inverell defence as Matt Hannay looms in the background during last years Tier 2 prelminary final. The Red Devils are hoping for a big year on and off the field as they celebrate 125 years since the club was formed.  Photo: Samantha Newsam 160815SNA05

GUNNEDAH will have some new faces at the helm as they commemorate over a century since their formation.

Gunnedah Devils plan for super season

New Armidale coaches Damien Schmude (left) and Luke Stephen.

NEW Armidale coaches Damien Schmude and Luke Stephen are buoyed by the young talent coming through the club ahead of the Blues’ tilt at an historic fourth straight New England premiership.

Armidale Blues back to the future with coaches

NARRABRI will have a new face at the helm as they chase a third straight Central North premiership, with Nick Lennon taking over the first grade reins.

Narrabri stalwart to take over as coach

Bears bearing Christmas greetings and signing on for another season (from left) Shane Wadwell, Scott Blanch, coach Brad McManus and Richard Clegg at Bear Park on Saturday. Photo: Barry Smith 281115BSE02

NORTH Tamworth Bears celebrated their Christmas party and sign-on day all in one at Jack Woolaston Oval on Saturday.

North Tamworth Bears reboot for new season

Armidale’s Elijah Rasiga completes a drill at the first session of the new Greater Northern Academy in Tamworth. He and his academy squad members will be hoping to make it into GN Under 16 and 18 sides for revamped Country Championships next year. Photo: Geoff O’Neill 211115GOB05

GREATER Northern representative rugby league teams will not only have a new female chief in 2016 but they will have different formats.

Tiger cubs to play under a new format

GNA training start for (from left) Koen Reiri, Thomas Pickersgill and Lachlan Chard. Photo: Geoff O’Neill 211115GOB09

KOEN Reiri, Thomas Pickersgill and Lachlan Chard all had their first taste of the Greater Northern Academy on the weekend.

Players come from far and wide to join academy

Muswellbrook’s Brock Matthews  completes a passing drill at Saturday’s GNA session at Jack  Woolaston Oval. Photo: Geoff O’Neill 211115GOB06

GREATER Northern Academy’s 41 squad members sweated and swatted when the new 2015-16 program began in 40 degree heat on the weekend.

Heat on league academy squad

Narrabri’s Tom Baker (yellow) wraps up this fellow triallist during Sunday’s Junior Gold Cup 17s trials at Gunnedah. Photo: Gareth Gardner 151115GGG07

WESTERN Province coaches were impressed by what they saw when the Junior Gold Cup (JGC)  17s hopefuls were put through their paces at Gunnedah on Sunday.

Western talent impresses coaches at Gunnedah trials

Presenting the United In Compassion with some football funds yesterday (from left) Tim Coates (NIF chairman), Lucy Haslam and Troy Langman (United in Compassion), outgoing NIF general manager Steve Griffith and new NIF GM Gavin Flanagan. Photo: Geoff O’Neill 051115GOA03

NORTHERN Inland Football chose a “local” charity as the beneficiary of its big end of season games, a charity started out of memory of a former footballer Daniel Haslam and his courageous fight against bowel cancer.

Soccer kicks in for charity inspired by one of their own

The 2015-16 GNA squad in Tamworth on Saturday. Photo: Gareth Gardner  311015GGD06

FORTY one young rugby league hopefuls were inducted into the 2015/2016 Greater Northern Academy Squad at the Tamworth Sports Dome on Saturday.

Academy squad kicks season off at Tamworth

Sport

Multimedia

Vandals in the Illawarra seat of Cunningham have destroyed United Australia Party corflutes of candidate Benjamin Britton.

Elections are fought on the streets and decided in the polling booths.

Corflute wars: How political ads and vandalism costs votes

Ukraine's Kalush Orchestra won with their entry Stefania.

Eurovision is like a bag of Every Flavour Jelly Beans - you really don't know what you're going to get.

Eurovision opened my eyes to the exciting world we live in

Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Picture: James Croucher

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says the Coalition's housing policies, taken together, would have a "marginal" effect on house prices as his new scheme comes under attack.

Unlocking super will have 'marginal' impact on house prices: Morrison

This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning till the end of the election.

Morrison needs to pull off a Houdini

Postal voting deadline looms

Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Labor leader Anthony Albanese and Greens leader Adam Bandt appear in TikTok videos ahead of the federal election on May 21. 

If TikTok likes were votes, a Labor backbencher would be prime minister and his party would already have claimed election victory.

Who is winning the Federal Election race on TikTok?

There are 1,437 COVID-19 patients in hospital, with 65 in ICU.

NSW COVID cases drop, hospitalisations rise

Constable Zachary Rolfe has pleaded not guilty to the shooting murder of Kumanjayi Walker.

Video of Kumanjayi shooting shown to jury

Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Picture: AAP

The election campaign has hit the home stretch, leaving only five days until polling day.

Live blog: Coalition's housing scheme will bump up prices, minister admits

Former prime minister Julia Gillard has gone into bat for Senator Katy Gallagher (inset). Pictures: AAP

Australia's first female PM has written a personal letter endorsing Katy Gallagher, asking Canberrans not risk losing her in the Senate.

'Incredible representative': Gillard intervenes to endorse 'at-risk' Gallagher

How can you safely perform a RAT on your child at home and help them to engage in the process?

Go low, go slow: how to rapid antigen test your kid for COVID as school returns

Working dogs: Regular panelists Sam Pang and Ed Kavalee with quizmaster Tom Gleisner (cente) are back for season 10 of Have You Been Paying Attention?. Photo supplied by Channel 10.

"When you put five funny people in a room with Tom at the helm, no two shows are the same," says Ed Kavalee. That's why Have You Been Paying Attention is about to premiere its 10th season. Read all about it in our TV Guide.

Ed Kavalee pays attention and pips the panel on 'Have You Been Paying Attention?'

Are you ready for back to school? Photo: FILE

As we approach the start of the first school term of the year in NSW, some parents are confused about the rules and expectations surrounding their child's return to school.

Masks, tests and more: Back to school in the Armidale region explained

The diverse individuals who take part in ABC TV's Space 22, to see if creative exercises can help heal invisible wounds, are visibly changed by it. This is a must watch program.

Mental health problems nurtured by art and music in ABC TV's Space 22

Prime Minister Scott Morrison at the Liberal Party campaign launch on Day 35 of the 2022 federal election campaign. Picture: AAP

Scott Morrison says the Coalition "saved the country" through its pandemic response, and has promised to unlock superannuation for first home buyers struggling to enter the property market.

'Just warming up': PM launches campaign with promise to unlock super for home buyers

Opposition leader Anthony Albanese. Picture: Sitthixay Ditthavong

The Labor leader stopped short of committing to a wage rise for public servants, but repeated his promise to "revitalise" the bureaucracy.

Albanese declines to promise higher public service wages

Stuart McKenzie catches an eastern brown snake found under a couch.

Snake-catching professional shares his top tip on how best to avoid eastern brown snakes.

Sofas, scales and playgrounds: The places brown snakes are caught

NSW records 10,954 COVID-19 cases, 19 deaths on May 14, 2022. Picture: File

There are 1,377 COVID-19 patients in hospital, with 59 in ICU.

NSW records more than 9000 COVID cases, four deaths

Royce Gay of Queanbeyan discusses the election in Eden-Monaro. Picture: Elesa Kurtz

It's less than a week until election day and the ultra-marginal seat of Eden-Monaro seems to be pulling further away from its bellwether status.

For whom the bellwether tolls: the mood on the ground in Eden-Monaro

Anthony Albanese wants Australian businesses to diversify and innovate to climb the technological ladder. Picture: Sitthixay Ditthavong

The funds will help Australian businesses to diversify and innovate to climb the technological ladder.

Labor to create $1b fund for manufacturing innovation, diversification

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Hawkesbury Council mayor Patrick Conolly was stabbed during a home invasion northwest of Sydney.

Hawkesbury mayor stabbed in home invasion

An 81-year-old man has pleaded guilty to abusing five young boys at an orphanage in the 1970s.

Man abused young boys at Vic orphanage

The inquiry, chaired by Ronald Sackville, is examining the mistreatment of people with disability.

Young men abused by disability worker

Increase in calls to NSW Ageing and Disability Commission helpline.

Five of the alleged victims of elder abuse reported to a NSW state authority were over 100 years old.

Victims of abuse were over 100 years, says report

Anthony Albanese at a childcare centre in the WA seat of Hasluck which the opposition hopes to take.

Albanese defends Labor costing release

COST OF FESTIVAL: Preparations for the Tamworth Country Music Festival made over a dozen people homeless, before the historic event was postponed on Friday, according to local homeless services. Photo: file

"It's not the moteliers fault. They've always done what they've done. Right at the moment we have a major issue in the housing sector, full stop."

TCMF 'made people homeless', as new date drives up April motel rates

MAJOR PROMISE: The University of New England could gain a $15 million Centre of Excellence, which would focus on 'agvet' chemical and technology innovation. Photo: file

The centre would focus on agvet chemical and technology innovation.

Federal government commits $15 million to UNE Centre of Excellence ahead of election

The committee of the Armidale Eisteddfod has been working hard in preparation for the 38th annual Armidale Eisteddfod.

Celebration of young talent from the Armidale region

HARD WORK: Little Kindy company director Arzal Arzal said many city-based companies shrank from providing childcare because it is difficult to manage from a distance. Photo: Gareth Gardner

Thousands of children are starting school already behind the pace because of a state's worst shortage of childcare in the New England, according to a new report.

Local kids developmentally vulnerable due to state's worst childcare shortage: report

The Deputy Prime Minister won't be drawn on whether he'll have the numbers to retain the Nationals leadership after the election, as a number of Barnaby Joyce's key allies leave the party room.

Barnaby won't speculate on leadership as allies retire and McCormack looms

Prime Minister Scott Morrison officially launched the Liberals' election campaign on Sunday. Picture: AAP

Scott Morrison has made housing a central part of the Liberal Party's official launch.

Liberal Party 'warms up' with final countdown underway

Promises: The Coalition commits to funding a new child care centre in Guyra. Photo: File

Barnaby Joyce has revealed that childcare is so hard to come by in his electorate, even his family have struggled to find a place.

Joyce reveals personal struggle with New England's 'childcare deserts'

Tree dahlias in full bloom on a misty morning. When a big frost, one that reaches as high as these flowers, occurs, they will be reduced to mush, but in the meantime it's great to be able to enjoy them in full flower this year!

Many gardeners around Armidale are anxiously watching the forecasts in the hope the weather will allow their tree dahlias to flower.

Gardening Matters || Anxious wait as Jack Frost arrives

New England travellers warned as floods hit south-east Queensland, again

Evacuation warnings are being sounded as heavy rainfall continues to pound southern Queensland.

Residents flee homes as evacuation sirens sounded

Travelers warned as floods hit south-east Queensland, again

Representatives of the powerful Australian Energy Market Operator will front up at a renewable energy forum this week to discuss the future of green power in the region.

Powerful Australian Energy Market Operator to attend green energy forum

Prime Minister Morrison's mantras of "Can-Do-Capitalism", "Jobs And Growth", and " Jobs, Jobs, Jobs" are insidious, and arrogantly unsustainable.

Can-do-capitalism? No thanks, Sco-Mo

Funding support for local Meals on Wheels: Armidale Uralla Meals on Wheels Management Committee President Simon McMillan, manager Kerryn Williams and Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall. Picture: Supplied

The incredible effort of Armidale Uralla Meals on Wheels in feeding the region's vulnerable during the COVID-19 lockdown last year is being repaid by the state government.

Meals on Wheels paid back for feeding Armidale residents in lockdown

ARRESTED: The man was taken to Armidale Police Station and charged in connection to the unit fire. Photo: File

An alleged arsonist will front court later this month after he was charged with setting fire to a unit, causing significant damage.

Man charged with lighting blaze which ripped through unit

TEAMWORK: Chris Connor and Letecia Kearney, two career-long nurses based in the New England North West share their experiences as a way to reflect and remember the important role all nurses play not just in healthcare, but in our lives. Photos: Supplied

In honour of International Nurses Day held on May 12, these two career-long nurses based in the New England North West share their experiences as a way to reflect and remember the important role all nurses play not just in healthcare, but in our lives.