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Mount Gambier - 5290

Property owner left to care for eight greyhounds left behind by evicted tenant

Dita Mitchell says she found greyhounds in "putrid" kennels with faeces and urine when she went to inspect her South East SA property after evicting a tenant.
ABC News Current

Race to save 169-year-old obelisk left teetering on cliff edge by coastal erosion

The red and white obelisk is a must-see for visitors to the South Australian tourist town of Robe, but it's at risk of plunging into the water below.
A red and white pyramid-shaped obelisk on the edge of a rocky cliff.

'Risky' business as Australian barley exports to China surge after three-year ban

Barley exports to China are booming after tariffs were lifted in August, but are Australian farmers just repeating the same mistake?
Updated
Barley on a grain belt with an auger

Construction slows despite housing shortage as interest rates and cost of living hit hard

Despite a widespread housing shortage, new home builds have dropped significantly since COVID, as the construction industry calls for government reform.
Updated
Tradies work on the roof frame of a new home under construction.

Vinnies manager sentenced for stealing $15k from charity to buy drugs

Nicole Ann Cook was employed as the manager of the op shop in Mount Gambier two years ago, but instead of depositing the store's proceeds in the bank, she used the money to buy methamphetamine.
A sign that reads "Vinnies".

Smaller towns worry about becoming poorly serviced outposts in health staff shortage

With appointments hard to get at local clinics, residents of some towns in rural South Australia are being forced to travel to regional centres to seek medical treatment, further reducing the variety of treatments that training doctors get to treat.
Updated
A woman wearing a black polo shirt and cap holding a baby

As businesses call for workers, people with disability see barriers to gaining employment

Ruth Mott has spent her life working as a farmer, nurse and justice of the peace, but for five years she struggled to find a job.
A woman sitting in a wheelchair in a backyard.

Pregnant women pushing for 'centuries' old water birth practice at Mount Gambier Hospital

Water birthing is in place at some public and private hospitals in Australia, but women on SA's Limestone Coast want more people to have access to the practice.
A woman sitting in a pool holding her newborn baby, with her husband behind her.

Second king penguin spotted acting 'happy' in South Australia, 2,500km from nearest colony

A Port Neill local filmed a juvenile king penguin on a beach on Wednesday, nearly two weeks after a sighting of what was possibly the same bird in the Coorong.
Updated
Penguin on sandy white beach ith bush on sandhills in background, bay water on right.

Town's op shop offers a place to chat for the lonely and those new to town

Margreet Diment knows what it's like not having a space to relax and chat. So she opened an enterprise in Bordertown to help the many migrants affected by the housing shortage.
Updated
A woman with long white hair stands at a shop counter with items for sale behind

Rise in extreme weather events putting huge strain on food charities helping struggling families

Food charities helping struggling families put food on the table can no longer rely on excess produce being available as farmers count their own cost of extreme weather events.
A handful of carrots.

Mount Gambier man revives 113-year-old windmill brand to give local manufacturing another spin

Varcoe Windmills were first built in Mount Gambier in 1911 but after its doors closed last year, the brand seemed lost for good, until a local agricultural mechanic bought the rights at an auction.
A man wearing blue mechanic's clothes standing next to a large machine.

Hunters call for end to deer eradication program hoping to be able to continue their sport

The South Australian government wants to get rid of the state's feral deer population by 2032 but hunters say the way they are doing it is cruel, unfair to landholders, and polluting the environment.
Updated
A man standing in front of deer trophies mounted on a wall.

Why farmers are being urged to make friends with venomous visitors

Usually snakes are unwelcome visitors on farms, but research suggests the benefits of their presence on agricultural land far outweighs the potential costs to farmers and graziers.
An eastern brown snake curled on the ground

TikTok star raking in millions of views by focussing on country football history and defunct ovals

Andy Munro has garnered a social media following of millions off the back of his reels documenting abandoned country footy grounds in Victoria and South Australia.
Updated
A man smiles while holding black and white Carlton jumpers in front of a wall of different jumpers

Court denies bail to man who allegedly tried to smuggle drugs into prison until the bag broke inside his body

A court has heard a Mount Gambier man allegedly hid drugs inside his rectum in an attempt to take them into the local prison but one of them split, causing him to overdose.
The sign outside Mount Gambier prison

Bitter news for wine exporters as more people choose not to drink to save money — and health

Australian wine exports have been hit by a global trend in people drinking less alcohol and cutting costs, but hope remains for the re-opening of a major market.
A hand reaches for a glass of wine. A Harry Potter book is on the coffee table

Memorial for SA Police officer allegedly shot dead wins support from 'extremely proud' family

The surviving family of Brevet Sergeant Jason Doig says it supports plans to erect a memorial to him in Lucindale, as SA Police looks to fill his role in the small country town.
A smiling man in police uniform leans against a police car outside a police station

Firefighting volunteer dies attending shed fire

It is believed Garry Mallen suffered a medical episode about 8:30am while at the fire scene in Portland, Victoria.
Updated
A firefighter in blue formal uniform looking at the camera.

King penguin turns up on SA beach thousands of kilometres from Antarctic home

Amazed birdwatchers believe a young king penguin that approached them on a Coorong beach may never have seen a human before, with the species normally staying in Antarctica and on sub-Antarctic islands.
A composite image of a large penguin on a beach

'Excellent life skills' helps makes these kids 'better people', says junior cattle handlers' mum

Many young agricultural enthusiasts are lucky to get to two or three stock handling competitions in a year, but for one south-east South Australian family they are an essential activity.
Updated
Yong handlers with cattle and ribbons.

Altitude masks and ice baths all part of Everest trek training for adventurous mates

James and Mark have travelled the world together. Now they are aiming to inspire others entering middle age with their next journey.
A man takes a selfie on top of a hill wearing a hat, glasses and a black mask.

What is behind the longevity of the humble tourism brochure?

When keen travellers Ken and Judy Vorwerk arrive in a new region, they use tourism brochures rather than the internet to help guide them to local experiences, and they are not the only ones.
Updated
A middle aged man and woman stand in front of a iron cut out reading 'Muttaburra'

Volunteer's life of community service a legacy of the father he never knew

When Kevin Douglas' father died, a small country town rallied around his family. He has spent the next six decades helping others in his community as a way to pass on that kindness.
Updated
A grey haired man in blue blazer holds framed Australia Day award

Padthaway man accused of being drunk in fatal crash with Victorian couple

A 21-year-old man faces court in South Australia's south-east for the first time accused of two counts of death by dangerous driving.
Updated
Two men and a woman leave a court building down a ramp