Congratulations Pippa! A Broken Hill teenager has taken out the fourth division of the Australian Barrel Horse Racing national competition in Tamworth last weekend. Pippa Howse, 14, achieved an average time of just under 20:90 seconds to claim the win. Pippa's mum Emma Howse says she was blown away by her daughter's achievement on horse Monty. Pippa won a saddle, a buckle, rugs, feed and about $1,000 in prize money. Meanwhile, Pippa's 17-year-old sister Macey Howse achieved 9th place in the junior competition against about 240 riders.
Image supplied: Emma Howse
New mental health unit officially open: A brand new $20 million mental heath unit has been officially opened at the Broken Hill Hospital. The state government-funded facility features eight single inpatient rooms with en suites, an internal lounge and dining area, a sensory room and multi-activity space and exercise room, alongside a large courtyard. Minister for Mental Health Rose Jackson toured the unit this week and says she's thrilled to see a space that feels geared towards recovery.
Man falls into mine shaft: A person has been injured after falling into a mine shaft in the far west. The 42-year-old man was in scrubland when he lost his footing and fell down a hole in White Cliffs on Saturday night. He fell between 6-10 metres and suffered a serious knee injury and broken ankle. Emergency services took the man to the local health service before the RFDS flew him to the Royal Adelaide Hospital for further treatment. He's reported to be in a stable condition.
Copper mine acquisition: A SA mining company has begun the process to sell a majority stake in its copper-gold project located around 100 kilometres north-west of Broken Hill. Under the binding term sheet, Havilah Resources will sell 80 per cent of its Kalkaroo project to Sandfire Resources in a two-stage agreement, worth $105 million upfront, and another $105 million to be paid pending the outcome of a feasibility study. Independent mining analyst Peter Strachan says the deal will boost activity at the site and surrounding communities.
Cinema closed due to possible earthquake damage: Broken Hill's cinema complex has been closed after the discovery of major structural damage the operators believe has been caused by earthquakes. A routine inspection of the building earlier this week uncovered cracks in the concrete supports underneath the main theatre, which hadn't been seen in last month's inspection, prior to two magnitude three earthquakes recorded on October 27 and 28. Manager of the Broken Hill Musicians Club Michael Boland says he hopes to have a structural engineer at the site next week to assess the damage. He says he and the club's insurer are committed to having the cinema reopen as soon as possible.
Darling River report: The head of a project investigating the health of the Darling River in recent years agrees a shift in water management policy could be the long-term solution. The final report from the project, established after the 2023 floods and mass fish deaths in Menindee, found the river is in poor condition due to human disturbances. Kathryn Korbel from Macquarie University's School of Natural Sciences, who met with locals in Wilcannia and Menindee this week to discuss the report, says ongoing water quality monitoring can only do so much.
Young alleged arsonist faces justice:
A teenager has been dealt with under the state's Young Offenders Act following an alleged arson at a Broken Hill playground earlier this month. Investigations are continuing into the fire in Sturt Park in the early hours of November 9. Firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze quickly, but not before it caused extensive damage to the infrastructure. Cleanup at the site is now underway, with the council hopeful it can reopen part of the playground before Christmas. Meanwhile, following inquiries into the incident, Broken Hill police have spoken to a 12-year-old boy. The boy will now have to attend a Youth Justice Conference, where he will be required to face people directly affected by the fire. The ABC understands police are still speaking to other youths believed to be
involved.
Menindee RFS members boost skills: The president of the Menindee RFS is pushing for several of its members to become fully qualified for water rescue and emergency operations. The nearest RFS members accredited and capable of on-water rescue are at least 575 kilometres away in Griffith and even further away in Dubbo. Kate McBride says a number of the Menindee Rural Fire Service's 30 members have already received training, and they're hoping to have that signed off soon.
Cricket results: West's men's team remains undefeated so far in the Barrier District Cricket League, but only just after recording a thrilling victory over Central off the last ball of the game with one wicket in hand. In the other match, North had an eight-wicket win over a winless South side. In the women's, West were too good for Central, winning comfortably, and North showed why they're the team to beat once more, crushing South with both bat and ball to win by 128 runs in their T20 match. Looking ahead to this weekend, there will be two top-of-the-table clashes between North and West in both the men's A-Grade and women's competitions on Saturday, while South faces off with Central.
