News blog, March 11: Bill O’Kane farewelled, Causeway to partially close on Sunday

Max Stainkamph back at it again with the white vans for your news blog on this splendid, sunny Friday.

We’ll bring you all the news across the region with some Friday vibes thrown in for good measure.

Shepparton is heading for a spiffy top of 27 degrees with hardly a cloud in the sky, the weather people tell me.

UPDATE, 4.30pm: Signing off for the weekend

Isabelle Harris will have something more on that crash going online shortly — keep an eye out for that as someone’s been airlifted to Melbourne.

However, I’m outta here. Stay safe over the long weekend, look after yourselves, and we’ll catch you on the flipside.

UPDATE, 3.45pm: Crash, incident on property across the Goulburn Valley

A man in his 20s has been taken to hospital following an incident on a property north of Shepparton.

We’ll let you know more when we have an information confirmed.

There’s also been a two-vehicle crash at Muckatah which emergency services are responding to — I’m not sure how many people are involved or what condition they’re in, but Cobram guru Issy Harris is looking into that one.

UPDATE, 3.00pm: Shepparton Festival just around the corner

If you’ve been around Fryers St in the last few days you’d have seen Yorta Yorta artist Lorraine Brigdale, Mumbai-based new media artist Akshat Nauriyal and artistic duo PluginHUMAN, Dr Betty Sargeant and Justin Dwyer putting together the new UNEARTHED mural.

It looks super snazzy, and will be highlighted during the Shepparton Festival, which begins on March 18.

Check out the full story here.

UPDATE, 2.05pm: Causeway to close on Sunday

Greater Shepparton City Council has confirmed the Causeway will be partially shut on Sunday morning.

The south side of the Causeway will be used for Challenge Shepparton, which the north side will be used for traffic. It’ll be in place from about 5.30am until 12.30pm as people run around Shepparton.

I would also like to submit a correction on previous speculation that my colleague Caitlyn Grant was stealing my lunch. She is a saint and a blessing and she and Georgia Rossiter turned up with food just as I was about to pass out from lack of sustenance.

I would like to formally apologise for any offence.

UPDATE, 1.50pm: Bill O’Kane farewelled by mourners

Geoff Adams was at the funeral of Bill O’Kane, who many people in Shepparton will know for his work with water, agriculture and much, much more.

About 350 mourners attended the funeral of former catchment CEO, Bill O’Kane at the St Brendan’s Catholic Church in Shepparton this morning.

Eulogies were delivered by two daughters, Alannah and Bridget and life symbols were presented, reflecting his interest in his home neighbourhood, catchment management, football, travel, family and his Katamatite farm.

The pallbearers were Terry Lawless, Sam Casey, Brendan Ryan, Paul O’Kane, Laurie Lawless and Denis Lawless.

Mr O’Kane will be interred at the Katamatite Cemetery on Saturday, March 12 at 11 am.

UPDATE, 1.15pm: Flamingo Project flourishes with eight 2022 graduates

We’re keeping the good, happy news rolling as much as we can today, and good friend of the blog Caitlyn Grant (who I’m beginning to worry has stolen my lunch after leaving to pick it up 40 minutes ago) has this lovely story about the Flamingo Project.

I’d never heard of it, but with a mission to connect women from all walks of life, the volunteer-run Flamingo Project was founded by Shepparton’s Neha Samar in September last year.

International Women’s Day was a little brighter in Shepparton this year as eight women graduated from the Flamingo Project’s mentorship program.

Check out the full story here.

UPDATE, 12.30pm: Wondering what to do this weekend?

If you’re sitting there like a stunned mullet ahead of the long weekend, wondering what the blazing heck you’re going to do to fill three whole days off — don’t stress.

Caitlyn Grant, the legend she is, has you covered.

She’s done the wraparound of what’s hip and happening and crackalakin in the GV this weekend — check it all out here.

UPDATE, 11.15am: Up, up and awaaaay! Hot air balloon festival to return

After a pause of two years the King Valley Balloon Fiesta will return on Friday, March 25.

The three-day event will feature a special balloon: a 33m tall, three-toed sloth named Tico.

Kids of all ages will love this cute character and he is sure to delight the crowds.

Check out the full details — and incredible photos of hot air balloons like this incredible sloth — in this Simon Ruppert story.

UPDATE, 10.20am: Prison visits to be allowed

Two blog updates in 10 minutes?! What is this, a lockdown press conference announcement?

No — goodness me, no, never again — but we’ve got some news following Youssef Saudie’s powerful report into the prison systems which came out a week ago.

Corrections Victoria has announced visits to prisons will resume from March 12 (tomorrow). I’m not saying that Youssef’s yarn caused the policy chance, but I’m also not not saying that.

UPDATE, 10.10am: More than 130,000 doses of JEV vaccine on the way: Hunt

Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt has purchased 130,000 doses of a Japanese encephalitis vaccines.

Deaths have been recorded in NSW, Victoria and South Australia, and the Federal government this morning announced $60 million would be spent on vaccines and awareness-raising programs.

Check out the full details here.

UPDATE, 9.30am: Arcadia farmers meet authorities, council receives 759 submissions on social housing proposal

Following on from a Country News yarn from earlier this week, Arcadia farmers worried about how the $750 million Melbourne to Shepparton railway upgrade will affect their ability to shift stock across the lines, are meeting with the Victorian Rail Authority today.

Geoff Adams tells me the farmers want rail authorities to consider fencing near the crossings to allow stock to be moved across the lines quickly.

The upgrade is going to increase the number of services on the line, and the speed at which the trains travel.

Four farmers who have properties either side of the line have been seeking a meeting with the construction authority unsuccessfully for six months.

There’ll be more on how the meeting goes online for Country News and in print next week.

Meanwhile, Greater Shepparton City Council received 759 submissions in response to its intention to sell or gift the airspace above the Maude St, Nixon St, Edward St, Shepparton car park for a social housing development.

Council heard 39 verbal submissions over two days.

Meanwhile the luck of the green will hit Shepparton Park Bowls Club again next Thursday as the club holds its annual St Patrick’s Day fundraiser.

I genuinely love this event, and it’s always lovely to see the splash of green in the paper (and online).