News blog, February 16: Blockbuster to be filmed at Winton Wetlands; Wulumbarra is ready for sustainable change

Caitlyn Grant on the reins here, ready to start what is set to be an absolute banger of a day with tops of 37 degrees.

Check back during the day to keep across all the latest news.

UPDATE 5.05 pm: Calling it a day

What a day.

A fair few big headlines made the rounds today, GV Health celebrated administering 200,000 coronavirus vaccines and the first native fish produced at the new Arcadia hatchery south of Shepparton were released.

But most importantly, Victoria bid to host the Commonwealth Games with a regional focus.

So tonight I will be training like the athletes that came before.

UPDATE 5 pm: Strathmerton collision

A second police officer who was stationed in Cobram is now in hospital in Melbourne after a police vehicle was involved in a crash at Strathmerton on Tuesday, February 15.

Read more on the full story here.

UPDATE 4 pm: Wednesday getting better

In a stunning turn of events, the mid-week slump has ended.

The Winton Wetlands will be the backdrop of Amazon Studios’ epic production Foe, directed by Victorian filmmaker Garth Davis, best known for his Academy Award-nominated film, Lion.

While a $32 million injection into the Victorian economy is definitely a bonus, the real kicker lays in the star-studded cast coming to town.

Saoirse Ronan, Aaron Pierre and you would not believe it, Paul Mescal.

An hours drive is all that will separate us from the Normal People actor and you best believe I’m fuelling up the Holden Astra as we speak.

UPDATE 3 pm: Wulumbarra taking action

Nicola Ceccato sat down with First Nations leader Michael Bourke to talk about Wulumburra, a local conservation organisation and community group connecting youth to their culture and land.

“Wulumbarra means large communal fire bringing everyone to the fire, talking and yarning and managing different issues,” Mr Bourke said.

“We have highly incarcerated young people, high suicide and we provide them with different opportunities to manage them by looking after the country.

“We provide young people an opportunity to be closing the gap where we’ll be stopping certain young fellas going to jail.

“They can come out and do land management, and work on country with us to help maintain the country.”

More on Wulumbarra here.

UPDATE 2 pm: Region of artists

The region is pumping with creative energy so if you’ve been putting off tap dancing lessons, now might be your time to shine.

In a first for the region comes Shepp Music Week, a six day consolidation of local skills, networks and expertise, brought to life by Shepp creatives. The week will have free workshops, one free live music event and two ticketed live music events. Pretty cool to be a creative right now!

If you’re feeling a little artistically uninspired, SAM has just released its program for 2022 to include 14 new exhibitions across all five floors.

Shepp’s also looking a little brighter today with a new mural at the lake, organised by the Greater Shepparton Youth Committee and created by local artists Tammy Lee Atkinson and Wendy-Sue Atkinson, its made up of Traditional Owners’ art styles.

It’s a beaut day to get out there, soak up the sun and have a look-see.

UPDATE 12 pm: Bowls break!!!

Our good man Aydin Payne whipped up a ripper article on the bowlers that braved the heat on Tuesday in which ladder-leader Shepparton Golf was handed its second straight loss.

Plans for Friday night? Cancel them.

Instead, pencil in a trip to Kyabram to catch a glimpse of arguably the world’s greatest ever bowler, Alex Marshall, taking the Kyabram greens in an exhibition game. More details on the world champion here.

UPDATE 11 am: Missing lambs

In some absolutely baaah-zar news, Rural Crime Investigators from the Murrumbidgee Police District are investigating the theft of 657 Merino ewe lambs.

Ewe’d ought to be kidding, its said they had about 10 to 12 months wool and were due for shearing.

Keep a lookout, they would be awfully hot right now.

UPDATE, 10.15 am: Victoria bids to host 2026 Commonwealth Games

The Victorian Government has announced it has entered into exclusive negotiations to bring the 2026 Commonwealth Games to Victoria, predominantly to regional Victoria.

Premier Daniel Andrews and the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Martin Pakula today confirmed that if awarded, the 2026 Commonwealth Games would return to Victoria.

Unlike the event in Melbourne in 2006, the Games would be hosted across the state.

The Government and Commonwealth Games Australia will now develop Victoria’s 2026 Commonwealth Games Submission, which will assess the viability of hosting the event.

The submission will focus on a new way to host the Games, showing how events could be held in multiple locations across regional Victoria.

The Commonwealth Games Federation will assess this submission prior to any decision being made.

“I think regional Victoria will be better off for this, but we just have to go through that process,” Mr Andrews said.

He said if the deal did not work out for either the state government or the Games, the state would not go ahead with it, but is confident the costs and benefits would “stack up”.

UPDATE, 10.10 am: Cooking up a storm

How was your Valentine’s Day?

Filled with love and plied with all things roses, chocolate and romance?

Or maybe something a little more low-key, like a Seinfeld marathon accompanied by an early night to avoid Instagram posts of all those loved up.

For Tegan Crawford of Tegan’s Custom Cakes, I imagine the majority of it was spent sleeping.

The absolute machine that is Miss Crawford worked 24 hours from 3am on Saturday through to 3am on Sunday to prepare for a pop-up Valentine’s Day stall.

With ingredients of pure gumption, a bit of talent and a whole lot of drive, her recipe was a success, selling out with three hours until close.

UPDATE, 9.50 am: Victoria COVID-19 cases

Victoria has recorded 8,149 cases and sadly, 18 deaths.

There are currently 397 people in hospital with the virus, 13 on ventilators and 68 people in ICU.

UPDATE, 8.35 am: Headlines to start your day

In some good Omicron news, all elective surgery across public and private hospitals will be able to resume by the end of the month as the impact of the Omicron wave continues to subside and stabilise.

Staff and students at Shepparton’s ACE Secondary College are fighting to keep their school a “safe and secure” place against a proposed neighbouring four-storey social housing development.

To pull you out of those midweek blues, Nicola Ceccato got down to business at the dog park. She met with a very clever and handsome man Banjo, and his best friends Brandy and Pixie. More will be revealed in tomorrow’s pet page.

Meanwhile, paid parking is looking to make a comeback soon. Greater Shepparton City councillor Anthony Brophy has revealed he wanted to extend free timed parking in the Shepparton CBD but his notice of motion was twice rejected on governance grounds.