9am: Well that's it from me this morning, hope you all have a fantastic Friday.
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Check your local sites and Facebook pages for any breaking news today and before I go I'll just leave you with a scene from the greatest Christmas movie of all time, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. It wouldn't be Christmas time without a bit of Clark Griswald. Have a wonderful weekend everyone and I know it's still a few days away but hope you all have a very Merry Christmas. Drum roll please...
8.50am: Have you been part of the Secret Santa gift giving in your office or home this year? It can get a bit difficult when trying to buy something special for under $10.
If you're feeling a bit disappointed about the pair of socks or cheap and flimsy Christmas toy you were given, just spare a thought for Ngoc Luan Ho Trieu.
Mr Ngoc, a former Canberra public servant, has told how his career was ruined by a heartless "Secret Santa" prankster.
8.40am: Are you celebrating a birthday today? Congrats to you if you are and enjoy the festive week. If you are born on December 19 then you're sharing a birthday with Hollywood star Jake Gyllenhall (33), Top Gear shorty Richard Hammond (44) and international soccer stars Alexis Sanchez (25) and Karim Benzema (26).
Also if you're by any chance 20 years old today then you were born in the year Ace of Base dominated the charts. Get up and move to bit of All That She Wants to start your Friday morning.
8.35am: Did you participate in yesterday’s Brennan’s Mitre 10’s 12 Days of Christmas? Did you get the answer correct? We were the Andonbel Alpaca Farm and Cafe!
Come back tomorrow for another chance to enter the 12 Days of Christmas!
VISIT THIS LINK: http://shop.mitre10.com.au/ to see what you could get if you win the voucher and check out the post at 7.40am this morning to answer today's question.
8.30am: Before you head off to work this morning have a look at these great galleries we've got happening at the moment.
DUBBO: Yesterday was Throwback Thursday and we went back to December 1992. Check out all the awesome pics here and see if you can see yourself or someone you know.
NARROMINE: The residents of Timbrebongie House celebrated their Christmas party on Wednesday and Narromine's number one journalist Grace Ryan was all over it, putting together this fun gallery.
WELLINGTON: The people of Wellington gathered together recently to celebrate a Community Christmas Party. Check out all the fun and smiles from the day.
8.15am: Time for a look at the sporting headlines from around our local area and from around the country.
RUGBY LEAGUE: It took some negotiations but Dubbo CYMS' pre-season gala day against Kurri Kurri will go ahead next March after the Fishies and Dubbo City Council came to an agreement to play the matches at Barden Park.
CRICKET: While some people may take the role of captain on a cricket field for granted, CYMS Cougars' Stuart Naden admits it will be an honour to lead his side out in tonight's McDonald's Megahit match against Christie's Crackerjacks at No. 3 Oval.
BOXING: Wellington-based boxer Joel Galea has lofty ambitions for 16-year-old fighter Oscar Beasley as the talented rookie prepares to take part in tonight's Christmas Fight Night at the Garden Hotel.
CRICKET: New Australian captain Steve Smith is manning the barricades at the Gabba with the second test against India evenly poised heading into day three today.
8.05am: Google recently released it's most searched topics for 2014 with Robin Williams on top of the list after his tragic death while the FIFA World Cup and Ebola also featured heavily. Check out more here or by watching this video.
7.55am: Here's the main for today and it's not good news for a local business after an armed robbery last night.
Police are investigating the armed robbery of a fast-food restaurant in Dubbo on Thursday night.
About 8:30pm, a woman was working in a back room of the restaurant on Victoria Street when she was confronted by a man armed with a knife.
Police have been told the man threatened the woman forcing her and other staff members to open the registers.
He stole cash from the registers before running out of the restaurant in an easterly direction towards the LH Ford Bridge.
Police were called to the restaurant and conducted a search of the area but were unable to locate the man.
No one was injured during the robbery.
Investigators are looking for a man described as Caucasian appearance, 170cm tall, with a thin build and brown eyes.
He was wearing a black hooded jumper, a blue and white bandana with green pin stripes across his face, black pants and white shoes.
Anyone who witnessed the robbery or has information about the identity and whereabouts of the man is asked to contact Dubbo Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page.
7.50am: Before we take a look at today's main story, here's what's making news around the country this Friday morning.
SYDNEY SIEGE: Among the thousands of tributes made by members of the public to the victims of the Sydney siege, there was a very personal one.
SYDNEY SIEGE: The bodies of the Martin Place siege victims will be laid to rest before Christmas.
Cafe manager Tori Johnson, 34, and barrister Katrina Dawson, 38, were killed at the end of a 16-hour siege staged by gunman Man Haron Monis, who also died.
BUSINESS: Woolworths buyers have told suppliers their products could be pulled from shelves just days before Christmas if they refuse to fund the supermarket giant's new Cheap Cheap advertising campaign.
REAL ESTATE: After 2½ years of rising prices, the housing market appears to be running out of steam.
7.40am: We are up to day 10 of our massive 12 Days of Christmas Competition today Grillers. You could have a massive $200 voucher to Brennan’s Mitre 10 if you’re the lucky winner!
We want to go on a destination hunt with you!
We’ve picked a destination around the region and all you have to do is guess where we are by our clues!
Fill out the form below and at the end of the 12 days we randomly select a winner.
We’ll tell you the correct answer the next day. The more times you enter the more chance you have to win!
Wellington
- “I am the house of local art.”
- “My name sake doesn’t need much water.”
- “Monday is my rest day.”
VISIT THIS LINK: http://shop.mitre10.com.au/ to see what you could get if you win the voucher
7.25am: Time for a look around the wider region and leading the headlines today is the news a review has been asked for after a number of breakouts at the Oberon Correctional Centre recently.
OBERON: The NSW Corrective Services Department has ordered a review at Oberon Correctional Centre after three inmates have escaped in the past 10 days.
ORANGE: While Health Minister Jillian Skinner promotes a recruitment drive for Western NSW Local Health District, Orange hospital warehouse employees are facing redundancy.
HSC: With the year coming to a close and Christmas just around the corner, receiving ATARs yesterday that surpassed expectations were the perfect gifts for the top achievers at Orange’s high schools while Bathurst student Isabella Barrett is still pinching herself at securing such an impressive result in this year’s Higher School Certificate.
PARKES: A local music industry ‘legend’ is leaving Parkes after almost 20 years with veteran 2PK announcer Trevor Young stepping down.
7.15am: Here's a look at what's making news this morning and schools around Dubbo and the local area have achieved some amazing HSC results this year.
DUBBO HSC: St John's students Yashodha Ediriweera, Bella Gooch and Luke Millstead had three different approaches to checking their ATAR score yesterday morning but the end result was the same for all, a score of more than 99.
DUBBO HSC: Dubbo College students Adrian McCabe and Jess Parmeter said their hard work inducted them into an elite club- they both achieved an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) of 90 or over in their Higher School Certificate (HSC).
DUBBO HSC: Jennifer Jones was devastated when doctors said her son Cody's disability would mean he would never get an education. She was overjoyed to learn that same child achieved an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) of 75, consisting of a band 6 in Community and Family Studies (CAFS).
NARROMINE: Narromine Shire Council is one of 23 councils across the state applying for a rate increase on top of the 2015-16 rate peg.
WELLINGTON: While no band 6s were achieved at Wellington High School this year a lot of students were just a mark off with many high band 5s and principal Don Harvey said their results were solid across the board.
7am: Good morning everyone and welcome to Friday! The only thing better than it being so close to the weekend is that it's so close to the weekend before Christmas. What a great time of year!? You're grilling with Nick in Dubbo this morning and I'll be here until 9am to give you everything you need to know today.
We're also up to day ten of our Brennan's Mitre 10's 12 days of Christmas. Not many chances left to enter our competition to win a $200 voucher to Brennan's Mitre 10! Keep an eye out for the clues later this morning.
We'll start with the weather and it's warm again today.
DUBBO/ NYNGAN: Currently just over 16 degrees and today is set to be sunny with winds picking up this evening. Daytime maximum temperatures 27 to 32.
COBAR/ BOURKE: Fairly similar as we move further west with it expected to be sunny and temperatures are will hit the low to mid 30s later in the day.
