8:12 AM AEDT | LOCAL students have been given a hands-on experience of what fighting fires is like. Over the past two terms, students from Bathurst High, Kelso High, Oberon High and La Salle Academy have been involved in a cadet program with the local fire brigade.

8:11 AM AEDT | THE timing of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s one-off local government funding program to stimulate growth couldn’t have come at a better time to help boost sporting facilities in Bathurst. With Bathurst Regional Council set to receive a $959,000 windfall for local and regional infrastructure, local community and sporting groups could end up big winners. In coming months, council will look at various projects where the money could be spent.

8:15 AM AEDT | A MISTAKE in the Regional Express (REX) customer service centre and a delay in the airline being informed of Codee Holmes’ disability have been cited as the reasons the young Bathurst girl was left grounded in Sydney after a recent hospital visit. The Advocate reported yesterday that Codee, 8, was told she would not be able to board a commercial flight back to Bathurst several days after she had been airlifted to Randwick Children’s Hospital for treatment on a dislocated hip.

8:21 AM AEDT | Trainer-driver Steve Turnbull will have two shots at $15,000 when he travels to Penrith for the Barrier One Media P.J. Hall Memorial tonight. Turnbull’s Lucky Example will come from barrier four while Dancing Goddess has a huge challenge coming from the outside of row two in the 2095 metre race. The Lagoon trainer said he was confident both starters would run the full distance, but admitted he would need a little bit of luck in order to finish at the front of the pack.

8:22 AM AEDT | Trainer-Driver Bernie Hewitt’s Shenanigan Shannon has strengthened as one of the favourites in tonight’s Barrier One Media P.J. Hall Memorial at Penrith. The Georges Plains trainer will start from barrier one in the $15,000 race with aspirations of bettering his third place at the same track on November 6.