WELL folks, that is it for BathurstAM for Monday, October 20. Enjoy the rest of your working week and remember it is only 66 days until Christmas! (If you want to grab the bull by the horns and be prepared this year, why not check out the Christmas Countdown website. 

Speaking of snow ... the damages bill from last week's freakish snowstorm over the Lithgow district is certain to run into hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The 'once in a half century' blizzard was triggered by the fringe effects of a dramatic east coast low that was bringing cyclonic conditions to Sydney and the South Coast on Tuesday night.

It took Lithgow and the Upper Mountains by surprise and triggered a huge late night response by all emergency services.

It was the heaviest fall of snow in the Lithgow valley since September 1970 and blackouts, closed roads and suspended rail services paralysed the city for a time.

Check out the spectacular photos here.

8.45AM

From wedding proposals to road kill, from historical murders to modern day technology obsession.

That's what's in store for you this season at the "Bathurst Shorts" screenings.

Over the past 18 months the Central West Short Play Festival has expanded to Dubbo and Mudgee and now has partners in the Forbes, Parkes and Lachlan regions.

Next month the festival will present "Bathurst Shorts" 10 new short plays written, directed and performed by local theatre makers at the Bathurst Memorial and Entertainment Centre.

Screening on November 20 and 21, tickets are on sale now by calling BMEC on 6333 6161.

8.30AM

If the queue to get in was any indication, yesterday's Bathurst Paceway's grand opening must be declared a success!

A huge crowd, new faces, fast times and happy trainers set the scene for a perfect day.

Bathurst Harness Racing Club chief executive officer Danny Dwyer said the $7.5 million track was a long time in the making and it was exciting to finally have it open.

"I was hoping for a couple of thousand people and I think we've achieved that," he said.

Check out the racing action:

Yesterday's grand opening meeting of the Bathurst Paceway could easily have been renamed the 'Lauren Panella show' as she guided Fearless Leader to a win in the day's feature $20,000 Kriden Park Pace (2,260 metres). It was her third win for the meet.

And there's good times at the great new track as trainers such as Newcastle's Shane Tritton declared they will be making frequent trips to the new Bathurst Paceway.

8.15AM

Check out what is happening in our community:

CWA AGM: The CWA Evening branch will hold its AGM at the Bathurst RSL tonight, from 6pm. Cooking competition judging will be held prior to the meeting, with pear and ginger cake and sultana cake to be judged.

WOMEN'S HEALTH: Midlife Metamorphosis (Menopause, Mood and More) is a three-week psycho-educational group for women aged 40+, facilitated by a range of presenters, including GP Dr Tamara Ford, a naturopath, continence therapist and counsellor.

Sessions will be held on Wednesdays, November 26, December 3 and 10 from 5.15pm-7.15pm at Central West Women's Health Centre, 20 William Street, $40 for three sessions. Light supper included. To register: 6331 4133 or email Heather at:information@cwwhc.org.au

BUSINESS WORKSHOPS: Places are filling fast for Bathurst Regional Council's Business Management Workshops.All workshops will be held at the Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre. To RSVP, contact Tracey Trudgett-Gale on 1800 44 88 96 or email tracey.trudgett-gale@bathurst.nsw.gov.au.

Workshop one: Developing your market intelligence. Tuesday, November 4, 9am-11am,

Workshop two: Business networking success. Tuesday, November 11, 9am-11am,

Workshop three: Managing your online brand, Tuesday, November 18, 9am-11am,

8.00AM

Young Liam Smith has recently been honoured by his Scout Group for receiving his Explorer Cord.

The 3rd Bathurst (All Saints' Cathedral) Scout Group was thrilled by Liam's efforts.

The scout award scheme is set to provide character development and leadership, while at the same time providing an opportunity for fun activities such as hiking, abseiling and camping. 

A Scout works to gain a number of proficiency badges (which involve the Scout gaining skills in a specified area ranging from Information Technology to Navigation, caving and rock climbing to arts and communication) and target badges/cords.

The Explorer (Blue) provides showing skills and leadership.

Liam, who is a Patrol Leader, also received his Link Badge and progressed to the next section of scout movement called Venturer Scouts.

It has been some time since a scout in the Group has received such a high award.

Congratulations, Liam.

7.45AM

Police are appealing for witnesses to come forward following yesterday's crash on the Mitchell Highway. (Full story see today's Western Advocate)

A Toyota Corolla and Kia Cerato collided at the intersection of the Mitchell Highway and Dunkeld Road at Dunkeld.

The driver of the Toyota – a 66-year-old Camden South man ­– was taken to Orange Hospital with chest and hand injuries. The driver and sole occupant of the Kia – a 29-year-old Llanarth woman - was also taken to Orange Hospital with fractured ribs and bruising.

Two men – aged 81 and 66 – who were both passengers in the Toyota, were airlifted to hospital with serious injuries.

Police from the Metropolitan Crash Investigation Unit attended and have begun inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the crash. They are appealing for anyone who witnessed the incident, or the events leading up to it, to contact police.

7.41AM

FREE-TO-AIR channels SBS and Southern Cross Ten will be changing frequencies in Bathurst this Wednesday, October 22.

This retune only affects viewers receiving their television signal from the Bathurst EastTower.

Many viewers in the Central West and Central Tablelands have already retuned on September 3.

These moves are part of a national retune program that will free-up broadcasting spectrum for new services such as mobile broadband.

After channels have changed, viewers will need to retune their digital television, set-topbox or digital television recorder to find the channels that have moved.

Retuning should not be done until after 3.30pm on the retune day as channels won't move until then.

7.30AM

AND a snapshot of what's making news around the Central West:

Gulgong residents are rallying the Mid-Western Region community behind a plan to save two Mayne Street buildings which earned the town its reputation as “The Town On The Ten Dollar Note”.

A steering committee has been formed to acquire and restore “The Greatest Wonder Of the World” and “The American Tobacco Warehouse Company & Fancy Goods Emporium” buildings and establish the Gulgong Holtermann Museum.

IT was action galore at the East to West Coast Rodeo Championships in Orange on Saturday night as a record 4300 people walked through the gates, nearly 1000 more than last year.

Rodeo co-ordinator Al Wilson said while good weather played a part in the rodeo’s popularity this year “crowds love nothing better than seeing a cowboy ride a good bull”.

“Australia-wide, people have always loved a rodeo, it’s our heritage, nearly every town has a rodeo,” he said.

Mr Wilson said John Couling rode brilliantly on the night, scoring 87 points to be named the East to West Coast Rodeo champion.

A MEETING of the Orana Law Society (OLS) tomorrow night will discuss referring Dubbo Mayor Mathew Dickerson to the Attorney General to be prosecuted for contempt.

It follows what the OLS has described as “unprecedented attacks” by the mayor on Dubbo magistrate Andrew Eckhold.

Earlier, Cr Dickerson called for “cold, hard data” on the sentencing regime in Dubbo and greater accountability from magistrates in response to a growing belief sentencing of the city’s criminals was too lenient.

7.15AM

Here is a quick look at what is making headlines in Bathurst today.

A 29-year-old woman was airlifted to Sydney with critical injuries yesterday afternoon following a dramatic accident west of Bathurst.

The two-car accident occurred just before 8.30am on the Mitchell Highway at its intersection with Dunkeld Road, around 11 kilometres west of Bathurst.

Meranwhile, it has been revealed that the Anglican Development Fund (Bathurst Diocese) owes approximately $39.3 million to its creditors. 

Joint and several receivers and managers of the Anglican Development Fund (Bathurst Diocese), McGrathNicol partners Joseph Hayes and Barry Kogan, have taken some of the assets of the Anglican Development Fund and made initial payments to creditors. 

A spokesperson for McGrathNicol said that as a result of further recoveries, notice of intention to declare a second distribution was advertised on October 8. He said the Anglican Development Fund acted primarily as a financial intermediary.

Money raised by the ADF was on-lent to schools, other educational institutions and parishes within the Bathurst Diocese.

ROCKY may be the apple of his owners’ eye, but until this weekend, they feared they were a little biased.

But their fears were put aside, when the one-year-old Kelpie cross Cattle Dog was officially named NSW’s cutest dog, after winning PETstock’s state wide competition.

His owners Nathan Wright and Kirstie Tyerman said they were blown away when Rocky was selected by judges as the cutest dog in the state.

And in national news today it has taken more than a decade but NSW has re-emerged as Australia's strongest state economy.

NSW leads the nation's economic pack having edged out the minerals-rich Western Australia, which has held the number one spot for the past three years, a quarterly review of the states by Australia's biggest bank has found.

The key factor in NSW's economic resurgence has been the strength of the housing sector. New dwelling commencements in NSW were more than 36 per cent above the decade average, said the "State of the States" report by the Commonwealth Bank's stockbroking arm, Commsec.

A man has been charged with assault following a fight outside a Double Bay hotel that allegedly left another man in hospital with a broken nose.

The 29-year-old man has been charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm following the incident outside the Golden Sheaf Hotel on New South Head Road just before 1.30am on Sunday.

Police said a 35-year-old man was taken to St Vincent's Hospital with a broken nose and other facial injuries following the assault.

It is understood the Sydney Roosters have spoken to Roosters player and New Zealand international Frank-Paul Nu'uausala, who was believed to be a member of a group at the scene when the incident occurred. He was not believed to be involved in the assault, and he is not the 29-year-old man who has been charged by police.

7AM

Good morning and welcome to today's edition of BathurstAM, you're with Michelle Allen from the Western Advocate newspaper.

Following a glorious weekend the hot weather will continue for the first day of the working week, with today's forecast for a mostly sunny day with a top temperature of 26 degrees and a minimum of seven.

If you have any news tips send them through to me at michelle.allen@fairfaxmedia.com.au