9AM
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That's it for BathurstAM for another day. Keep cool and enjoy your weekend.
Why not take some time out to flick through all the great properties on the market by visiting the Western Advocate's Domain section.
Whether you are looking for a house change or just like to dream, there's plenty to choose from.
8.45AM
In the spirit of getting out early to avoid the predicted heat for this weekend, why not pop in to the Farmers' Markets at the Showground tomorrow. Opening at 8am, you can grab all your local produce before the sting of the sun begins.
Or, if you are looking for something a little different, why not get down on Sunday and check out the end of year auction. You never know what bargains you may find - just in time for Christmas!
8.30AM
It's set to sizzle in Bathurst over the next few days, and it is important to be prepared for the extreme heat.
The NSW Rural Fire Service has declared a Total Fire Ban for today.
The temperature is expected to be 33 with the chance of a thunderstorm this afternoon and winds whipping up to 24km/h.
And the mercury is set to rise for tomorrow, the bureau tipping a hot and sticky 35.
But the real danger for firefighters will be Sunday's offering.
An extruciating 38 is being predicted for Bathurst, with the chance of a thunderstorm - and lightening strikes.
So, our firies are urging us to be extremely careful. Grass fires can be caused by mowers, whipper snippers, tractors, cars pulling over to the side of the road or cigarette butts being thrown out of car windows. Don't take the risk.
And whatever you need to do this weekend - take the tip - do it early.
Remember to slip, slop, slap and wrap. Drink plenty of water and look after your pets.
8.15AM
' Tis the season to start putting up your Chrissie decorations.
By Putting Christmas in Your Street you can add to Bathurst's festive spirit, win some great prizes and help a really great cause.
All proceeds will be donated to the 2BS Bathurst Lions Club Christmas Miracle Appeal.
8AM
► KNOW YOUR TRIVIA: The Christmas Miracle Appeal Trivia Night, proudly sponsored by News on William, will take place tonight at Bathurst RSL from 7pm.
Tables of eight or 10 are available, with tickets available from the Bathurst RSL Club for $10 per person. Supper will also be provided by the club. There are great prizes up for grabs, so don't miss out on a great night!
All proceeds will be donated to the 2BS/Bathurst Lions Club Christmas Miracle Appeal. Call 2BS on 6331 7777.
► EXHIBITION OPENING: Bathurst Regional Art Gallery's Menagerie opens tonight at 6pm. It is a ground-breaking exhibition that exposes the richness and breadth of contemporary indigenous sculpture in Australia.
► FREEMASONS: Come to the Freemason Information Night tonight at the Masonic Centre, Illumba Way, Kelso from 8pm. Light refreshments provided.
Contact Nathan Kenny on 0400 938 107 for more information.
► SHORT PLAYS: Bathurst Memorial Entertainment Centre's Local Stages and BTC present Bathurst Shorts tonight at BMEC at 7:30pm.
The 10 short plays by local writers are performed and presented by the Central West Short Film Play Festival.
From wedding proposals to road kill, from historical murders to modern day technology obsession, this season definitely has something for everyone. To book tickets, go to www.bmec.com.au/whats-on-bmec.html or call 6333 6161.
► NEW WORKS: T'Arts Gallery is opening its new exhibition tonight from 6pm. It's a celebration of new works by member artists and guest artists from 2014. All welcome.
7.45AM
Don't forget, if you are looking for something to keep the kids occupied this week send them along to SummerSault on Sunday.
Bathurst Regional Youth Council invites the community to be part of a free music event "SummerSault" this Sunday, November 23 from 3-7pm at Machattie Park.
Showcasing local young music and creative talent live from the rotunda for all to enjoy the event will also include laser skirmish and a horizontal bungee, with food and drinks available to purchase.
The drug & alcohol free, supervised event is aimed at 14 – 24 year olds. For full details and line-up of performers go to council's website:http://www.bathurst.nsw.gov.au/council/youth-council.html
7.30AM
►In Orange Glenroi Heights Public School will be allocated an additional $129,000 next year as part of a needs-based funding increase for NSW public schools.
The school, along with several others across Orange, will benefit from the statewide $97 million Gonski funding announced on Thursday by NSW Premier Mike Baird and Education Minister Adrian Piccoli.
The funding will be part of $664 million to be delivered to schools in 2015 through the needs-based Resource Allocation Model (RAM), which allocates funding according to the background of students at each school.
► In Dubbo one-in-17 drivers tested for drugs in the Orana Local Area Command (LAC) this year registered a positive result, according to new figures released by NSW Police.
Motorists travelling on roads in the state's west were among more than 1100 detected under the influence of illicit drugs so far in 2014.
Since January 1, random drug-testing operations had seen 29,500 drivers tested and 1160 return positive results, compared with 729 drivers out of 34,280 tests carried out in 2013.
Drugs detected included cannabis, methylamphetamine (speed or ice) and ecstasy.
7.15AM
►TWO women in their late 30s escaped with minor injuries after a fiery car crash on the Mitchell Highway around 10 kilometres west of Bathurst yesterday afternoon.
Emergency services were called to the accident on the corner of Dunkeld Road at 2.51pm, with one car on fire off to the side of the road.
Bathurst Fire and Rescue NSW station officer Peter Willard said crews arrived to find a Suzuki four-wheel-drive fully engulfed by fire and sitting in long grass.
► A VITAL planning document which effectively acts as the blueprint to map out the future growth of Bathurst has finally been gazetted – and it’s all about opening up land for new homes.
The Bathurst Regional Local Environmental Plan 2014 (LEP) has been nearly a decade in the making, and was given the ticket of approval by the state planning department on Wednesday afternoon.
A key to the new LEP is zoning to allow for the expansion of residential areas across the region, with particular focus on a major tract of land east of Kelso in the vicinity of Limekilns Road, Marsden Lane and Laffing Waters Lane.
► THE Wallerawang power station is to be permanently closed and decommissioned, providing another blow to the Lithgow community.
EnergyAustralia made the formal announcement on Wallerawang today following months of anticipation.
It comes just weeks after Centennial Coal announced it would be mothballing its Angus Place Colliery, at the coast of around 160 jobs.
NSW general manager Luke Welfare said the cecommissioning of the Wallerawang site would start once detailed plans were approved by the NSW Government and was expected to take several years.
7AM
Good morning. Need a national news snapshot first thing - well, we have you covered.
► To check out the front pages of Fairfax publications for today, click here
►The NSW Rural Fire Service has declared a total fire ban today in the following areas: Greater Hunter, Greater Sydney Region, Central Ranges, North Western and Upper Central West Plains. This includes Newcastle, Cessnock, Blue Mountains, Penrith, Sydney, Bathurst, Moree and Bogan.
► Matthew James McAlister says he can’t recall brutally attacking a bus driver who was simply doing his job, but judging by the screams of the passengers on board it will live with them forever.
► Dozens of people gathered at Hargreaves Mall outside the office of Senator Bridget McKenzie to protest cuts to the ABC. Community and Public Sector Union deputy secretary Rupert Evans told the crowd they had a responsibility to stand up and defend cuts to the organisation.
► Intruders deliberately lit insulation batts on fire at a building site in the Nowra CBD on Thursday night.
►Where's the most expensive unleaded petrol in NSW? Tumut, the Daily Advertiser, says. Anomolies between standard grocery costs and disparate petrol prices across the state put forward by supermarket monopolies have left the Tumut community frustrated and wanting answers.
►A former St Patrick’s College teacher says she and her partner are living a nightmare eight months after they were accused of planning to blow up a Middle Eastern consulate where they worked.
► Two farmers are calling for community support to help build an on-farm butchery. Mount Beckworth Free Range farm owners Chris Peel and Diane Snell are hoping to raise more than $36,000 through a crowdfunding website to buy a mobile van and establish a store and cool-room on their property.
► Police respond to an average of 285 domestic violence incidents each month across the Central Hunter local area command. Officers at Maitland police station have crunched the numbers for the area, which includes Cessnock and Kurri Kurri, to highlight the need for action on White Ribbon Day.
►Eyre Peninsula barley growers are among those set to benefit from the newly announced free trade agreement between Australia and China.
► Two women in their late 30s escaped with minor injuries after a fiery car crash on the Mitchell Highway around 10 kilometres west of Bathurst on Thursday.
NATIONAL: Clive Palmer has walked out of an interview. Again. The Palmer United Party leader removed his microphone and terminated the interview with Emma Alberici on Thursday after the Lateline host's persistent questioning over his Chinese business deals.
KANGAROO ISLAND: Scientists said a rare pygmy right whale found stranded on a Kangaroo Island beach is likely to have been weaning. Locals made a number of attempts to guide the whale back out to sea, but it continued to return to shore.
KATHERINE: The issue of problem drinking in Katherine is never far from the public discourse and one community member is fed up with inaction. Toni Tapp-Coutts said it was time for the Katherine Town Council, the Northern Territory government and the community to be as proactive about alcohol management as they were about the cost of petrol.
BALLARAT: A new cheerleading team out-danced every club in its division to claim victory at a national championship at the weekend.
MARGARET RIVER: Superstar chef Heston Blumenthal had such a blast at Margaret River Gourmet Escape last year, he will be back for the three-day event which starts today.
BURNIE: Live on television, Somerset's Kim Eade chased her husband down the road barefoot with phone in hand. The panel of the nation's most popular breakfast show, Sunrise, cackled as Mrs Eade screamed for her husband frantically as he drove off.
MOUNT ISA: North-west Queensland residents are twice as likely to die from an avoidable death compared with the Queensland average.
WOLLONGONG: The annual Stockland KidzWish Christmas Party put smiles on the faces of 4300 special needs children and carers who packed WIN Entertainment Centre on Thursday.
LONDON: Australian bedrooms, backyards and even babies' cots are among the images on a Russian site showing live feeds from thousands of homes and businesses around the world.
US: Celebrated movie director Mike Nichols has died. He emerged in the late 1950s as half of a groundbreaking satirical comedy team and found his true calling in the next decade as director of the landmark films Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and The Graduate. He was 83.
BANGKOK: Screenings of the latest Hunger Games film have been cancelled in the Thai capital after opponents of the country's military rule adopted a three-finger salute from the movie as a sign of defiance.
BEIJING: Chinese authorities have detained respected Korean-American Christian aid worker Peter Hahn on suspicion of embezzlement, amid a wider crackdown on aid groups along the North Korean border.
INTERNATIONAL: Blistering heat across Australia but frigid conditions across much of the continental US – what's going on?
A Xavier High School student’s planned adventure could be a forerunner for a new schoolies program. Mason Collins, 18, is substituting the beach for the outback for his end-of-year celebrations after being inspired by a trip to Yuendumu through the school’s immersion program last year. Read more