Friends are rallying around a Alstonville High School teacher suffering from cancer, and are appealing to the public for financial help.

Byron Shire Council’s decision not to renew the contract to locals for the Mullumbimby and Byron pools was decided in a confidential session – like far too many of this month’s Council deliberations – leaving the public with little information why the decision was made to hand over the local aquatic facilities to Belgravia Leisure ‘one of Australia’s largest providers of sports and leisure’ according to their website.

Two men faced court on last Thursday following an alleged pursuit near Byron Bay on Wednesday morning.

With the Fair Work Commission’s decision to increase the national minimum wage by 4.75%, Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) is calling for further action to support people doing it tough, as well as the frontline community services helping them. “People are under severe pressure from interest rate rises, rent increases, higher fuel costs, and growing economic uncertainty due to the conflict in the Middle East,” said ACOSS Acting CEO Edwina MacDonald.

Last week an old friend of mine died. His name was Gary Cook. We met here in Byron Bay, when I was 23. He would have been in his early 30s. He was handsome. And funny. And weird. And self-involved. He used to come to Ringos, where I worked as a waitress. He’d sing to himself, bludge cigarettes, and shine up the serviette holder. He loved looking at himself. He’d laugh and say, ‘God, I’m a handsome man,’ and then he’d laugh this really infectious laugh