This week we sadly publish the last of Mungo MacCallum’s puzzles. Before he died in 2020 Mungo compiled a large archive of crosswords for The Echo.

This year’s Mullum Laneways Festival, to be held on May 4 and 5, promises to be a feast for the senses, set to captivate visitors of all ages. On Sunday, May 5 everyone is encouraged to immerse themselves in the heart of the Festival, as Burringbar Street is transformed into a vibrant tapestry of music, dance, art, and more.This is a free event, funded by local sponsorship and a gala fundraising event on Saturday, May 4.

‘No-one ever came back but all reports indicate it’s lovely,’ and so begins this wickedly funny play about death and motherhood. Directed by the Drill’s accomplished artistic director, Liz Chance, Ghosting the Party tells the story of three generations of women who face questions of mortality and life with rigour, honesty and humour.

Lismore and Ballina child protection caseworkers stopped work to protest outside the defunct Community Services Centre in Lismore yesterday after two years of working without an office. They have been joined by Ballina child protection caseworkers who had their office shut in January.

Anzac Day memorials and events are being held around the country and many people have decided to couple this with a long weekend. 

There is something strange going on with youth crime in rural and regional Australia. Normally, I treat hysterical rising delinquency claims with a pinch of salt – explicable by an increase in police numbers, or a headline-chasing tabloid, or a right-wing politician.