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DUBBO | NARROMINE | WELLINGTON | NYNGAN | THE RIDGE | WESTERN MAGAZINE

8.53: Is it your birthday today? If so HAPPY BIRTHDAY! 

You share your birthday with Prime Minister Tony Abbott who turns 56, actor Matthew McConaughey who turns 44, reality star Bethenny Frankel, 43 and Aussie cook Curtis Stone turns 38.

Here's Kate Hudson's very accurate impression of her friend for your viewing!

8.41: Here's this week's traffic report:

GOLDEN HIGHWAY – Repaint bridge bearings and replace deck joints. Ballimore Creek 33.8 km east of Dubbo. One lane closed during working hours. Delays up to five minutes can be expected. Working days from Monday to Friday, 7am to 5pm. 

GOLDEN HIGHWAY – Drainage improvements. Beni Creek, 17.2 km north east of Dubbo. One lane may be closed during working hours. Delays up to 10 minutes can be expected. Working days from Monday to Friday, 7am to 5pm. 

GOLDEN HIGHWAY –  Shoulder grading. 23 km to 50 km west of Dunedoo. One lane may be closed during working hours. Delays up to 10 minutes can be expected. Working days, Monday to Friday 7am to 5pm. 

GOLDEN HIGHWAY Guardrail construction. Sandy Creek Bridge, 23 km west of Dunedoo. Lane closures: One lane may be closed during working hours. Delays up to 10 minutes can be expected. Working days, Monday to Friday 7am to 5pm.

PRIMARY LOCATION: KIDMAN WAY – Shoulder widening. 51 km to 60 km south of Cobar. Intermittent lane closures.  Delays up to five minutes can be expected. Working days, Monday to Saturday 7am to 6pm.

MITCHELL HIGHWAY –  North Enngonia roadway reshaping and widening. North Enngonia, 104 km to 110 km north of Bourke.  One lane during work hours. Delays up to 10 minutes can be expected. Working days, Monday to Friday 7am to 6pm and Saturday 7am to 1pm. 

MITCHELL HIGHWAY – Overtaking lane and intersection construction. 31 km to 33 km west of Wellington. Intermittent lane closures. Delays up to five minutes can be expected.  Working days, Monday to Friday 7am to 6pm, Saturday 7am to 1.30pm. 

MITCHELL HIGHWAY – Road surface reshape. 14 km to 17 km east of Nyngan. Intermittent Lane closures. Delays up to five minutes can be expected. Monday to Saturday 7am to 6pm. 

NANIMA ROAD - Temporary speed limit and bridge deck width restriction. Holman Bridge 1 km north of Gooloogong. Single lane operation with a width restriction of 4 m on truss span. Speed restrictions: 10 km/h speed limit on bridge until further notice. 

NANIMA ROAD – Roadwork on approach to new Holman Bridge. Holman Bridge 1 km north of Gooloogong. Two detour side tracks in operation during the work at various  Intermittent delays may be experienced. Working days Monday to Friday 7am to 6pm, Saturday 7am to 1.30pm.

NEWELL HIGHWAY – Building new intersection.  2.2 km to 1.2 km south of Parkes. One lane during work hours. Clarke Street closed at intersection with Newell Highway. Delays up to five minutes can be expected. Working days Monday to Friday 7am to 6pm, Saturday 8am to 5pm.

NEWELL HIGHWAY –  Building new overtaking lane.  60 km to 63 km north of West Wyalong.  Intermittent lane closures. Shoulder closed on northbound end.  Delays up to five minutes can be expected, traffic lights in place.Working days Monday to Friday 7am to 6pm and Saturday 8am to 1pm.

NEWELL HIGHWAY –  Build new overtaking lane. 14 km north of Parkes. Intermittent lane closures. Delays up to five minutes can be expected.  No overtaking permitted in work area. Southbound shoulders closed.  Working days Monday to Saturdays 7am to 6pm.

OXLEY HIGHWAY –  Road surface repairs. 3 km to 8 km east of Warren towards Gilgandra. Intermittent Lane closures. Delays up to 10 minutes can be expected due to traffic lights. Working days Monday to Friday 7am to 6pm, Saturday 7am to 1pm.

Please obey all signs and proceed with care.

8.23: Taking a look at this week's agricultural news: 

GRAIN STORAGE: Grain growers in southern areas of the state are being urged to invest in new on-farm storage ahead of this years harvest. Grain storage cannot be easily changed or sold, and growers are encouraged to make well-informed financial decisions. Grain storage consultant Chris Warrick said unlike a machinery purchase, grain storage is a long-term investment. READ MORE HERE

FIONA SIMSON ON NRMA BOARD: NSW president and Bundella farmer, Fiona Simson has been appointed a casual vacancy position on the NRMA board, which will commence early next year. Ms Simson will take up the casual vacancy role to replace outgoing director Graham Blight, who will reach his 12 year board limit next year. She will represent the NRMA board region of Townsend, which covers regional NSW west of the Great Dividing Range. READ MORE HERE

SHEEP SCHOLARSHIP AVAILABLE: Young people in agriculture passionate about the sheep and wool industry are being encouraged to apply for the 2015 Peter Westblade scholarship. Open to people between 18-30, the scholarship honours the late Peter Westblade of Lockhart, a sheep producer who was supportive of young people in agriculture and passionate about breeding profitable sheep. READ MORE HERE

8.17: Taking a look at the region's front pages, to see all the Fairfax front pages click here.

8.09: Facebook and Twitter blew up when Daniel Radcliffe demonstrated his secret rapping talents! Check out the Harry Potter's stars abilities in the video below. We swear he had to use magic!

7.59: As I was scrolling through my newsfeed last night I found this great list of "forgotten laws" in Australia from BUZZFEED

7.53: Taking a look at some of today's Melbourne Cup events:

DUBBO: Dubbo will pause today for the race that stops the stops the nation.

About 1600 people are expected to gather for the Melbourne Cup festivities Dubbo Turf Club president Michael Edwards said.

Revellers will gather under marquees for refreshments and betting from metropolitan bookmakers Mr Edwards said. READ WHAT ELSE IS AT DUBBO TURF CLUB HERE

NARROMINE: has a host of events today:

THE ROYAL will host a luncheon from midday, it also the only pub in town with a TAB.

THE IMPERIAL TRANGIE: are hosting a smorgasbord for just $20 from midday.

THE RABBIT TRAP AT ALBERT: are encouraging everyone to dress up in their best "Vinnies Vogue" to celebrate the race that stops the nation. 

TRANGIE USMC: Are hosting a chicken and prawns luncheon in conjunction with the coffee shop today. 

To get you in the mood for the races why don't you check out Saturday's Darby Day Snaps?

We have some fun punting facts for your Melbourne Cup Day: 

Although Derby Day tops local race meets with a half a million dollar expenditure the Melbourne Cup should still bring decent revenue into local pubs and clubs.

The average Australian has been found to bet an approximately $29 at odds 24 to one to picking a winner.

More than three million people watched the Cup broadcast last year.

 We want to know what you think, let us know by commenting below: 

7.44: While you're sitting down to breakfast, why not check out this SNAPPED gallery? It's a nice side for your tea and toast...

7.36: Here's all  your national and international news, this Tuesday!

FINANCIAL NEWS: Mirvac has expanded its industrial property portfolio with the purchase of five assets from the Altis Real Estate Equity Partnership Fund No. 1 for a total of $224.1 million. READ MORE HERE

NATURAL GAS:  Liquefied Natural Gas Ltd has doubled the planned size of its LNG export venture planned for Canada’s Nova Scotia coast, citing feedback from potential gas suppliers and LNG buyers, and discussions with regulators and political leaders. READ MORE HERE

NATIONAL POLITICS: Support for Julie Bishop as preferred Liberal leader has nearly doubled in five months, while Treasurer Joe Hockey's leadership ambitions have taken another blow. READ MORE HERE

MIGRATION LAWS:  Australians would find it easier and cheaper to live and work in Britain under proposals in a new report backed by London mayor Boris Johnson. READ MORE HERE

ISLAMIC STATE: Islamic State militants have carried out their third massacre of Iraqi Sunni tribesmen, women and children in four days, shooting dead 50 people from the al-Bunimr tribe as punishment for resisting their Islamist insurgency. READ MORE HERE

CLIMATE CHANGE: After this weekend's climate conference in Copenhagen, Fairfax Media sat down with three of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's leading experts – two of them Australian – to ask them about the latest science, and the options and challenges facing the world. READ MORE HERE

7.30: Checking out today's regional news:

ORANGE: Less than four months out of jail for drug-related offences, Jay Daniel Phillip Egan was allegedly caught with $11,000 worth of methamphetamine and $4,200 in cash at the north Orange shopping centre car park on Friday night.  Egan was refused bail in Orange Local Court on Monday after he was charged with six offences including resisting arrest, hindering police and supplying a prohibited drug.  READ MORE HERE

SOUTH AUSTRALIA: Tributes flowed for farmer Andrew Harrison, the man who died from the extensive burns he suffered while fighting a bushfire in the state's Mid North. READ MORE HERE

WOLLONGONG: Drug offences in parts of the Illawarra are on the rise, but the so-called ice "epidemic" may not be as potent as widely feared. READ MORE HERE

ORANGE: IT is unclear when Duntryleague Golf Club management will begin repayments on a $110,000 loan from Orange City Council. The council originally loaned the money to the club in November 2011 to cover fire upgrades to the guesthouse.  Last year, club management applied to convert the interest-free loan into a grant, however public pressure led to a decision to retain the loan. READ MORE HERE

WAGGA: Narrandera has emerged as New South Wales's second-biggest hotspot for drugs, outperformed only by Byron Bay as the most notorious local government area for drug offences, crime data has shown. READ MORE HERE

ORANGE: Delegates from the Orange Country Labor branch mingled with opposition leaders John Robertson and Bill Shorten over the weekend but there is still no Orange candidate for the Labor party ahead of the state election in March. Member for Orange Andrew Gee announced in July he would re-contest the seat of Orange for the Nationals, but three months on he is still without a competitor. READ MORE HERE

BORDER: A grandmother stepped in to support a gay man being abused and harassed by two “religious zealots” in his own shop. READ MORE HERE

BUNBURY: Three six-foot assailants brutally bashed a Carey Park man in the doorway of his own workplace before stomping on his head and fleeing the scene, according to police. READ MORE HERE

7.11: Let's take a look at our local news this Melbourne Cup Day!

WELLINGTON: Figures obtained by Fairfax Media indicate Wellington Correctional Centre has risen to a new level and is now just behind the super max at Goulburn in maximum security numbers. Wellington has 406 maximum prisoners, just 42 less than Goulburn. The figures also show Wellington has the biggest population of maximum security indigenous prisoners in the state. READ MORE HERE

DUBBO: A man facing methamphetamine charges fears being sent to Bathurst Correctional Centre, Dubbo Local Court has been told. Mark Douglas Ellerman, 47, did not enter pleas when he was brought before Magistrate Andrew Eckhold on one charge of drug possession and two counts of supplying more than an indictable quantity of a prohibited drug. READ MORE HERE

DUBBO: After completing her final exam yesterday morning, Maddison Wallace had one final message for the Higher School Certificate (HSC)- "HSC you later." The visual arts exam was the last hurdle for Maddison, as well as Hannah Wright, Paris Burns and Candace Brien. The four girls said they were confident about the visual arts exams, labelling it as one of the easiest they had done. READ MORE HERE

TOORAWEENAH: The town of Tooraweenah has effectively been operating on a credit system for the past week after losing access to phone lines and EFTPOS facilities. Last Monday phone lines dropped and have intermittently worked since, with residents noticing they were more likely to return when the temperature cooled down. The town, which is 100 kilometres north of Dubbo and has an approximate population of 100, has no bank and relies upon the EFTPOS facilities at the handful of businesses to access money. READ MORE HERE

DUBBO: The financial "goalposts" for Dubbo City Council have changed and it has a task in front of it for the future. It did not meet the benchmark for one newly-introduced performance measure, its 2014 independent audit revealed. But Luka Group partner Jeff Shanks said results in other areas of the council were "strong" and Dubbo was at or near the top of comparisons with similar councils. READ MORE HERE

CENTRAL WEST NSW: Community representatives have met with members of the Central West Local Land Services (LLS) Board to give their thoughts on the organisation's performance so far. The LLS is now 10 months into operation and the meeting allowed the group to let the board know what was working, what wasn't and where future opportunities may lie. The board has initiated monthly meetings to have honest conversations with the community on Local Land Services' performance, according to Central West Local Land Services Board member Susan Madden. READ MORE HERE

WELLINGTON: The best in Western NSW, Wellington High School's year 11 hospitality students, took on MacKillop Catholic College, Kinross Wolaroi School and James Sheahan Catholic High School among many others to win the Western NSW Culinary Challenge. It is the third year the school has participated in the competition, placing every time and teacher Alicia Stevenson was ecstatic, saying that after their hours of hard work it was no fluke. READ MORE HERE

DUBBO: A Dubbo City Council delegation are in Japan this week as part of the 25th anniversary celebrations of Dubbo's Sister City relationship with Minokamo in Japan. The official delegation left Dubbo last week. READ MORE HERE

WELLINGTON: The communications manager for State Water, Tony Webber, says Lake Burrendong, despite its 23 per cent capacity, is ok. "The main reason for declining storage is lack of rainfall/inflows into the dam due to dry conditions,'' he said. READ MORE HERE

DUBBO: A Dubbo teen struck by a train is surprised that he's been called inspirational but his loving family believes it's deserved. Brody Burgess suffered severe injuries during the accident 12 weeks ago that led to the amputation of his right leg above the knee. READ MORE HERE

7am: Good morning everyone, welcome to your Tuesday Morning Grill. 

Happy Melbourne Cup Day! 

you're Grilling with Grace from Narromine this morning, if you'd like to send anything into this morning's Grill please email me grace.ryan@fairfaxmedia.com.au

DUBBO / TRANGIE / NYNGAN: will be mostly sunny with Trangie and Dubbo reaching 32 and Nyngan getting to 33. Winds will be above 18km/h in the afternoon.

COBAR / BOURKE: will be sunny. Cobar will get to 33 and Bourke will get to 35.