Here some of the stories that have proved popular today.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Greg Schofield takes out top honours in the Battle of the Bangers. More here.
Check out our huge gallery of pictures from the Deniliquin Ute Muster. More here.
A dog left in a hot car can die in six minutes. More here.
9.00AM
That's a wrap! Thanks for joining us on your Wednesday morning. We'll be back first thing tomorrow with all the latest local, national and international news.
8.58AM
8.56AM
8.53AM
INTERNATIONAL: While Hollywood studio cutbacks have affected the salaries of middle-ranking actors, the likes of Robert Downey Jnr, Dwayne Johnson and Leonardo DiCaprio are doing just fine. Read more here.
8.50AM
NATIONAL: TWO men broke into a Ballarat East house at gunpoint and demanded money from a teenage couple, police said on Tuesday. Read more here.
8.47AM
8.44AM
NATIONAL: MEET the young men who came to the aid of two Muslim women as they were being attacked in a bigoted tirade in Newcastle. Read more here.
8.41AM
NATIONAL: Deniliquin Ute Muster 2014: Monster gallery. Check out the pics here.
8.38AM
INTERNATIONAL: It seems Gwyneth Paltrow has been busy furthering her understanding of alternative lifestyles since her split from Chris Martin earlier in the year.
In her latest blog post on Goop, Paltrow decided to explore the world of mystics, and asked an American psychic to explain her practice. Read more here.
8.35AM
NATIONAL: Bob Carr may have famously whinged about the lack of pyjamas on one of his many long-haul overseas flights as Foreign Minister but it's not something his successor Julie Bishop will have to worry about, after being presented with a personalised set of Qantas pyjamas. Read more here.
8.32AM
8.29AM
INTERNATIONAL: Same-sex marriage has become legal in another five states in the United States after the Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal that would have overturned earlier court rulings in favour of gay marriage. Read more here.
8.26AM
NATIONAL: WHEN you look at the main contenders for this year’s Bathurst 1000, amongst the big name, big budget outfits is also a family owned one-car team. Read more here.
8.23AM
8.20AM
NATIONAL: Fairfax Media has confirmed its chairman, Roger Corbett, will not ask to be re-elected again in three years' time, when he will be 75, and will step down at the "appropriate time" during his term. Read more here.
8.17AM
POLL: What would you do if you found a child or an animal alone in a hot car? Vote here.
8.14AM
8.11AM
LOCAL: TONIGHT will be the final chance for councillors to decide on the fate of Moss Vale Station Master's Cottage. Read more here.
8.08AM
LOCAL: Yesterday we asked you if English should be a mandatory subject for the HSC and 88 per cent of you said it should.
8.05AM
THE MERCURY has risen early this year and residents are reminded to ensure animals always have water and protection from the elements. Read more here.
8.02AM
TRAVEL: TRAVEL writing colleagues have told us of some pretty bizarre things they've got up to in that search for the Holy Grail of travel stories. We sometimes look back in wonderment at the more stupid we've done too - from bungy jumping at 66 years of age and with a dodgy ticker, to shuffling with crook knees and hips with a couple of unleashed lions on a bush track in Zimbabwe at even greater dotage. Read more here.
7.56AM THE Peace Memorial Hall at Glenquarry has been the venue for meetings and social gatherings for more than 75 years. More here.
7.54AM TONIGHT will be the final chance for councillors to decide on the fate of Moss Vale Station Master's Cottage.
The matter will go before council again after more than a year of deliberation between council, the Heritage Council and the property owner. More here.
7.53AM
7.52AM It is back to cooler weather today with an expected top temperature of 15. The forecast is for a partly cloudy day wit a high (70%) chance of showers in the morning and early afternoon and early fog patches on the Highlands. Winds SE/SW 15 to 20 km/h tending SE in the morning then becoming light in the middle of the day.
7.45AM Here's what's headlining with Fairfax newspapers across Australia.
7.42AM SEVERAL Highlands athletes received funding recently under the Local Sporting Champions program. More here.
7.38AM
7.36AM
7.34AM
7.32AM PLANT a tree and help the environment this weekend.
National Tree Day is this Saturday, October 11 and council will give residents the opportunity to do their bit for the environment at its National Tree Day community planting. More here.
7.27AM AN entertaining performance this weekend will move the Colo Vale Community Association one step closer to building a war memorial for the town. More here.
7.24AM Here's what's on this week's council agenda for the Ordinary General Meeting.
7.20AM AFTER 31 years, Robbie Payne finally hung up the footy boots.
Payne, who started his career with the Leumeah Wolves, played the last two seasons with Mittagong Lions. More here.
7.16AM WORLD Sight Day is tomorrow and Eyecare Plus Moss Vale optometrists Rebecca Li and Lara Foster are taking part in the World Sight Day Challenge this month to help give the gift of vision to people in areas of need. More here.
7.12AM BOWRAL residents are in an uproar about a proposed nine unit multi-dwelling development on their street. More here.
7.09AM
Geoff Goodfellow takes a closer look at Highlands gardening in this week's Across the River. More here.
7.08AM THE hunt for the best banger is over after five locals put their sausages to the test. More here.
TRAFFIC: All Southern Highlands roads are open and clear.
TRAINS: There is a good service on the Southern Highlands line today.
Here's a look at what the local weather is doing right now.
7.00AM: Good morning and welcome to the Southern Highlands Rise and Shine. Over the next few hours we will be bringing you as much information as possible from across the Southern Highlands and nationally.
Weather, road conditions, breaking news, we will have it all - and we'd love to have your help! If there's anything happening in your part of the world, drop us a line! Email jackie.meyers@fairfaxmedia.com.au
VIDEO OF THE DAY
When magpies attack! Swooping bird (with worm in mouth) caught attacking cyclist on suburban street in slow-motion.
REGIONAL NEWS
KATHERINE - Watermelon growers are reeling in the wake of the announcement they will not be able to plant a crop for two years following the confirmation of cucumber green mottle mosaic virus in the region. The Department of Primary Industry and Fisheries officially confirmed on Monday that the virus had been detected in watermelon crops around Katherine as farm inspections continue in other Northern Territory growing areas, including Darwin, Mataranka, Douglas Daly and Ti Tree. READ MORE HERE.
BALLARAT - An Islamic leader has condemned a vicious and racist attack on a woman who was crossing a road in central Ballarat. The woman said she had wrapped her scarf around her head to protect herself from the rain before crossing a road on October 3. She was berated by a man driving a ute as she crossed the intersection. READ MORE HERE.
HORSHAM - Wimmera farmers are struggling as the region';s record dry spell continues. READ MORE HERE.
NEWCASTLE - Skaters stand up to racism against Muslim women. READ MORE HERE.
WAGGA - Poker player Luke Brabin has cashed in his chips to take home a coveted gold bracelet and a cool $131,365 at a major tournament at the weekend.
The former Wagga man, who attended Kooringal High School, came out on top after outlasting 611 players at the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Asia Pacific tournament on Monday.
ORANGE - ELECTROLUX has been forced to stop production for a second day in a row today as a hazardous material removal specialists (HAZMAT) team continues to clean up a 6500-litre chemical spill at the factory. READ MORE HERE.
WARRNAMBOOL - Dead horse billboard angers racing industry.
BURNIE - Wartime book found by historian.
VICTORIA - Latest in the Toxic Legacy chemical sprays investigation.
NATIONAL NEWS
- BHP price cuts questioned
- Fairfax Media outlines Roger Corbett succession plan
- A strong sharemarket debut from Regis Healthcare and Japara Healthcare's resilient start to public ownership will lure more aged-care providers down the initial public offering route, analysts and experts have said.
- Banks expected to post hefty profits
- AFP asked to investigate Immigration Minister Scott Morrison over leaks.
- Dollar boost for agricultural sales
DAILY POLL
NATIONAL WEATHER
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
FACES OF AUSTRALIA
THE Ararat Gardening Club will celebrate its 10th year by holding a Sustainable Gardening Expo early next month. Guest speakers at the Sustainable Gardening Expo will be gardening gurus Millie Ross and Melissa King, who will impart their style of gardening knowledge and ideas to those who attend. READ MORE HERE.
