December:

■ ‘Health snub’ – Local health advocate Shirlee Burge threatened to get the Independent Commission Against Corruption involved after Finley Hospital was awarded $25 million in state government funding for no apparent reason, and with no official request or plan for the money. Deni health advocates have been lobbying for funding for Deni Hospital for decades.

■ ‘Community rallies after the storm’ – Community volunteers woke in the early hours on December 3 to lend a hand with storm clean up across the district. Trees were downed in a number of locations, electricity connections were severed by broken powerlines and some homes even lost rooves. One of the worst locations hit was the Deniliquin Golf Club.

■ ‘Star power’ – Country superstar Brad Paisley and Aussie music icon Jessica Mauboy were announced as headlining artists for the 2022 Deni Ute Muster. Also on the main stage bill are John Williamson, The Angels, Busby Marou, Ian Moss and Troy Cassar-Daly, Shannon Noll, Sara Storer, Felicity Urquhart and Josh Cunningham,

Shane Nicholson, Round Mountain Girls, Hurricane Fall and Darlinghurst.

■ ‘Neville makes Rotary history’ – Neville Ladson became the first person in Deniliquin Rotary Club history to receive a ‘40 year letter’, written by the Rotary International president. It was accompanied by an honorary member of Rotary — the highest distinction the club can bestow. Mr Ladson joined Rotary in 1981, then aged 29 and the youngest member at the time.

■ ‘Be the change’ – Peta Betts, who was re-elected to Edward River Council, announced her intention to run as mayor to bring to fruition one of the key areas seen as important to the future of the district — generational change.

■ ‘Xmas tragedy’ – On what should have been a day of celebration, a Blighty family was forced to stand by and watch their home razed by fire on Christmas Day. The blaze started while the family were tending to the dairy. The Blighty community was quick to rally to offer support to the family, including accommodation and school supplies.