Natan Sadykov is the first student to ever represent Middleton Public School in the state finals of the Premier’s Spelling Bee.
Spelling Bee: Year 5 Middleton Public School student Natan Sadykov participated in the senior section of the Premier’s Spelling Bee state finals in Sydney recently. Na- tan survived through to Round 5, but was eliminated in round 6. This was an outstanding effort, especially considering the words were unseen and officials claimed it was the toughest field the Spelling Bee have ever had. Natan is the first student to have ever represented Middleton in the State finals. He received a trove of prizes including a certificate, a medallion, a novel, a big dictionary and a great set of headphones.
Roads To Recovery Boost For Parkes Shire: Riverina MP and Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack has announced further financial relief for Parkes Shire as part of a comprehensive drought relief pack- age. The funding is part of a $1 billion extension of the Government’s existing suite of drought relief measures. Michael said the money would help to stimulate the local economy and keep jobs in the community.
Assistance For Farmers: Drought-hit farmers in Parkes Shire may be able to access one-off payments of up to $3,000 in Round 2 of the Federal Government’s Drought Community Support Initiative. The Initiative is aimed at assisting farmers to help cover their day-to-day living costs such as groceries, car servicing, energy bills and medical expenses. Registrations are now open for drought-affected farmers, farm workers, contractors and suppliers. Applications can be done through St Vincent de Paul Society by visiting https://drought.svdp.org.au/apply or calling 1300 846 643.
Get Tested For HIV: If you’ve never been tested for HIV or haven’t had a test for more than a year, Western NSW Local Health District is encouraging you to get one done, especially as this is HIV Awareness Week (23 – 30 November) and World AIDS Day on 1st December. “You can get tested at your local GP or sexual health service. Or, if you want to test yourself at home, the Dried Blood Spot testing kit can be delivered to you and results are sent back by text, email or phone,” said Kim Grant, Clinical Nurse Consultant for Sexual Health. NSW has made significant progress towards the goal of virtually eliminating HIV transmission by 2020, with a 13% drop in the number of new diagnoses between January to September, compared to the previous five-year average.
Some of the 135 volunteers and clients who attended the Meals on Wheel Christmas lunch at the Parkes Services Club last week.