BUSINESSES won’t start receiving JobKeeper payments for another couple of weeks, but the promise of Federal Government relief has allowed a Hamilton café to retain more than half its staff during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

IT will be Anzac Day tomorrow, but not as we know it.

While 2020 has been a rollercoaster ride for many, this year is one Donald and Jye Irving have been looking forward to for a long time.

BEFORE the pandemic, one in five Australians experienced mental illness, but due to the uncertainty and instability around coronavirus (COVID-19), there is a potential for the number of people seeking support to rise.

MENTAL health is a topic that is much more openly discussed now – both in the media and at gatherings.

THE Mandatory Dairy Code of Conduct that came into force in January this year will have its first test in the coming months, as milk processors begin releasing their new season contracts and announcing opening prices for the 2020/21 season.

A PROMISING netballer and a gifted athlete, Mikaylah Beavis was one of Hamilton’s most exciting prospects before she made the move to Ballarat for university.

THE region’s annual grape harvest is usually a cause for celebration for those who contribute the raw material to some of the nation’s finest wines as well as those whose work gets the fruit off the vines, but this year even it hasn’t failed to be touched by the coronavirus pandemic.

WHILE the courses at the Portland Golf Club and Heywood Golf Club remain shut due to the global coronavirus pandemic, in backyards, garages, paddocks and even lounge rooms around the region, many golfers are continuing to work on their game.

JACQUI Webb’s trip of a lifetime has been cut short with the Portlander’s adventure as part of the Clipper Round the World Yacht race postponed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.