THE township of Hamilton is getting into the spirit of sheepish activities ahead of Sheepvention Rural Expo 2024 with Shaun the Sheep hitting the streets to award the winners for the Best Dressed Shop Windows.

YOUTHRIVE Victoria is again giving regional and rural students an opportunity to apply for a scholarship to assist them in undertaking further study in 2025.

ELIGIBLE residents and ratepayers have been urged to check they are enrolled to vote for the upcoming local council elections by 4pm on Wednesday, August 7.

On Monday, local Year 9 students from Monivae College, Baimbridge College, Good Shepherd College, The Hamilton and Alexandra College, Balmoral K12 College, and Heywood Secondary College were given the opportunity to explore interests at the Careers in Agriculture Day at RIST. Photography: Glenn Guy.

THE Victorian Government has earmarked western Victoria including the region around Hamilton as one of the state’s primary renewable energy zones, touted for new transmission lines, wind turbines and solar farms.

NESTLED into the redgums at Bochara, 12 kilometres west of Hamilton, is a cool-climate vineyard producing wines that capture the local “terroir”.

RENEWABLE energy is not a new concept, it has been around ever since life began on earth, all that has changed is the means to capture and convert it to some useful form.

A look back at previous editions of the paper 50 and 25 years ago

PORT FAIRY Folk Festival has announced an exciting - and global - line-up for 2025, that includes the inimitable Australian artist, Missy Higgins.

BARRING a change of government, Australian live sheep exports are set to totally cease in 2028, so ending an important trade for the sheep industry (albeit now confined to Western Australia) but having been plagued by controversy for over forty years.