8.54am That's it from us this morning! Have a spooktacular Halloween & Thursday. See yu tomorrow for the TGIF edition of Morning Rush! Over and out....
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
8.52am Join the Friends of Wollongong Botanic Garden on a free guided walk around the garden this Sunday at 2.30pm. No bookings required.
8.50am Good morning! Happy Halloween! (*insert evil witch laugh here*) If you've just joined us, here's what you need to know right now:
WEATHER It's going to be another gloomy sort of day. Temps are expected to hit 22 degrees with a possible shower predicted. Right now, in Bellambi and Albion Park, it's 17 degrees.
TRAFFIC Things aren't too bad on our roads this morning. Don't forget those road works at Jamberoo and Albion Park. Traffic around the university will be affected while they install cameras - avoid University Ave. That earlier accident at ENGADINE is causing major headaches on New Illawarra Rd & the Princes Highway. The road has reopened but it's slow going. Another car accident @ the Princes Highway (near Old Princes Highway) is affecting northbound traffic. Leave extra travel time if you're heading to the city.
TRAINS There is a good service on the South Coast line.
8.43am Wollongong dancer Laura Watchorn is set to return to Australia to perform with the Moulin Rouge. Read more here:
8.39am CELEB GOSS ALERT: Troubled R&B star Chris Brown has entered rehab for anger issues. Note my lack of shock.
8.37am Country Grocer in Unanderra has just tweeted about their special of the day - a chicken caesar burger for just $6.90. Delish!
8.35am Wollongong residents keen to leave town will not be able to ‘‘double-dip’’ with the state government’s regional grants scheme. Read more here:
8.33am REALITY TV ALERT: Big Brother's resident Prince Charming Ed Lower was evicted last night with just one week to go until this year's winner is crowned.
8.30am BREAKING: Barry O'Farrell says he'll vote against same-sex marriage for NSW to avoid 'patchwork quilt' of laws; change should be enacted federally. (SMH)
8.27am BREAKING WORLD NEWS: A sacked employee who died in a tractor accident in 2009 is the main suspect in the disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann, and cops believe he may have kidnapped the girl in an act of revenge.
8.24am SPORT: THE FFA are considering shifting A-League Sydney derbies to a bigger venue next season and have already booked ANZ Stadium should the cross-town rivals meet in this campaign's grand final.
8.21am Some great deals at Alibi tonight - cheap wings, ciders, nachos and hot dogs. Check it out!
8.18am BREAKING NEWS: A gunman is on the run after shooting dead a man in the back as he walked to his car in Pendle Hill, the second fatal shooting in Sydney in just three nights. (SMH)
8.16am REALITY TV ALERT - did you watch the Bachelor last night? I missed it, damn! Don't forget Beauty & the Geek is on tonight - and it's make-overs!!!!
8.12 TRAFFIC UPDATE - ENGADINE: Heathcote Rd reopened @ New Illawarra Rd & the Princes Highway after earlier accident.
8.10am Happy Halloween from the folk at Mink Pink - a dog dressed up as a lion and a dog in a pumpkin. I die.
8.07am Let's be honest - the in-flight safety video can be pretty boring. But the clever folk at Virgin have come up with a great new video that will definitely keep you entertained. Check it out:
8.05am Don't forget the Crown Street Mall total smoking ban comes into force tomorrow.
8.03am Have you organised your Melbourne Cup day? We'll have a full list of events happening around the Illawarra on Monday.
8.01am Here's what's making news in your Mercury today:
*Reporter Gemma Khaicy has a great yarn on life saver Toby Adams. When he went on a holiday to Thailand last November, he was not expecting to rescue a family of snorkellers while touring Phuket’s popular Phi Phi Islands.
*Six workers whose 12-month contracts with Gujarat NRE finished last week are still waiting for their wages and entitlements to be paid.
*Students have accused the University of Wollongong of cost cutting at the expense of its carbon footprint after the campus’s environmental manager was told her contract would not be renewed.
*The Southern Highlands Coal Action Group has welcomed Independent Commission Against Corruption recommendations calling for sweeping changes to the way the state government grants coalmining exploration licences.
7.57am Good morning & Happy Halloween! (*insert evil witch laugh here*) If you've just joined us, here's what you need to know right now:
WEATHER It's going to be another gloomy sort of day. Temps are expected to hit 22 degrees with a possible shower predicted. Right now, in Bellambi and Albion Park, it's 16 degrees.
TRAFFIC Things are a little poo on our roads. Don't forget those road works at Jamberoo and Albion Park. Traffic around the university will be affected while they install cameras - avoid University Ave. That earlier accident at ENGADINE is causing major headaches on New Illawarra Rd & the Princes Highway. Motorists can use the Bangor Bypass but traffic is very heavy - give yourself plenty of time!
TRAINS There is a good service on the South Coast line.
7.55am A very unusual beauty treatment this morning - and not the faint-hearted. Snakes anyone? The Bali Heritage Reflexology Spa offers a massage treatment, which involves having several pythons placed on your back.
7.51am Have you downloaded the Mercury's iphone app yet? It's free and it's a great way to read your Morning Rush from the comfort of your bed.
7.49am The success of a Sydney trial aimed at better managing the care of chronic illness sufferers and reducing the number of triple-0 calls will likely lead to a freeing up of health resources in the Illawarra, according to a high-ranking paramedic. Read more here:
7.46am Don't forget there are Halloween parties on tonight at City Beach, Seacliff and UOW. Check out their respective websites for more information.
7.44am As we head into the silly season, the chances of eating out regularly drastically increase. Here's some tips on how to dine out without gaining weight.
7.42am Myer ambassador Kris Smith is set to continue in his role for another two years. Kris' contract has been extended until the end of 2015
7.40am Looking for a creepy Halloween read? Check out these books, guaranteed to scare the pants off you.
7.36am ABC Illawarra has just tweeted that Throsby MP Stephen Jones will be speaking about the NBN soon.
7.34am WORLD NEWS: In more weird world news, a woman in North Dakota in the US has claimed a robber broke into her home and then ... cooked bacon.
Burglar breaks into home, cooks bacon http://t.co/nnZtP6AhIR
— HuffPost Weird News (@HuffPostWeird) October 30, 2013
7.32am Small businesses in the Illawarra can take advantage of high-quality business assistance with the arrival of the Small Biz Bus on November 18 & 19. The bus will be calling in at Corrimal and Dapto, giving local small businesses operators the chance to meet with business experts for personalised, individual advice.
7.30am CELEB GOSS ALERT: Beyonce photobombed a teen's selfie at her Melbourne concert last week - but the young fan didn't seem to mind.
7.27am The Lagoon Seafood Restaurant's winter menu ends today - don't miss out!
7.25am TRAFFIC ALERT: Traffic is really slow along Heathcote Rd at ENGADINE after that accident earlier this morning. Leave extra travel time & be careful!
7.22am Looking for some inspiration for a Halloween costume? Check out this gallery of celeb pics. Brilliant.
7.20am Blokes, don't forget Movember kicks off tomorrow. Get ready to grow your finest beard, mo or side burns, in the name of men's health.
7.17am The elusive British graffiti artist Banksy, who has been writing and spray painting images on New York City buildings all month, is causing another sort of sensation with an essay condemning the design of the new World Trade Centre as ‘‘a disaster’’.
7.15am LOCAL SPORT: Shellharbour president Peter Blaine has confirmed the former Dragons feeder club is serious about a return to the Group Seven competition. Blaine would not rule out the possibility of spending a sixth year in the Illawarra Coal League, but said the costs of fielding a competitive side in the Illawarra's premier rugby league competition had prompted the club to consider its options.
7.12am WORLD NEWS: Jacqueline Badger Mars, an owner of the sweets company Mars, will face a reckless driving charge after a fatal crash in the US. Bit of a sticky situation for her!
7.10am The status of NBN connections to thousands of homes and businesses across the Illawarra is now unclear. Read more here:
7.08am Check out this delicious recipe from Michelle Bridges this morning for banana bruschetta - looks divine! Jazz your breakie up this morning with this one.
7.06am In slightly weird world news this morning, police in the US have seized drug-laced candy from a college campus, right before Halloween.
Drug-laced candy seized by police http://t.co/MVEUVpN9JD
— HuffPost Weird News (@HuffPostWeird) October 30, 2013
7.04am WORLD NEWS: The Silicon Valley home where Apple co-founder Steve Jobs grew up and built some of his first computers is now on the city's list of historic properties.
7.02am Here's what's making news in your Mercury today:
*Reporter Gemma Khaicy has a great yarn on life saver Toby Adams. When he went on a holiday to Thailand last November, he was not expecting to rescue a family of snorkellers while touring Phuket’s popular Phi Phi Islands.
*Six workers whose 12-month contracts with Gujarat NRE finished last week are still waiting for their wages and entitlements to be paid.
*Students have accused the University of Wollongong of cost cutting at the expense of its carbon footprint after the campus’s environmental manager was told her contract would not be renewed.
*The Southern Highlands Coal Action Group has welcomed Independent Commission Against Corruption recommendations calling for sweeping changes to the way the state government grants coalmining exploration licences.
6.59am Good morning! If you've just joined us, here's what you need to know right now:
WEATHER It's going to be another gloomy sort of day. Temps are expected to hit 22 degrees with a possible shower predicted. Right now, in Bellambi, it's 15 degrees.
TRAFFIC Everything looks a-okay on the road. Don't forget those road works at Jamberoo and Albion Park. Traffic around the university will be affected while they install cameras - avoid University Ave. That car accident at Engadine looks nasty - New Illawarra Rd @ the Princes Hwy is closed. Use the Bangor Bypass.
TRAINS There is a good service on the South Coast line.
6.55am Don't forget Wollongong City Gallery is hosting a surf film night tonight from 7.30. Guest speakers Dean Bowen and Mark Brightwell will be on hand - don't miss this great local film.
6.53am Owners of MEOC numberplates are being advised these licence plates are being cancelled by the police. The force is also taking steps to prevent the further issuing of inappropriate plates.
6.51am BREAKING NEWS: Drink drive offenders will be required to pass an alcohol breath test before they are allowed to drive their cars. Roads and Ports Minister Duncan Gay has announced alcohol interlocks will be mandatory for high range and repeat drink drive offenders. (SMH)
6.49am CELEB GOSS ALERT: Former The Hills star Kristin Cavalleri is pregnant - again. I thought she just had a baby!
Kristen Cavallari is pregnant! http://t.co/IRZB6CGP2b
— Huffington Post (@HuffingtonPost) October 30, 2013
6.46am So it seems Aussies really have caught the Halloween bug. The pumpkin farmers of Bowen and Broome are struggling to keep up with the demand for the traditional Halloween fodder.
6.44am CELEB GOSS ALERT: Former Friends star Lisa Kudrow has admitted to having a nose job. She says the operation was "life-altering."
6.40am Here's a little Halloween joke to kick off your morning, courtesy of the Ellen show. Ta!
6.37am It's Thursday, which means it's new movie day - yippee! New movies opening today include:
Thor: The Dark World (M) - ‘‘Hiddleston is campy and treacherous, Hemsworth is puppy-dog keen and there's a nice line in knowing jokery,’’ says Time Out. ★★★
The Butler (M) - Employs the real-life story of long-serving White House butler Cecil Gaines as a means of looking back at the struggles of black America. ‘‘Well-meaning but rather heavy-handed’’ says The Sun Herald. ★★★
The Turning (M) - Seventeen Australian directors create a chapter of the novel by Tim Winton. The linking and overlapping stories explore the extraordinary turning points in ordinary people’s lives in a stunning portrait of a small coastal community. (The Sun Herald) ★★★
6.35am WORLD NEWS: The US National Security Agency has secretly broken into the main communications links that connect Yahoo and Google data centres around the world, the Washington Post reports. The newspaper cites documents obtained from former NSA contractor Edward Snowden and interviews with officials.
6.33am Have you got your tickets to Hairspray yet? Not long to go now - the show opens at the WEC tomorrow night. Check out what all the fuss is about here:
6.31am TRAFFIC ALERT: Engadine - Heathcote Rd is closed between New Illawarra Rd & the Princes Hwy due to a car accident. Use the Bangor Bypass.
6.29am LOCAL SPORT: Hawks captain Oscar Forman believes the team are poised to spring a hit-and-run job on unbeaten title favourites Perth tomorrow night. The league-leading Wildcats are setting the pace with a perfect 5-0 record and will be supremely confident of extending their streak to six games at Wollongong’s expense. Don't miss Tim Keeble's Hoopla video for this week for more Hawks news.
6.27am WORLD NEWS: Former tennis ace Martina Hingis has been questioned by Swiss police over claims that she assaulted her French husband Thibault Hutin, a police spokesman said on Wednesday.
6.25am LOCAL SPORT: Illawarra fans will miss out on the chance to see some of the sport’s biggest cricket stars, after the University of Wollongong decided to dump the Stumping Serious Diseases Twenty20 cricket match this year.
6.22am Big blow for Myer this morning - men's brand Hugo Boss has defected to David Jones, feeling the brand was more "suited" to DJs. Ouch.
6.20am Don't forget the Twilight Markets are on @ Flagstaff Hill tomorrow night. Fingers crossed the weather holds outs.
6.18am Great story in the SMH today on meditation. If you've always thought about meditating (meditated on it, perhaps!?) but won't sure where to start, here's a beginners guide:
6.16am Good luck to all those sitting HSC exams today. Gemma Khaicy caught up with Cedars Christian College students who sat the chemistry exam yesterday.
6.14am CELEB GOSS ALERT: Nicole Kidman has compared her marriage to Tom Cruise to Angelina & Brad's romance. Check it out here.
6.11am Let's check out the national headlines:
*From the SMH: Detectives in Newcastle are poised to reinvestigate more nursing home deaths amid fears there are other victims of a suspected poisoning which has claimed the lives of two elderly people and hospitalised a third.
*Two Australians have been arrested in Vietnam for heroin smuggling, police say, a crime punishable by death in the communist state.
6.08am Here's what's making news in your Mercury today:
*Gemma Kaicy has a story on life saver Toby Adams. When he went on a holiday to Thailand last November, he was not expecting to rescue a family of snorkellers while touring Phuket’s popular Phi Phi Islands.
*Six workers whose 12-month contracts with Gujarat NRE finished last week are still waiting for their wages and entitlements to be paid.
*Students have accused the University of Wollongong of cost cutting at the expense of its carbon footprint after the campus’s environmental manager was told her contract would not be renewed.
*The Southern Highlands Coal Action Group has welcomed Independent Commission Against Corruption recommendations calling for sweeping changes to the way the state government grants coalmining exploration licences.
6.05am If you've just joined us, here's what you need to know right now:
WEATHER It's going to be another gloomy sort of day. Temps are expected to hit 22 degrees with a possible shower predicted. Right now, in Bellambi, it's 14 degrees.
TRAFFIC Everything looks a-okay on the road. Don't forget those road works at Jamberoo and Albion Park. Traffic around the university will be affected while they install cameras - avoid University Ave.
TRAINS There is a good service on the South Coast line.
6am Happy Thursday - and happy Halloween! Welcome to today's edition of the Morning Rush - the Mercury’s new morning blog, rolling out every day from 6am. Reporter Emma Spillett will keep you up-to-date on the latest happenings in the region - everything from traffic to the Twittersphere to what’s on at your school/cafe/bar/sportground today. We want YOU to be involved in the conversation. Send through your pics/events to morningrush@illawarramercury.com.au and get chatting!
