An early‑morning callout had Deniliquin Fire + Rescue crews on alert at 6.42 am Wednesday after reports of arcing powerlines on Charlotte St.
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Firefighters stood by while Essential Energy crews worked to isolate the fault, with the scene declared safe soon after.
The brief incident caused no damage or injuries.
About the same time as the incident, residents in sections of Deniliquin’s south and north reported power outages.
While not confirmed to be a result of the Charlotte St fault, the timing would suggest a connection
Two-minute hail storm
If any locals were planning an early night on Wednesday, it was cut short when a brief but fierce hailstorm very loudly rattled Deniliquin, a taste of what’s forecast across much of western and southern NSW.
The Bureau warned of severe thunderstorms developing from late Wednesday morning, spreading east through the western plains and slopes into the ACT by evening.
Damaging winds above 90 km/h and large hail were the main concerns, with a secondary risk of destructive gusts and even tornado activity in the far southwest.
Forecasters say conditions should ease once the cold front moves through, with a milder weekend being promised.
Strong food safety scores
Edward River Council has reported strong results from its annual food safety inspections, with 87 per cent of local businesses earning five‑star ratings under the NSW Food Authority’s Scores on Doors program.
Environmental health staff inspected cafés, restaurants, pubs, supermarkets and school canteens in May, assessing hygiene, storage and food‑handling practices.
Of the 47 inspections undertaken, all passed with just one three star and five four star ratings to round out the figures.
Council said the results show an overall improvement in food safety standards across the region.
Weekly water sampling also continues in line with NSW Health guidelines.
Holiday fun at the library
Mila Butcher and Evie Wilson enjoyed playing with fuse beads at the library.
Edward River Library is keeping local kids busy these school holidays with a full week of activities.
The program starts Monday with lucky‑dip craft bags, followed by VR sessions on Tuesday.
A beaded puppet workshop will run at 2 pm Wednesday, and felt animal bag tags take over the Thursday slot at the same time.
To finish the week, the popular Splat! sessions return on Friday and Saturday, with bookings required.
For details or to reserve a spot, phone 03 5898 3100 or email library@edwardriver.nsw.gov.au.
For more school holiday ideas, check out the Winter School Holidays feature on pages 13 to 16.
Celebrating 50 years of NAIDOC
Next week marks 50 years of NAIDOC Week - a week to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
To mark the week, the Pastoral Times will have a special feature in Tuesday’s edition on events being hosted by the Deniliquin Local Aboriginal Land Council and Yarkuwa Indigenous Knowledge Centre.
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