Mount Gambier's Bae Versace has achieved his dream by signing with a European football club, the youth division of FK Budućnost Podgorica in the Balkan capital of Montenegro.

An advocacy group say financial pressures may be increasing problem gambling, as annual losses on pokies in SA exceed $1 billion for the first time.

An Indigenous elder calls on the government to take more action on SA's toxic algal bloom as Environment Minister Murray Watt and Opposition Leader Sussan Ley both visit the state. 

The south-western Victorian shire withdraws from a tourism promotion board, saying it is not getting "bang for buck" and is routinely overlooked.

The central bank delivers its third interest rate cut of the year after last month's unexpected decision to hold, taking the cash rate to 3.6 per cent for the first time since April 2023.

Cockatoo sightings plummet: The annual south eastern red-tailed black cockatoo recovery count recorded lower numbers this year. On the day just 885 birds were spotted, a decrease from last year's count of more than 1,300. According to the organisers, it is unlikely the population suffered a mass decline. Birdlife Australia project coordinator Rachel Farran says the weather conditions and food availability made the birds trickier to spot.
 

Picture supplied: Sue Carrison
 

Elderly woman dies in crash: A 94-year-old local woman died in a crash at Burrungule near Mount Gambier on Wednesday. According to police, the crash occurred at the intersection of Carpenter Rocks Road and Dixons Road between a Holden sedan and a Toyota ute. The driver of the ute, a 20-year-old woman from Mount Gambier, sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to hospital for assessment.
 

Jetty damage probe: The Department for Infrastructure and Transport will assess last month's storm damage to the Cape Jaffa jetty ahead of engaging a contractor to fix the structure. The state government is responsible for maintenance of the jetty, unlike the Robe and Kingston jetties, that were also damaged but are leased out to local councils.
 

New top cop named: Trent Cox has been appointed as the new police superintendent for the Limestone Coast. He takes over the role from Cheryl Brown, who was the officer-in-charge of police in the region since November 2023. He says traffic offences will be a particular focus in his first month, after witnessing dangerous overtaking on his way driving from Adelaide to Mount Gambier to take up the job.
 

Frew Park spruced up: Work is now complete on a $500,000 upgrade to Frew Park in Mount Gambier. The federally funded work includes new public toilets, road sealing, stormwater drainage improvements as well as new fences and benches. The Mount Gambier and District Cricket Association says new showers and change rooms will be a boon for its new female cricket competitions.
 

Pioneers coach retires: Mount Gambier Pioneers long serving men's coach Richard Hill has announced his immediate retirement after 13 seasons with the club. Hill led the Pioneers through an incredibly successful period, winning three SEABL league championships, and five consecutive conference championships between 2013 and 2017. He says watching the growth of the club has been fulfilling.