Interesting Bits and Pieces

From recent happenings or stories around Australia and the world.

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My old home town of Forbes under flood threat from the Lachlan River after years of low river levels.

Wyangala Dam which feeds the Lachlan was nearly empty.

Wyangala Dam, west of Cowra, in July 2020 when water storage dropped to 17.3 per cent. Photo: Water NSW.

After recent rains it is now overflowing.

Wyangala Dam has filled and spilled after large inflows. ABC Central West: Xanthe Gregory.

Me on the banks of the Lachlan at the end of the backyard of my old home during big floods in 1952, then the biggest since 1887.

Full ABC story.

RnR - That's scary when the water breaks it's banks.  Lovely photo of you though. 

 

Aww!!! You sure a sweet child :)

A dam full of water with a tall cement dam wall

Wyangala Dam's capacity is proposed to be increased by 53 per cent

Water experts say its volume will have to be reduced by one-third during construction

The project's estimated price tag could more than double to $2 billion

The government sure does not look at the weather forecast when planning.

It would be scary seeing that water headed towards your home, time to move smartly, fire would be worse for me though. You were certainly a gorgeous little girl RnR.

Love the photo of you RnR we must be about the same age.

Lovely photos RnR, you sure were a cute kid. 

Egypt — Scorpions kill three and injure hundreds in Aswan.

Scorpions are regularly washed into Egypt's streets by heavy rain and take refuge in houses.

Scorpions in Egypt have stung three people to death in the southern city of Aswan after heavy storms brought them into the streets and homes. Some 450 more people were injured by scorpion stings, a health ministry official said. The hail and thunder storm in the area near the River Nile on Friday was particularly violent.

Full BBC story.

Glad they do not live here

Yikes, scorpions and centipedes are the two little critters I'm very wary of, I don't mind a snake or a goanna but I get very nervous around the other two. 

Frustration with Myers!!

 

Just having a laugh about Myers this afternoon, I wanted to speak a Myers store here in WA, so I rang their 08 number and I had a voice tell me that it was after hours!   Silly me it was 2.50pm in Perth and Myers close at 5pm here of course the folks in Melbourne have never head of Western Australia!!

So I have written a suitable snail mail letter to their Managing Director suggesting they lift their game!

No wonder they are losing market share!    Gee what do you need to do give them a hand?  

They won't let you use emails only phone lines!!

Celia

Try ringing the number below

Myer

200 Murray Street
Perth City
WA, 6000

Phone:(08) 9265 5600

I think that was the number I rang Suze.

That is why it was so annoying.

I asked to put me through to the local Myer  here in WA.

Celia

I rang it and got through ??? ... had to wait a couple of minutes as apparently there was a congestion

I reported your problem of unable to get through.

Of course you would now, this happened at 2.50pm yesterday Suze.

Perth was still open but Melbourne was closed.

 

 

WoW some jump.

 

Mother and her two-year-old daughter both survive 100ft fall while slipping off Oregon hike | Daily Mail Online

A local man jumped down 18-feet to save a mother and her two-year-old daughter who both narrowly survived with their lives after falling 100 feet while hiking the Multnomah Falls outside Portland on Sunday. 

Shane Roundy, 33, was waiting for his daughter outside the public restrooms when he heard yelling coming from the 620 foot falls. He ran over to the small crowd of people to ask what happened when he was told two people fell off the bridge into the water. 

Roundy, a mechanic, quickly sprung into action. Without thinking he jumped over the railing, hopped over fallen trees, and jumped into the icy water following the screams: 'Someone help my daughter.' 

Roundy found Olivia, who he believes is in her late 20s and her two-year-old daughter Katie in the water. Olivia begged Roundy to help Katie first and he took the crying toddler and hugged her tight trying to warm her up. 

Putting Katie down for a moment he rushed back to pull Olivia, who was injured, from the water. He told Katie he would be back for her and ran back to the wall to bring the crying toddler to safety.  

Shane Roundy, a 33-year-old mechanic from Oregon, quickly came to the rescue jumping down an 18-foot wall to rescue Olivia, the mother, and Katie, the daughter +5 

Shane Roundy, a 33-year-old mechanic from Oregon, quickly came to the rescue jumping down an 18-foot wall to rescue Olivia, the mother, and Katie, the daughter

The mother and her toddler were 'alert and conscious' after their 100 ft fall along the hike at Multnomah Falls on Sunday. They were taken to the hospital to recover from non-life threatening injuries +5 

The mother and her toddler were 'alert and conscious' after their 100 ft fall along the hike at Multnomah Falls on Sunday. They were taken to the hospital to recover from non-life threatening injuries

'The wall I jumped over was 18 feet tall but I didn’t notice until later,' he told DailyMail.com.  

When he made it back to the wall where a group of about six hikers had gathered to help he noticed it was an 18-foot drop. Roundy's stepmother, girlfriend, daughter, and others held the feet of another man who hung over the railing to catch the toddler. 

Roundy tossed the child up to the man who caught her. Roundy then ran back to Olivia to tell her that Katie was safe. He tried to help Katie but she asked that he go back to keep her daughter safe. 

When Roundy returned to Katie, a woman ran down the trail screaming for help. Jean, Olivia's mother and Katie's grandmother, had run down the trail trying to get help for eight minutes. 

When Jean was reunited with Katie, the toddler was surrounded by nearly half a dozen good Samaritans who removed their layers and took blankets and jackets from the gift shop nearby to warm the child. 

After Roundy, an off-duty paramedic rushed to help Olivia until authorities arrived. 

Emergency services eventually made it to the scene and helped Katie to safety. Both Olivia and Katie were rushed to Oregon Health & Science University with non-life threatening injuries and are expected to make a full recovery. 

The pair fell into the water of the bottom pool of the falls after the toddler first slipped near the Benson Bridge that straddles the popular trail and her mother lost her balance trying to save her.   

'I just remember thinking someone needs help I need to get to them,' Roundy said to DailyMail.com. He didn't stop to think or stumble when making the 'miraculous' rescue. 

'I felt light I felt like someone was lifting me over the trees,' he said.  'I just ran as fast as I could and jumped and leaped and didn’t fall miraculously because normally I would have.'

 

 

 

 

Amazing survival story.

Does it never end ??

NSW Police say they are "looking for the remains" of missing boy William Tyrrell in a series of new searches announced today.

Police say they have new evidence and are acting on behalf of the coroner. Land will be cleared and underground searches will be conducted at three new locations.

Full ABC story.

Poor little chap.

Watching the news they sure are throwing all the modern technology onto it.

OOps!

Moment a female soldier from the Household Cavalry face-plants into the street after fainting as Remembrance Sunday service got under wayFemale soldier from Household Cavalry faints before Remembrance Sunday service got

The woman (Pictured left), a member of the Queen's Household Cavalry, appeared to have fainted from the pavement onto the tarmac in front of shocked crowds at the Cenotaph on Whitehall in London, on Sunday. As the troops, who were dressed in full uniform, including the red plume Albert helmet, stood professionally in position ahead of the barriers, the unnamed guard was pictured on the floor. This year saw Remembrance Sunday crowds return to pre-pandemic numbers, however the nation missed the Queen, who was forced to miss the ceremony for the first time in 22 years due to a back injury.

Helicopter heading to rescue Perth family bogged in the Simpson Desert after heavy rain.

A family of four has been stuck in the Simpson Desert since late last week. They were doing OK until the forecast of very hot weather. As the surroundings are totally waterlogged after recent rains and the family are concerned about the predicted heatwave rescue services are moving in. A police rescue helicopter is expected to reach them by midday.

Full ABC story.

After five days stranded the family was airlifted out by a police helicopter today. Ori and Lindsey Zavros were smiling as they arrived in Coober Pedy with their two young children.

"We feel safe now," Mr Zavros said.


They plan to continue their camping trip once their camper van has been recovered.

Their trip cost the taxpayer a fortune

This family deliberately and in my view negligently put themselves into those circumstances by ignoring the forecast and exceeding their overlanding capability – a vehicle like that doesn't just suddenly sink to its axles.

While S&R expenses are usually covered by the state in Australia, the exception is when it is deemed to result from "reckless behaviour". If this is the case then they should expect to receive a bill for their retrieval, if lucky maybe they can claim back from insurance.

The mystery of HMAS Sydney's 'Unknown Sailor' is finally solved 80 YEARS to the day since he died along with 644 other Aussies when their warship was sunk by Germans off the coast of Western AustraliaGlenys MacDonald spent 20 years trying to give the Unknown Sailor a nameThe fact he was tall for the time at 180cm and a had many gold fillings helpedOn Friday in Geraldton, WA, a plaque will be unveiled etched with his name

By PADRAIG COLLINS FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA

PUBLISHED: 01:31 AEDT, 19 November 2021 | UPDATED: 02:14 AEDT, 19 November 2021

One of Australia's greatest mysteries has finally been solved thanks to advances in DNA technology, with the 'Unknown Sailor' finally identified exactly 80 years after he died. 

Thomas Welsby Clark was just 21 years old and an able seaman on HMAS Sydney when it was sunk on November 19, 1941, about 200km off Western Australia.

He had trained as an accountant in Brisbane, then served in the army before finding a berth on HMAS Sydney.

Able Seaman Thomas Welsby Clark (pictured) has been identified as the Unknown Sailor exactly 80 years after he died onboard the HMAS Sydney       

Able Seaman Thomas Welsby Clark (pictured) has been identified as the Unknown Sailor exactly 80 years after he died onboard the HMAS Sydney

His remains washed up on Christmas Island, 2,600km north-west of Perth, 11 weeks after the HMAS Sydney was lost, and it was all that was ever found of the crew.

But who he was would remain a mystery for another 80 years. 

His name would probably still be unknown were it not for the tenacity of a woman determined to find out who he was.

Glenys MacDonald has spent more than 20 years trying to give the Unknown Sailor the dignity of having a name.

That she finally succeeded is down to her hard work, Chief of Navy Michael Noonan and advances in DNA technology. 

Mr Clark's unidentified body was buried on Christmas Island before the Australian outpost was evacuated and the Japanese took it over.

They destroyed the local record records and the gravesite was lost.

But decades later, a former Christmas Island local named Brian O'Shannassy handed Ms MacDonald a photo of the Unknown Sailor's resting place he had taken in the 1950s. 

She convinced the navy to search for the grave, and Vice Admiral Noonan took a personal interest.  

'I thought we owed that to all those men who died on the Sydney,' Ms MacDonald, 73, told The Australian.

The Navy's Sea Power Centre for research and the Australian Federal Police's forensics teams painstakingly whittled down possible matches.

The HMAS Sydney II (pictured in Sydney Harbour) was sunk by the German auxiliary cruiser Kormoran on November 19, 1941 

The HMAS Sydney II (pictured in Sydney Harbour) was sunk by the German auxiliary cruiser Kormoran on November 19, 1941

The fact that Mr Clark was tall for the time at 180cm and had a mouthful of gold fillings helped.   

The breakthrough came when specialists managed to extract mitochondrial DNA from his teeth.  

Two of his direct living relatives were identified, allowing Admiral Noonan to break the news to the family last week that he was the Unknown Sailor.

On Friday in Geraldton, Western Australia, a plaque will be unveiled etched with Mr Clark's name. 

'It's such a very tragic story of service and fortitude in the face of adversity,' Vice Admiral Noonan said.

'Certainly as far as the navy is concerned, we are just so pleased to be able to identify this sailor and give him back to his family.'

 

Such a wonderful story after so many years ... was just about to post it myself, thanks Celia.

RIP Able Seaman Thomas Welsby Clark and all on HMAS Sydney II.

Hi RnR

Hubby read it for me as I have been tired these few days and have kept away from reading small print!

I thought it was amazing how long he was in the water for and how far the body had gone.

But I am so glad the family know the whole story now.

Good luck with that! FBI demands motorists return money they grabbed in frenzy after armored truck spewed cash over San Diego freeway when doors flew open

 

The FBI and the California Highway Patrol are looking for people who took money off Interstate 5 near San Diego after an armored trunk spewed cash on the road on the way to the Federal Reserve. Police are investigating how the door flew open and are calling on people to return the money or face 'potential criminal charges.' One of the looters was identified as Demi Bagby (left) and her friends (pictured right) after she posted the video on her Instagram page. It is unknown if she and her friends are still in possession of the money, nor how much is missing or was in the truck.

[Had to chuckle at this, wish them luck!  LOL]

 

Unidentified people were seen looking excited with handfuls of cash

Stealing government property in US can result in in fines and imprisonment  of up to 10 years.

Wonder if they get time off for stupidity for posting it on social media ???

LOL Suze they could always say they were collecting it to help the Government!  LOL

You can bet your life all the numbers of those bank notes have been recorded too.

Police arrest man over disappearance of missing campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay in Victoria's High Country.

Mr Hill and Ms Clay, both in their 70s, disappeared while camping in the remote Wonnangatta Valley in north-eastern Victoria in March last year.

The two campers, aged in their 70s, were last heard from on March 20, 2020, when Mr Hill used his radio to communicate with friends around 6:30pm. The next day at 2pm, other campers came upon Mr Hill and Ms Clay's burnt-out camp site. The fire that had engulfed the site was so hot it had destroyed the tent and left black stains down the side of the 4WD.

In a statement, Victoria Police said detectives arrested the 55-year-old Caroline Springs man about 5:30pm on Monday and were interviewing him this morning. "The investigation into the matter remains ongoing and further information will be released when operationally appropriate to do so," police said.

Full ABC story.

Fascinating mystery, the man they have arrested is a pilot apparently. 

Inside the high-flying life of Jetstar pilot arrested over Australia's missing campers and his glamourous flight attendant wife - as it is revealed police have been watching him for a YEARInside the high-flying life of Jetstar pilot arrested over missing campers

The Jetstar pilot arrested over the mystery disappearance of an elderly couple who went missing while on a secret camping trip is married to a flight attendant at the airline. Gregory Lynn's (pictured, left) wife Melanie Lynn (pictured, middle) become the face of Jetstar in 2019 after penning a successful blog offering flight tips for parents. Lynn, 55, was apprehended by heavily armed police in a dramatic operation on Monday over the disappearance of secret lovers Russell Hill, 74, and Carol Clay, 73, who went missing during a camping trip (pictured, bottom right) in Wonnangatta Valley in March 2020. Police spoke to Lynn last year after identifying his vehicle had been in the area at the time the pair went missing. He would have hardly have raised suspicions at the time as he had no previous criminal record. Police are yet to lay any charges.

Copeton Dam in northern New South Wales fills for first time since 2012.

The Copeton Dam near Inverell in northern New South Wales reached capacity overnight.

The dam cracked the 100% full mark for only the fourth time since it was built and completed in 1976.

Full ABC story.

Albert Einstein's sketches on general theory of relativity fetch $18 million at Paris auction.

The 54 pages of paper, half-filled with Einstein's handwriting, constituted one of only two working documents in which he approached his famous theory. The documents had been kept by Swiss physicist Michele Besso, a close friend and academic partner of Einstein's, who co-authored the work between 1913 and 1914.

"Einstein is someone who kept very few notes, so the mere fact that the manuscript survived and made its way to us already makes it absolutely extraordinary," auction expert Vincent Belloy said.

Full ABC story.

The King who says thank you to Britain every Christmas: This week, the tree will go up in Trafalgar Square - as it has each year since 1947. But few know it's a gift on behalf of a Norwegian monarch who never forgot the sanctuary we gave him from the NazisChristmas tree in Trafalgar Square is a gift on behalf of a Norwegian monarch

For every year since 1947, a 20-metre tall Christmas tree (left and inset) has been donated to the British people as a thank-you from the Norwegians for British support during World War II. This year's, measuring 24 metres (78ft), will be put up on Thursday, as is traditional, in London's Trafalgar Square. Although well-known as a symbol of Christmas, not many people know the true story of heroism behind the annual gift, and the courageous role played all those years ago by King Haakon VII of Norway (right with Queen Maud and Prince Olav). For as wicked and misguided as the human race has so often been, occasionally there has arisen a person of bravery, integrity and decency, at a point in history when those qualities were under threat.

What an interesting story, thanks Celia.

 

 

I knew how it started but not how as a child.

The British Royals and the Norwegian are related, this queen was a daughter of Edward and Alexandra, she was from Denmark, her sister became the mother of the last Russian Czar 

Image result for russian csar of  Nicholas his parents 

Image result for parents of czar nicholas of russia photos

 

 

Decorated ivory 'pendant' carved from mammoth tusk is oldest example of ornate jewellery in Eurasia, archaeologists say.

About 41,500 years ago, a Stone Age artist in Europe carved an oval-shaped object covered in dots out of the tusk of a woolly mammoth.

Archaeologists have directly dated fragments of bone decorated with dots and say it is the oldest known piece of decorated jewellery in Eurasia created by modern humans.

Full ABC story.

Fascinating RnR to think how old that is;  but what makes me laugh a little is the '500' after saying it is already 41 thousand years.

Mind boggles at the age of this, makes the Mummys in Egypt appear young!

Thanks RnR. 

Hope you are well?

I would definitely love a pendant like that among my jewellery collection :)

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