Our wacky weather and other top stories.

• Our wacky weather

  JUST a week after Townsville shivered through one of its coldest July days in decades, residents are sunning themselves in temperatures more than 10C warmer.While not an official record, the brisk 15.2C recorded on July 14 was the coldest maximum temperature in the city since 1979. The temperature rose to 17.3C in the early hours of July 15 – just 0.9C above the 1979 record.This week the mercury has headed north, with temperatures around 27C.Bureau of Meteorology Townsville forecaster Andrew Cea..

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• Jump for joy, it's 1812 again

  

  THE sounds of music will fill Queens Gardens with the Australian Festival of Chamber Music’s celebratory concert returning to Townsville.The concert titled 1812 will be held at Queens Gardens on July 31 from 3pm and entry is free.AFCM executive director Justin Ankus said 1812 was held last year and they had decided to bring the event back this year and call it The 1812 Again!“It was so popular with both locals and visitors that we have worked with Townsville City Council to ensure its return,” h..

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• Cowboys in court bid on debt claim

  

  REIGNING NRL champions the North Queensland Cowboys have again launched legal action against a Brisbane company they claim owes more than $120,000 in sponsorship fees.Cowboys Rugby League Football Limited has sought to wind up Brisclean Pty Ltd, and is seeking to have BRI Ferrier appointed as liquidators. The Cowboys claim Brisclean owes $128,780.10.In court documents, Cowboys chief financial officer Michael Gilbert claims Brisclean entered in to a debt agreement with the NRL club on February 25..

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• Give us a tourism champion

  

  I HAVE been fortunate this past month to see North Queensland’s iconic tourism drawcards – the Reef and the rainforest.Some friends and I dived on reefs in the northern Whitsundays.We were lucky to have calm seas and sunny skies but I must say I was happy not to have shared one of my friend’s encounters with a large shark.The reefs looked in reasonable condition around some of the coastal islands, though there were large areas of smashed branching corals – perhaps from anchor damage. Not ours, I..

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• Mobiles ring in changes

  

  MOBILE phone connection in Greenvale has taken all the fun out of knowing who is calling.Now, every time their mobile phones ring, Greenvale residents have to try to guess who it is that is wanting to engage them in conversation.Caravan park owner Richard Gelle said he knew most of the landline numbers in the town and would know who was calling when he picked up his phone.Several years ago Mr Gelle installed a mobile repeater in the caravan park that enabled customers to make and receive calls i..

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• Lifestyle of the snitch and famous

  

  FROM rugby league stars to a Queensland premier and one of the richest men in the world, Townsville real estate double agent John Brown wanted to befriend them all.Photos sourced by the Townsville Bulletin reveal the celebrity-chasing lifestyle of the convicted drug importer and police informant, before he was drawn into a dangerous underworld of violence, undercover operatives and outlaw motorcycle gangs.While some who know him speak of Brown as a man who was not quite part of the “in crowd” – ..

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• Crab pot croc

  

  A FORMER Mossman resident has described his shock after finding a two metre long saltwater crocodile inside his crab pot on a recent trip to the tip of Cape York.Peter Kassulke, who was born in the Far North but now lives in the Lockyer Valley, was fishing at Punsand Bay with friends when they noticed the reptile had curled up inside one of their pots.“When we saw it we were walking down with a bucket and my mate said ‘I think we’ll need a bigger bucket’,” Mr Kassulke said.“We just threw a towel..

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• Going raw

  

  If  you suffer from food allergies, it’s likely you’ve had to make some tough decisions. Eat the delicious treat and be sick for the next few days, or skip it and live with regret?Luckily there’s a way you can get around this culinary Sophie’s choice and raw chef Rosemary Schmid wants to show you how.A former naturopath, she was compelled to learn more about the benefits of raw foods thanks to her “long line of dodgy genes”, which see many of her family members suffering from gluten and dairy in..

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• Dugong debate drags on

  

  THE sorry tale of the Port Hinchinbrook dugong statue has taken another turn, with reports the 785kg bronze sculpture has been sold to a foreigner who visits “once in a blue moon”.Created for Port Hinchinbrook developer, the late Keith Williams, by celebrated Hamilton Island artist, Foot Young, the dugong started life peacefully, and was perched at the entrance to the luxury residential estate in Cardwell for 14 years.Then, in February 27, 2014, thieves stole the $90,000 monument and dumped it i..

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• Making or UN-doing of Big Kev

  

  I HAVE been perplexed recently by the fury in the hard Right at the prospect of Kevin Rudd becoming UN Secretary-General.Not only would it be the perfect result for him but it would, in fact, be the perfect result for them.As everyone knows I have a bit of a soft spot for the Ruddster – I guess we nerds with spectrum disorders have to stick together.But even if I hated him as much as the Right does I would be championing his bid from the rooftops.Here are eight reasons why:1. Team AustraliaThe w..

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Former Black Caviar assistant trainer enjoying new start in Townsville .	Pauline Hanson won't identify Muslims in One Nation because it could 'put them in danger' .
Food fiesta trucks bring tasty delights .	Man critical after stabbing .