This week’s edition comes straight to you from November in the year 2000, and will be delivered in two parts – you can check out part one here.

It was a happening time for the city – here’s what was making news.

Determined Batlow fruit growers have sounded a clear message at a crisis meeting called to discuss the draft Import Risk Analysis on apples from New Zealand: “We don’t want fire blight here”. Almost 300 growers and concerned residents gathered at the Batlow RSL hall to fight for their livelihoods and their community as scientists from Biosecurity Australia presented their recommendations on New Zealand apple imports.

Two Wagga surgeons will be the first to perform surgery at the new West Wyalong Hospital. Dr David Littlejohn and Dr Kris Urbaniak will each operate for one four-hour session a month. The hospital opened a year ago, but the theatre has not yet been used.

Dean McCorquodale hasn’t had a decent haircut in 17 years, but the father-of-four is preparing to lose it all for a good cause. The 42-year-old’s last haircut was for his wedding, he’s sported a moustache for 20 years and has been cultivating a beard for 15 years, but come the weekend it will all be gone – and the funds raised in the process will be passed on to Camp Quality and the Asthma Foundation.

A borrowed cricket bat which looks as if it’s seen better days will always hold a special place in Wagga teenager Todd Henderson’s sporting memories. The 13-year-old cricketer blasted his maiden century with the bat on the weekend to save his team from disaster. Batting at number six for RSL Club’s under 15 Rams team, Henderson scored a blistering 131 runs in just over 20 overs and shared a remarkable 163-run partnership with Michael Levett. He came in with the Rams reeling at 5-68.

A great-grandmother-of-nine from Young became an instant millionaire on Monday night when she won Lotto’s division one prize. The winner said she had chosen the winning numbers on her standard 10-panel entry by combining family birthdays with random numbers written on paper and pulled them out of a jar.

Riverina highlands residents united as one in Tumut to voice their concerns on the dilapidated state of roads within the region. “Appalling”, “dismal”, “in need of repair” and “inadequate for loads they have to carry” were all descriptions of the rapidly deteriorating roads within the Tumut Shire at a special public meeting.

Despite having 11 teams, Hume League will consider returning to the traditional final four format at its annual general meeting.

A long-time dream to play in an Olympic Games for former Wagga hockey star Adam Commens came true during the recently completed Sydney spectacular. A bronze medal and a piece of sporting history is now part of the 24-year-old’s resume, but that has not dampened his appetite for success. Commens’ eyes are now firmly on the Athens Olympics in 2004.

A burning ambition to coach a premiership winning team has Farrer League sharpshooter Matt Carroll facing his biggest challenge. Carroll, who has been assistant coach at The Rock-Yerong Creek for the past two seasons, signed with Rivcoll as captain-coach for next season. The 29-year-old was last season’s leading goalkicker with more than 100 majors to his credit and finished the season with a grand final success with the Magpies.

Two men had a brush with death when their twin-engined aircraft crash-landed at Hay Aerodrome. The crash occurred around 9.20am in bad weather and resulted in the pair being rushed to hospital with multiple injuries. The Cessna Aerostar was travelling from Sydney to Hay for Air Express and experienced engine failure as it approached for its final descent, an Ambulance SNSW spokesperson said.

Two of Wagga’s most promising softball players have been named in state sides for the Australian National women’s softball tournament. Amanda Wheeler and Danielle Curtois are both headed interstate, with Wheeler lining up in the opens division on Perth and Curtois wearing the NSW colours with pride in Hobart for the under 19s.