Last Top Stories: Team visits theCoastto help keep kids alive

• Team visits theCoastto help keep kids alive

  

  PARENTS and kids have been treated to an educational visit by the Kids Alive team at Swim 1 in Coolum Beach and other centres across the Sunshine Coast.Keen youngsters have been having a great time as they learn how to be safe around water.Swim centre owner Angela Sumpton said the program was part of Energy Australia SwimSAFER Week and incorporated skills for children and their parents."It's crucial to understand that kids are never safe around water, but there are thing we can do to make them s..

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• Paddle-out shows mood for change on climate

  

  WITH the biggest United Nations climate conference of the decade about to happen in Paris, Sunshine Coasters paddled out together to send a powerful message to governments around the world as part of a global day of climate action.Hundreds of Sunshine Coasters from all walks of life and of all ages gathered at First Point, Noosa, yesterday for the event.Ocean-goers arrived with their surfboards, paddleboards and a variety of surf craft and formed a circle just off Noosa Main Beach.Sunshine Coast..

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• Sophie, the nine-year-old surfer with cerebral palsy

  

  NOTHING stops nine-year-old Sophie Hopson and with an organisation such as the Sunshine Coast branch of the Disabled Surfers Association of Australia there to support her, she can ride the waves at Maroochydore and experience the feeling only a surfer knows.Sophie has cerebral palsy - a physical disability that affects movement and posture - meaning she relies heavily on a wheelchair, but she doesn't let that hold her back.She describes her chair as pretty special, pointing out it can be special..

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• Vandals make a mess ofCoastmural masterpiece

  

  THE creator of the iconic seascape mural on a Coast canefield shed says he is "gutted" it has been vandalised for a second time in as many months."I GOT a lump in my throat when I saw a photo of the graffiti tagging posted on the Facebook community page," artist Owen Cavanagh told Sunshine Coast Sunday."I felt saddened, I felt gutted."Police are looking for the culprits who painted over Mr Cavanagh's mural of Old Woman Island, featuring offshore waves, which he painted in 2001 on a shed near the..

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• Mercer wins at Coolum

  SURF LIFESAVING: Noosa Heads golden girl Jordan Mercer claimed a breakthrough win in the Nutri-Grain Ironwoman Series, with a polished display in round two at Coolum Beach today.After coming so close on half-a-dozen other occasions in recent seasons, the daughter of ironman icon and former Coolangatta Gold champion Darren Mercer nabbed a memorable victory in front of family and friends."For a while I became quite comfortable being close to that win and it's almost all I knew...but I knew a win w..

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• So much achieved but plenty still to do

  

  HE'S rubbed shoulders with royals, cut business deals with premiers and travelled the world in search of resources.But if you were ever lucky enough to meet Doug Traves OBE, you wouldn't hear it from him.The unassuming father of four and grandfather to six celebrated his 90th birthday last Wednesday with the people who were only too proud to list his achievements, his family.Doug has squeezed a lot into 90 years.Growing up in the northern suburbs of Brisbane, he attended Brisbane Grammar and exc..

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• Potoroo sightings dubbed an environment levy success

  

  THE elusive long-nosed potoroo has been caught on camera making surprise appearances at council and private properties on the Sunshine Coast.Environment Portfolio councillor Jenny McKay says the sightings are evidence the Environment Levy Program is making a real difference to the Coast's native wildlife, with conservation and biodiversity protection programs achieving positive results."The long-nosed potoroo is listed as vulnerable under state and Australian legislation, so you can imagine our ..

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• Lego League robotics win shows kids are on the ball

  A SUNSHINE Coast school has claimed a major prize for robotics.Buddina State School entered two teams in the First Lego League competition last week at QUT's Caboolture campus and the Year 5 Know Ideas team won the programming award.Schools from across south-east Queensland competed in challenges that made them think like scientists and engineers. They built, tested and programmed autonomous robots using Lego Mindstorms technology to solve a set of tasks.Reader pollDo you still play with Lego?Th..

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• DATING: There's a smorgasbord of stereotypes to test

  

  APPARENTLY Brazilian girls don't necessarily have Brazilians. I learnt that on a radio talk show.It made me wonder about other stereotypes we apply to the opposite sex, especially as I've always had a thing for American men. All cute accents, good manners and marvellous teeth. (If you have a friend in the US, please ask them to send one.)But what about French men? Are they really better lovers and the world's best cooks? Will they whip you up a gourmet meal, even if it is steak et frites (to Aus..

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• Brad Pitt wanted 12 kids

  

  BRAD Pitt and Angelina Jolie wanted to have 12 children.The loved-up couple already have their hands tied up with their busy careers and caring for their kids Maddox, 14, Pax, 11, Zahara, 10, Shiloh, nine, and seven-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne, but the hunk has admitted they were initially planning to add another six little ones to their brood.Speaking to the Daily Telegraph newspaper, he said with a smile: "Listen, Angie and I were aiming for a dozen [children], but we crapped out after si..

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