The South Coast Regional Wrap | Monday, December 19, 2016

8.36am: That's a wrap for this morning. Remember to check in on your local paper's website for breaking news throughout the day.

8.25am: It’s been a long time coming but Tathra has its wharf back.

The heritage-listed Tathra Wharf is now officially back in working order, with a community announcement being made on Friday afternoon by Member for Bega Andrew Constance and Mayor Kristy McBain. Find out more.

8.15am: Once again Warbler Crescent in North Narooma comes alive with the amazing light show at Trevor “Santa” Bennett’s home to celebrate Christmas and raise money for the Childrens’ Starlight Foundation. See more photos.

8.09am: Summer patrols of beaches within the Kiama municipality begin on Saturday, December 17. 

Supervising lifeguard Andy Mole said all seven beaches would be patrolled seven days a week until Australia Day. Find out more.

7.59am: Right it’s time to change the subject. 

7.45am: Why are flies worse at this time of year? 

To find out why the Shoalhaven has experienced such a rapid increase in volume of flies, we chatted with Dr Bryan Lessard (aka Bry the Fly Guy) a postdoctoral Research Fellow with the CSIRO. Find out more.

7.40am: A motorcyclist has been flown to St George Hospital with serious head and body injuries after crashing into a concrete barrier on Memorial Drive, Woonona on Saturday morning. Full story.

7.36am: Several sharks were spotted off beaches at Merimbula and Pambula on Saturday, including four large whalers. Find out more.

7.30am: The body of a person has been found after a fire at a holiday park outside Merimbula.

Emergency services attended the Millingandi park at 3.35pm on Saturday after a caravan caught fire. Full story.

Cloudy. Slight (20%) chance of a shower in the morning and early afternoon. Light winds becoming NE 15 to 25 km/h in the middle of the day. Daytime maximum temperatures in the low to mid 20s. Deceptively powerful surf conditions are expected to be hazardous for coastal activities such as rock fishing and swimming.

For those hitting the road this morning we’ve got a clear run so far. Good news for train commuters, there are no delays on the South Coast line.

WANGARATTA | Murderers to face possible life in prison

Life sentences could potentially be handed down to two violent men who will face court separately on Monday over two of the most horrific crimes in Wangaratta in recent years. More here.

TAFE | Costly computer system bungle results in TAFE revenue being underestimated by $138 million

TAFE NSW spent more than $10 million to discover it had understated its revenue from skills training by $138 million, the auditor general has reported. More here.

NSW | Drug lord's wife Kristen Moukhallaletti refused bail over 'unacceptable risk' of interfering with witness

A woman who was caught allegedly threatening her drug lord husband's co-accused as well as laundering the proceeds of his crimes has claimed she will lose her job with the Department of Family and Community Services if she does not get bail. More here.

SYDNEY | Mullet defamation case gets a haircut as Sydney teen Ali Ziggi Mosslmani suffers setback

A western Sydney teenager suing three media outlets for allegedly mocking him for sporting a "hair-larious" mullet has suffered a setback in his defamation case, after a judge took the scissors to major parts of his claim. More here.

NEW YORK | New York's 'wailing wall' providing subway therapy in Trump's America

"This is our new western wailing wall."

Miriam Blaustein regards a patchwork quilt of sticky notes that's turning an expanding stretch of Manhattan's Union Square subway station fluorescent. More here.

BEIJING | China will give back seized drone after Trump slams Beijing over issue

China's defence ministry said it has engaged in talks with the United States about returning an underwater drone it had seized in the South China Sea, but said Washington had not helped matters by "hyping up" the issue. More here.

LONDON | Rolf Harris to 'attend' his sexual assault trial by video link from prison

Rolf Harris will be a 'virtual defendant' at his sex assault trial next year, in what a judge said may be a British legal first. In a pre-trial hearing on Thursday at Southwark Crown court, judge Alistair McCreath ruled that given the age and health of Harris, who is 86, exceptional circumstances justified his attendance by video link. More here.

1843 - Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" was first published in England. 

1972 - Apollo 17 splashed down in the Pacific, ending the Apollo program of manned lunar landings. 

1973 - Johnny Carson started a fake toilet-paper scare on the "Tonight Show." 

1997 - The first "Star Wars" web comic was released on StarWars.com. It was Crimson Empire #0. 

1998 - U.S. President Bill Clinton was impeached on two charges of perjury and obstruction of justice by the U.S. House of Representatives.