Samuel O'Brien

1 month ago | abc.net.au | Conor Burke |Samuel O'Brien

Sarah Eccles-Smith suffered an electric shock inside her house when lightning struck her home as she flicked a light switch. About 46,000 lightning strikes hit South Australia during storms on Monday, mainly in the state's south-east. Ms Eccles-Smith returned to work the next day, is feeling only minimal lingering effects. A South Australian woman thought she was going to die when electricity from a lightning bolt travelled through power lines to her house and then to her arm.

Dec 12, 2024 | abc.net.au | Josh Brine |Samuel O'Brien

Growers say more people are buying cut or potted Christmas trees than a few years ago. Perceived sustainability and lower costs in some areas are contributing to the trend. Used trees can be cut up and used as mulch. For seven-year-old Teddy, picking out his family's Christmas tree is one of the most exciting parts of preparation for the big day. "Getting a Christmas tree means you're just getting into the Christmas feel," he said.

Oct 4, 2024 | abc.net.au | Conor Burke |Samuel O'Brien |Josh Brine

Sweet-toothed shoppers are being warned to expect a rise in chocolate prices heading into the new year due to an ongoing cocoa crisis. The price of cocoa reached an all-time high in April with a recent report by Rabobank predicting the increased costs will be passed on to consumers by early 2025. Rhiannon Druce, whose family runs an organic chocolate factory in Junee, NSW, said the industry has been bracing for the impacts of the crisis.

May 6, 2024 | synapse.ucsf.edu | Samuel O'Brien

The social determinants of health are the underlying factors that influence our health outside of the doctor’s office, including the environments in which we work, live, and play. And the science is well-documented — when it comes to long-term health, an individual’s zip code is more important than the code in their DNA.

Jan 18, 2024 | mansfieldcourier.com.au | Samuel O'Brien

Environment Reviewing 2023’s weather patterns Jan 17 2024 Updated January 17, 2024 THE past year’s weather has kept the residents of the Mansfield Shire on their toes. Mansfield saw 839.9 millimetres of rain in 2023, below the high mark set in 2 There's more to this story... Subscribe to Mansfield Courier.