From the newsroom AM 21/8/12

IT'S shaping as a big news day for reporters at The Daily Examiner.

Terry Deefholts is back at the Land and Environment Court hearing into the Happy Paws battle with Clarence Valley Council. He's hoping the hearing will wind up this afternoon.

Terry's also taken some great pictures from a car that exploded into flames in South Grafton last night. It's believed to be a stolen car that was set alight.

Last night's meet the candidates forum in Maclean was huge with around 200 people there to quiz the Clarence Valley Council contenders. Graham Orams will also have more from developer Andrew Baker, whose bombshell announcement of being a director of two companies in receivership was the big news from the night.

There's been plenty of interest in the story about the future of Grafton Catholic priest Fr Rex Hackett. Tim Howard will be asking the Lismore Diocese some more questions today.

Our Facebook post about a mob of pigs running free in the Clarenza region has been a hit. We're trying to track them down and find out where they might have come from and what's happened to them.

The Regional Fire Service believe a number of fires that flared up around Nymboida and Buccarumbi last night were deliberately lit. Lachlan Thompson is chasing up the latest information on this.

The fund raising for brave little Bonnie O'Neill continutes and Lesley Apps is chasing up the latest people who have pitched in to help.

If you have anything you think we would like to know about, give The Daily Examiner a call on 6643 0500.