If you're reading this, it means you're a subscriber to the Mudgee Guardian, maybe you've not received one of these before.

We've welcomed a lot of new paying subscribers recently and let me thank you personally for deciding to support us. It's why we do what we do.

This week was tough.

Most of which for the family and friends of Natan Darcy who after going missing following a night out with friends on Saturday - was, sadly, found deceased in Mudgee's CBD. Speaking with Nate's family, they generously shared with us a tribute which we're printing on the front page of Friday's newspaper.

You can get a first-look at the front page below:

Royal Commission

Three days of hearings as part of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety were held at Parklands on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday this week. The Mudgee Guardian attended and followed the - at times - clinical and lengthy hearings. It heard from people involved directly with providers like Pioneer House and the families of residents in aged carers in the region.

It was confronting.

The incredible Nadine Morton and myself covered the bulk of the hearings and every story is worth a read. It's shocking to read at times, but it's important to expose the realities of the aged care sector in an effort to force those in power to act and provide care for those in need.

Subscriber competition winners

Congrats to our three recent competition winners for each nabbing one double-pass in our A Farewell to Doris Exclusive Subscriber Giveaway valued at $109.80 each.

One of the perks of being a subscriber is getting a chance to enter our subs-only giveaways. Winning these passes more than paid for a whole year's subscription!

We got some fantastic feedback from one of our winners which I'd love to share with you:

'Thank you so much...I've never been game to enter anything online (I'm very weary of online) as I'm old school (50 years of age)...we used to get the paper delivered, then that stopped and we missed out, so decided to take the plunge and purchase a subscription online...my husband and I used to sit at the breakfast bar and read the print versions together - and then come back to them during the week, but I now need to remind my husband to read it as it's online (and not in plain sight).

BUT I still love the paper, love reading the Guardian and am happy with the subscription...thank you again for the tickets, I'll take my sister with me for a girl's night out".

How are you?

If you've read this far, I commend you, I can waffle on a bit. I'll let you in on a little secret.

Probably one of the questions I get asked the most lately is 'where are you moving to?'. Well, I can't say where just yet, but what I CAN say is that we can reveal the address next week sometime and you as subscribers will be the first to know.

Once we're in and settled I reckong it'd be cool to hold a subscriber-only tour through the new digs, what do you think?

I hope you have a great Friday, enjoy your weekend and as always, may all your news be good.

- Ben Palmer, Editor