The quiet Riverina town is known best for its licorice and chocolate production, its rich rail history and haunted house on the hill.

But 2017 has also been a big year for news in the town.

Residents celebrated the usual events – Anzac Day, Australia Day and the arrival of Christmas –  at railway square, which has long been a much-loved meeting place.

Anything that’s happening in the town that the community is invited to, chances are it’s happening there. 

And the crowds never disappoint, with people turning out in droves to celebrate.

The community can always be counted on to support a good cause or important event.

This was further proof when locals banded together to save the Athenium, raising money to fund refurbishments and carrying out the labour themselves.

The result was the restoration of one of the town’s biggest icons and a valuable piece of Riverina history.

The Baldry and McInerney families also saw the extent Junee residents would go to help one of their own after members of both families endured tragedy and residents agreed to assist.

And with the good came the bad.

The region played host to a number of sad stories, including the crash that claimed the life of beloved family man Lucas Dowell from Gundagai.

Our reporters were on the scene for most of the stand-off as police monitored a man who refused to come down from the roof of the Loco Hotel for about 24 hours.

We also helped to track the highs, and lows, of the town’s beloved sporting teams.

The reason we have had such a successful year is because of you, the general public.

Through providing voices for the stories, posing for photographs or paying for advertising, you’ve allowed the Southern Cross to tell the stories that matter.

And we will return to do it all again in 2018 with the first print edition to appear on January 18.

If you have a story to be told, you can still contact the Southern Cross through madeleine.clarke@fairfaxmedia.com.au.

You can still read the latest news at www.juneesoutherncross.com.au.

The Southern Cross would like to wish readers a merry Christmas, happy holidays and all the best for a safe and happy new year.