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MORNINGTON PENINSULA: Safety at back beaches

Saturday, February 22, 2025

Greater safeguards are needed at Morn-ington Peninsula back beaches, according to a petition presented to Parliament by Nepean MLA Sam Groth.“In 2023–2024, Victoria had its highest summer drowning total on record with 26 lives lost,” the petition says.“The back beaches of the Mornington Peninsula can be dangerous and are generally unpatrolled.”The petition calls on the…

Police News

MAROONDAH: Arrests after Ringwood burglary

Protective Service Officers have arrested two men following an aggravated burglary in Ringwood on Saturday morning (Feb. 22).Police were first alerted to the pair after a woman woke to the sound of glass shattering at her Hobart St property about 1am.The victim locked herself in her bedroom after she heard voices and called police.It is…

Local People

PEOPLE: It’s curtains for family business

The doors will shut this weekend at Curtain City – a landmark in Waterdale Rd, Heidelberg Heights.Curtain City’s leader Linda Jenkins (pictured) is still working at 81.Linda reflects back to Melbourne in 1965, when new homes, with bigger windows, were being built.The previously popular venetian blinds were lacking in insulation and aesthetics. Lined drapes were…

Letters

LETTERS: Heath Minister writes to us

Sir,I want to be frank with readers in your community.Our government will not force the merger of any health service in Victoria, and we will not make cuts to frontline staff.We are getting on with expanding access to the frontline care that all Victorians deserve.The time has come to call out Brad Battin and his…

Letters

WHITTLESEA: What is the Mayor really like?

Sir,What is Whittlesea Mayor Aidan McLindon really like?There has been a lot of adverse publicity raised against our new Mayor of Whittlesea City Council , Aidan McLindon.I met Aidan several months before the local elections when we both ran as candidates for Whittlesea Council last year. We both held similar values and what we wanted…

Observer

OBSERVER: Arts Column with Peter Kemp

Image Economics.In a visual landscape where images proliferate and morph in virtual growth capable of swaying elections, mobilising mass movements and influencing identities and social norms, Image Economics offers a timely reappraisal of how the digital, networked world permeates our offline lives.The digital tools and systems that generate, store or process data – along with…

Emergency Services

YARRA RANGES: House fire at Kilsyth

Fire Rescue Victoria crews responded to a house fire in Mt Dandenong Rd, Kilsyth on Friday morning (Feb. 21) after multiple calls to Triple Zero (000) around 2.08am. Crews arrived on scene within seven minutes to find smoke and flames issuing from the roof of the single storey brick house, so the response was escalated….

Observer

OBSERVER: First Nations artists at Melbourne Art Fair

A major new exhibition has opened showcasing Victorian First Nations artists from across the state. Colin Brooks (PIctured), Minister for Creative Industries, attended the 2025 Melbourne Art Fair to see the Victorian First Peoples Art and Design Fair Showcase Exhibition, which celebrates the rich cultural and creative diversity of Victorian First Nations artists. Co-curated by…

Police News

WEST: 10 clocked at excessive speed

Police have been left dismayed after 10 drivers were caught travelling at dangerously high speeds across Horsham and the Wimmera region. Stawell Uniform officers intercepted several drivers, with the majority caught exceeding the speed limit by more than 25-kmh. Six drivers had their licences suspended on the spot, including a probationary driver who was allegedly…

Police News

FRANKSTON: Bus-ted at Seaford

Two men were arrested in Seaford on Thursday night (Feb. 20) after they broke into a storage yard and made off with a passenger bus. The alarm was raised when a witness noticed two men with bolt cutters break into the depot on Milne Avenue about 7.30pm. Frankston Police were quickly on scene and spotted…