HelloPlus: Exploring Life & Philosophy.
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Cold case breakthrough in Castlemaine woman’s death
Homicide Squad detectives have charged a man in relation to the death of Castlemaine woman and mother of two, Samantha Mizzi, in St Kilda 31 years ago. Colin George McKane, 67, was arrested in Ararat early Thursday. He has been charged with murder and two counts of rape and appeared at Melbourne Magistrates Court late…
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Learner driver mentors needed
Young learner drivers who otherwise wouldn’t have had access to a car or a supervising driver have spent more than one million hours behind the wheel thanks to the Transport Accident Commission’s L2P Program. The program aims to provide opportunities for young people to overcome disadvantages through community support to successfully obtain their driver’s licence.…
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A magical musical journey
Following the success of 2024’s The Addams Family, Gisborne Secondary College and Kyneton High School reunite this month to present Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s acclaimed musical Into the Woods. This clever and heartfelt production intertwines beloved fairytales – Cinderella, Jack, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel – with the story of a baker and his…
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League says ‘we want you’
Last night the Ballarat Football Netball League carried a strong 46-4 vote in favour of Gisborne FNC joining the league next season. This is a further step in the saga surrounding the Gisborne club’s whereabouts in 2026. The vote by the Ballarat League’s board members and delegates from 10 clubs considered Gisborne’s application to leave…
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Valley Road at Lauriston
The big hit from last year’s Live and Local event, Valley Road (Marty McKenna and Rebecca Jane Howell) will be presenting a concert of their delightful songs at Lauriston Hall on Saturday August 30. The hugely popular duo has just been recording their new CD, so they’ll have even more wonderful music to share. Their…
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Brigades step up for fundraiser
A firefighter in their full turnout gear is not what you expect to see at the gym, and definitely not using the stair master. But it has become the norm for Ashley Krive. The Malmsbury firefighter has begun training for the gruelling Melbourne Firefighter Stair-climb in recreating the experience. “Training has become a bit more…
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Wildlife road-strikes: A growing crisis in Victoria
Kerrie Allen, Mount Alexander Wildlife Watch If you’ve recently spoken about wildlife road-strikes, you’re not alone. The issue has become so widespread and distressing that a Parliamentary Inquiry is currently under way in Victoria. The reasons are obvious — rapid urban development and a booming human population have collided head-on with native wildlife habitats. In…
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Ambulance response times revealed
Paramedics in the Macedon Ranges attended 777 critical incidents with lights and sirens during the past three months and the average response time was 16 minutes and 44 seconds. Ambulance Victoria released data last week and revealed the mean response times for all Code 1 incidents. The Macedon Ranges was slower than the state-wide average…
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Councils hamstrung, wildlife inquiry reveals
New technologies and ideas have emerged to reduce wildlife road-strike, but councils are hamstrung by limited finances and autonomy, Macedon Ranges Shire Council says. “Residents want councils to act more quickly with more resources to do a whole range of things: put in electronic responsive signage, underpasses, overpasses and narrow roads,” chief executive officer Bernie…
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Inquiry hears of burn out
Wildlife carers across the region are burning out amid increasing case loads and cost pressures, the Victorian Parliament’s inquiry into wildlife road-strike has heard. Local wildlife carers called for increased funding opportunities and reimbursement programs for wildlife rescuers, driver education, and funding for a range of road-strike prevention opportunities. “There are so many pressures with…
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Don’t risk your life on the rail network
Victorians are being urged to be safe around trains and at level crossings, with more than 250 near hits with pedestrians and vehicles recorded on the V/Line network in the past 12 months. There were 194 near hits with pedestrians over the past year, up more than 55 per cent on last year. Of the…
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Kyneton in revival mode
Kyneton Cricket Club dates back to 1855, and last season many locals and outsiders found it hard to believe the club was unable to field a senior men’s team. Well, things are about to chance in the 2025-26 season with new president Dan May at the helm, aided by a small and very keen group…