Author: Cameron McCullough

ANZAC Day services and marches will be held at 12 Mornington Peninsula towns on Anzac Day, Thursday 25 April. Services will be held at different times and locations throughout the day to ensure everyone has an opportunity to attend and pay tribute to those who served and died in war. Traditional dawn services are planned, as well as marches and additional remembrance services later in the day. This year’s Anzac Day marks the 104th anniversary of the Gallipoli landing in 1915. The spirit of Anzac continues to play a role in the community through the qualities of courage, mateship and…

Emergency services are currently at the scene of a fatal crash at Rye. It is believed a vehicle was travelling along Browns Road about 4.30pm when the driver lost control and collided with a tree. The male driver and sole occupant, who is yet to be formally identified, died at the scene. The exact circumstances surrounding the crash are yet to be established and the investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information or who witnessed the incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au

AT the last meeting of the committee of the Ragged Boys’ Home it was reported that 40 boys were in residence at the Frankston Home, and it was agreed that a new wing be added to the home. Mr. J. Menzies, M.L.A. the chairman, announced that a donation of £100 had been promised for this work. Mr. William Brown was elected a member of the committee, and Mr Rushberry was appointed assistant secretary. *** THE date of the next meeting of the Frankston Progress Association has been moved forward a week to avoid the Easter holidays. *** FRANKSTON Repatriation Committee.…

Why use all of a runway, when you can take off and land using as little of it as possible? In recent years, short take off and landing (STOL) competitions have become more popular across the world, as a test of a pilot’s skill and the aircraft’s agility. The spectacle attracts large crowds overseas. The inaugural Australian STOL Championships has been organised by Peninsula Aero Club at Tyabb and Paul Bennet Airshows, and will be held on Sunday 14 April. Pilots are coming from across Australia to try and fly a circuit with the shortest possible ground run followed by…

A PARTY from Frankston House had an unpleasant experience whilst out motoring one day last week. In endeavoring to pass a vehicle, which claimed a monopoly of the road, the motor car was overturned. The occupants were all more or less injured, and the driver (Mr Goulding) was severely cut with the glass from the broken wind screen. The members of the party consisted of Mrs Fossitt, of Melbourne, and her son, Private Fossitt, (who has just returned from active service in France), Miss Hay, Miss Box Miss Matters, and Miss Doughty. Fortunately Mrs Fossitt and Miss Doughty were not…

THE sum outstanding in the Shire of Frankston and Hastings for arrears of rates totals something like £800. At last Thursday’s Council meeting it was decided to get this amount in without further loss of time. Defaulters are given 14 days in which to pay up, failing which legal proceedings will be instituted. Ratepayers, who through carelessness or oversight have neglected to pay their rates, would do well to communicate with the shire secretary immediately. *** ATTENTION is directed to the advertisement of Mr M. L. Goulding appearing in another column. Mr Goulding, who saw active service with the 58th.…

The roar of engines in the dead of night was deafening, and the commotion the largest Tyabb has ever seen. But by sunrise, the only sign of the previous night’s strange activity was a familiar light blue 747 parked off the runway at Tyabb’s airport. Yes, Trump had touched down, and he was a man on a mission. He had endured a partial government shut-down to get it, but he finally had the cash to build his wall and, quite frankly, it was burning a hole in his pocket. Back in Washington, Trump’s lightning visit was top of the discussion…

A man has died in Port Philip Bay off Mount Eliza this afternoon. Police were called to Daveys Bay, Pelican Point about 12.50pm. A male snorkeler, who is yet to be formally identified, was located unresponsive in the water by a friend. Paramedics attended the scene but the man unfortunately died. Police will prepare a report for the coroner.

Police are searching for two men following two incidents of theft and assault in Pearcedale in January and February. On 20 January at about 8pm it is believed two men have approached the victim outside his home on East Road and punched him to the face before stealing cash from his car. The victim received minor injuries. The men ran to a SUV which was driven away by a third man. On 17 February it is believed the two men returned to the same location in a silver Nissan sedan. One of the men smashed the windscreen of the same…

A man has died in Port Philip Bay off Mount Eliza this afternoon. Police were alerted to the missing snorkeler in the water off Daveys Bay Road when he failed to return to shore just after 5pm. Water Police and the Police Air Wing conducted a search of the area and the yet to be formally identified man was located on the sea floor by the police helicopter just after 6pm. Police will prepare a report for the coroner.

Water police are appealing for public assistance following reports of a paddle boarder seen in distress at Rosebud this afternoon. Police received reports a man on a stand up board was seen in distress in the water approximately 500 metres from the Rosebud pier on Point Nepean Road about 3.45pm. Local police, water police and the PolAir helicopter searched the area and were unable to locate the man believed to be wearing a black wet suit. Police are keen to speak to anyone that may have been paddle boarding in the Rosebud area this afternoon or anyone that may know…

A yet to be formally identified man has drowned in Frankston South this afternoon. He failed to surface after swimming with people in a dam at Baxter Park just after 3pm. Emergency services searched the area for a number of hours. The man’s body was located in the dam just after 6pm. Police will prepare a report for the coroner.

THE notional “opening” of a new Rosebud train station on the weekend was an opening salvo in a campaign for a rail link along the western side of the Mornington Peninsula. Past estimates have put the cost at $5 billion and any bid for public money will come at the same time that Mornington Peninsula Shire says priority should be given to the electrification of the line from Frankston to Hastings. Frankston Council, meanwhile, is content for the line to be electrified as far as Langwarrin or Baxter. However, urban and regional planner Robert Whitehill says a railway to Rosebud…

A man has drowned while swimming at Bushrangers Bay Beach near Cape Schanck this afternoon. The man was with a friend when they both got into trouble about 5pm. Police and emergency services located the male in the water about 6.30pm. Attempts were made to resuscitate the man however he died at the scene. The female swimmer made it back to shore safely. Police will prepare a report for the coroner.

A man will be without his licence and his car after he was detected drink driving in Hastings early this morning. Hasting police spotted the man as he was attempting to drive his ute off Reid Parade and onto the Stony Point railway line just before midnight. The vehicle became stuck on the tracks and had to be removed by a tow truck. The driver, a 38-year-old Safety Beach man, was accompanied by police to Mornington Police Station where he returned a breath test of 0.243. His licence was immediately suspended and a suspension notice will be served on his…

Police arrested nine people following antisocial behaviour in Rye last night. Police increased patrols due to the unruly behaviour recently in Rye and a number of specialist units attended including Public Order Response Team, Mounted Branch and Dog Squad. A large number of youths gathered at the foreshore area and officers responded to a number of brawls and drunken behaviour about 11pm. Under the Control of Weapons Act, Victoria Police declared the foreshore and immediate surrounds a designated area for a weapons search. More than 30 people were searched for weapons and no arrests were made. Nine people were arrested…

Rosebud police were on hand at Safety Beach on Saturday afternoon to give a lost kangaroo a second chance. They responded to numerous calls that a kangaroo was in the water just off Marine Drive about 5pm yesterday. The kangaroo had made it back to the beach upon their arrival and had been covered in a blanket by a member of the public. Police were monitoring it but it decided to turn around and hop back into the surf. It began to swim but got into difficulty in the swell and breaking waves and went under water a couple of…

FIVE years after her husband was murdered in front of her in a drug-fuelled attack, Bridget O’Toole has been awarded The Royal Humane Society of Australasia’s 2017 Clarke Gold Medal. The Clarke Medal is the society’s highest award for the most outstanding case of bravery considered during the year. The Clarke Gold Medal was presented by The Right Honourable the Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Councillor Sally Capp at Melbourne Town Hall on 23 August. Mrs O’Toole was attacked by Gavin Perry, 27, after the parolee entered their High Street Hastings jewellery store in July 2013. Brandishing a 20cm carving knife,…

THERE was hardly a spare seat in the house as renowned adolescent and child psychologist, Dr Michael Carr-Gregg came to St Macartan’s Primary School to talk on the art of parenting. One of Australia’s highest profile experts in the field, he is the author of 12 books, sits on the board of the Family Peace Foundation and the National Centre Against Bullying. He is a contributor to numerous print publications, and is a regular on television and radio where he is often consulted about parenting and the raising of children. The initiative, organised by the school’s parents association, was open…

The fire brigade are currently at the scene of a car fire on Nepean Highway, near Craigie Road. Units from Mornington and Mt Martha are in attendance. It is not known if there are any injuries. Pictures: Sherri Sibio

Emergency services are currently on the scene of a large house fire on Nepean Highway in Mornington. The house is situated near McDonalds and directly across the road from the Mornington fire station. The house was fully ablaze and has been completely destroyed. Units were called from Mount Martha, Moorooduc and Frankston to assist. Breathing apparatus equipment has been requested from Frankston and a request for units from Hallam has been made. It is believed these may be hazmat units. Ambulance services are in attendance and appear to be treating a couple of men on the scene. It is not…

Somerville Highway Patrol officers nabbed a driver speeding at more than 75km over the speed limit in Frankston last night (1 August). Police clocked the Ford Territory allegedly travelling at 175kmp/h in a 100km zone on the Peninsula Link near the intersection of Frankston-Dandenong Road just after 8.30pm. The vehicle exited Peninsula Link on Thames Promenade and police located the vehicle on the side of the road with what appeared to be a blown engine. The driver, a 39-year-old Carrum Downs man has been charged with reckless conduct endangering life, reckless conduct endangering serious injury, manner dangerous, speed dangerous and…

Police responded to an incident at a holiday park in Dromana last night. Emergency services were initially called to the Nepean Highway, near Kangerong Avenue, following reports that a gunshot was heard about 8.10pm. Local police, with the assistance of the Dog Squad and Critical Incident Response Team, set up a cordon at the holiday park about 9.30pm. A 51-year-old man was taken into custody without incident about 11.25pm. It has since been established that an alleged altercation occurred between the man and another male earlier in the night. That male was arrested for being drunk at the same location…

Police have arrested a man following a robbery and an assault in Hastings earlier this morning. The incident took place on High Street just after 2am on Saturday 30 June. The victim, a 40-year-old Hastings man, told police that he was on his daughter’s scooter when he saw another man walking towards him. As the man walked past the victim, he allegedly struck the victim to the back of his head knocking him off the scooter. The man grabbed the scooter and using it as a weapon, allegedly struck the victim on his elbow and foot. The man then ran…

Police are currently on scene of a fatal car crash that has claimed the life of a man at Merricks North this evening. It is believed a vehicle was travelling south along Tubbarubba Road near Balnarring Road about 5.45pm. Police have been told the vehicle lost control and left the road before crashing into a tree. The male driver, who is yet to be formally identified, died at the scene. Anyone who witnessed the crash is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au

Homicide Squad detectives have charged a fourth person relating to the death of a man located in Tyabb on 22 October 2017. A 46-year-old Elwood woman has today been charged with murder and false imprisonment. She has been remanded to appear in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court tomorrow. Homicide Squad detectives previously charged a 52-year-old Crib Point man, a 34-year-old Hastings man and a 36-year-old Hastings woman with murder and false imprisonment.

IT is with great sadness that we announce we have lost our colleague, Andrew Kelly, to cancer. Andrew wrote sport for Mornington Peninsula News Group since 2012, but had been a fixture of local football for decades. He called football for RPPFM, and was widely known as the ‘voice’ of footy on the peninsula. Andrew was diagnosed with cancer early this year, and died on Saturday morning, 5 May. Andrew’s family put out the following statement: “Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to everyone who messaged Toe Punt to support, encourage and send best wishes over the course…

Police are today continuing the search for missing 23-year-old camper Sebastian Orefors. Sebastian was camping with friends in Wonyip and was last seen on Friday night about 7.30pm walking south along an unamed track off Randalls Track. Police have concerns for the Mount Martha man given the time he has been missing. Local police along with Search and Rescue and SES searched the Wonyip area yesterday but were unable to locate Sebastian. The search is contionuing today. Sebastian is described as 178cm tall and a medium build with a fair completion and nose ring. He was last seen wearing black…

A fourth person has been charged following the fatal shooting of a man in Rosebud last year. Detectives from the Homicide Squad yesterday arrested and charged a 46-year-old Rosebud man with one count of murder. He will appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court today. On Tuesday a 25-year-old-man and a 31-year-old woman were arrested in Smithfield, New South Wales in relation to the matter. The man has been charged with murder while the woman has been charged with being an accessory to murder. They were subsequently extradited to Victoria and remanded in custody to appear in court at a later date.…

A man and woman were arrested last night over the fatal shooting of a 31-year-old man in Rosebud last year. The shooting allegedly occurred on Eastbourne Road on 3 September, 2017. A Mount Waverley man was found in the passenger seat of a vehicle with a gun-shot wound to his head about 8pm. He was taken to hospital but died the following night. A 25-year-old-man and a 31-year-old woman were arrested in Smithfield, New South Wales about 7.15pm last night. The man has been charged with murder while the woman has been charged with being an accessory to murder. An…