A MENTONE tobacco shop went up in flames last week in a suspected arson attack. At around 10.50pm on Friday, 7 November, a car allegedly crashed into a tobacco shop on Como Parade West. Police say that a flammable liquid was used to light a fire inside the building. The fire gutted the building, causing extensive damage. Nobody was physically injured. Police say that two alleged offenders fled in a white Toyota Prado which was later seen in convoy with a red sedan. Chelsea SES were among the emergency services to attend the scene. In a statement issued on 8…
Author: Brodie Cowburn
FRANKSTON Council’s planned cuts to its in-home care services have been labelled “deeply concerning and unclear” by Dunkley MP Jodie Belyea. Behind closed doors at their late October meeting, Frankston councillors voted to transition clients across many of its in-home care programs to external providers. Council services set to be phased out by 30 June next year are personal care, domestic assistance including house cleaning and unescorted shopping, respite care, Home and Community Care Program for Younger People assessment services, meals on wheels and delivered meals for HACC-PYP clients only, home maintenance and modifications including gutter cleaning, flexible service response,…
WOMENS DIV ONE A FANTASTIC half-century from Aimee Mellford helped Tooradin extend its unbeaten fun to four games on Sunday. Tooradin travelled to take on Crib Point. Tooradin was sent in to bat first, and set the Magpies a tricky target to chase down. Mellford top scored with an excellent unbeaten 50 from 29 deliveries. Maeve Goldberg played a strong supporting role, scoring 28 from 55 deliveries. After the end of their 20 overs, Tooradin had scored 3/116. Crib Point’s run chase got off to a poor start when both openers were sent back to the sheds for ducks. A…
KINGSTON Council has posted a surplus of $25.5 million for the 2024/2025 financial year, a $17.3 million improvement on the adopted budget’s projection of an $8.2 million surplus. The surplus was revealed in Kingston Council’s annual report, which was published last week. The contract for Mordi Aquatic Centre works being awarded after the adoption of the budget is the main cause of the difference between the projected surplus and the eventual outcome. The annual report read that “council’s total capital works expenditure for 2024–25 was $68.6 million, which is $17.1 million below the approved budget. The variance is primarily due…
FRANKSTON and Kingston Councils have signed an agreement to meet regularly and collaborate on future projects. The “Nepean Partnership” was officially signed off by Frankston and Kingston councillors at their respective public meetings last week. The proposed partnership originally included the Mornington Peninsula Shire, which ultimately declined to sign up amid a bitter fallout with Frankston Council (Canberra trip sparks conflict, The News 26/8/25). A report on the partnership prepared by Frankston Council officers read that “decisions and communications are to be made collaboratively, ensuring transparency and shared ownership of outcomes.” “A Partnership Steering Group, comprising each council’s mayor, CEO…