Author: Stephen Taylor

A MT ELIZA boy was lucky not to suffer spinal injuries when he landed awkwardly after jumping from a 20-metre cliff at Moorooduc quarry, Mt Eliza, last week. Vincent Davies, 12, was swimming with friends, Wednesday 17 January, at the popular swimming spot accompanied by one of their fathers when he followed other boys to the top – and jumped. Vincent hit the water back first and was “severely winded”, his mum, Manon, said later. However, x-rays later revealed eight broken vertebrae. “He said he wanted to go swimming there and I said, ‘absolutely no jumping off anything high’, because…

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A FREE-standing ATM containing a “quantity of cash” was snatched from Frankston Village shopping centre, early morning Wednesday 17 January. Detective Sergeant Paul Mealia, of Frankston CIU, said a vehicle was driven through the sliding glass doors at the centre, corner Ashleigh Av and Karingal Drive, with the occupants somehow managing to seize the ATM and make their escape. There are no security bollards outside the front doors. He said he was awaiting CCTV footage and interviewing witnesses to garner further evidence of the 3.55am incident. “Once we are able to validate all the evidence we will be in a…

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THERE was little rest for many police highway patrol officers over the festive season. Victoria Police’s 24-day Operation Roadwise blitz over the Christmas and new year period nabbed nine drink drivers in the Kingston area amid a total of 1262 detected driving offences. Eleven drivers in the Kingston area were caught drug-affected in the roadside blitz. Police said the operation aimed to “take dangerous, impaired and irresponsible drivers off our roads”. The operation from 15 December-7 January targeted motorists drink driving, speeding and driving while unlicensed. There were 19 disqualified and 42 unlicensed drivers caught in the dragnet across Kingston…

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WOMEN and chainsaws are not usually mentioned in the same sentence – except when the woman is chainsaw artist Angie Polglaze. The Hastings resident carves timber into eye-catching shapes and has won more awards than any other female carver in the world. Her skills have earned her a Service to the Arts Award from the United Chainsaw Carvers Guild in 2011 for her “encouragement and inspiration to women carvers everywhere”. Their challenge is to carve sculptures from a single piece of wood. This year’s theme is The Garden. “Chainsaw carving is mind-boggling,” said Ms Polglaze, who draws her inspiration “from…

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THE way is open for girls to take part in the Blessing of the Waters in future after a girl pipped the boys for the Rye prize for the first time at this year’s Rye event. Emily Paxevanos, 16, of Whittlesea, was the only female in the usually male-dominated event when Red Hill Greek Orthodox priest Eleftherios Tatsis threw the wooden cross into the water, Saturday 6 January. Legend says good fortune will favour the winner of the annual event attracting thousands of competitors to the pier in anticipation. Frankie Ferraro, of Lysterfield, won the race for the crucifix at…

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