MULTINATIONAL ride-sharing company Uber was knocked back from holding an “information session” at Mornington Secondary College last Tuesday evening. The purpose of the session included signing up new drivers. Acting principal Jim Papas confirmed the school had cancelled the booking once it became aware of the recent Melbourne Magistrates’ Court conviction, and fine, of an UberX driver, for operating a commercial passenger vehicle illegally. “We decided not to associate with the service if it is illegal,” he said. Despite the knockback, Uber managed to move its session to The Grand Hotel. Uber spokesperson Katie Curran said: “We have hundreds of…
Author: Stephen Taylor
WITH Christmas approaching, police are warning shoppers to be vigilant with their spending habits. Detective Sergeant Gary Richards, of Frankston CIU, said scamming and identity theft was more prevalent and the methods used more sophisticated than ever before. The popular payWave card, for transactions under $100, is the most common form of fraudulent theft. “You just need to wave your card over the reader for convenience,” he said. “But the card in the wrong hands can still be used. “One investigation last week concerned a stolen card being used 87 times.” Internet fraud is the second most common form of…
FRANKSTON detectives arrested a 15-year-old Noble Park boy and an 18-year-old Mulgrave woman last Tuesday (1 December) in connection with the armed robbery of a Ford XR8 sedan from Bartlett St, Frankston South, early Friday 6 November. Their arrests hopefully wrap up a crime spree in which five alleged offenders have been apprehended and charged with a range of serious offences over the past two weeks. Police previously charged a Springvale South man, 21, an 18-year-old Endeavour Hills man and a Keysborough youth, 17, in relation to the armed robbery (‘More arrests over carjacking’, The Times 30/11/15). A 15 year old,…
A FORMER John Paul College and Frankston Chisholm VCE student who was to attend the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Paris last week has pulled out citing safety concerns. Madelin Orr, 19, was one of four Australian recipients of a fully-funded scholarship from Global Voices and sponsored by Central Queensland University for the 30 November-11 December conference (‘Voice joins climate change debate’, The Times 21/9/15). The external first year Bachelor of Laws student was undertaking a research fellowship on gender specific adaptation policies in climate change and had planned to write an opinion piece while in Paris.…
FRANKSTON Special Developmental School principal Scott Tucker has been named Outstanding Principal in this year’s Principals’ Association of Specialist Schools awards. Education Minister James Merlino, in presenting the PASS awards, said they were a “chance to celebrate the outstanding achievements of those working with children and young people with disabilities at Victoria’s specialist schools”. “PASS is committed to excellence and innovation in Victorian specialist education, and these awards celebrate the people in our state who are doing that every single day,” he said. “Every award winner has made an outstanding contribution to the learning, wellbeing and life outcomes of Victorian…