50 years ago,

September 22, 1975

Dark street scares women, children

WOMEN are too frightened to walk down a dark Moe street and they dare not let their children use it after dark, Moe Council was told on Tuesday. Mr D. Bodak and 13 other ratepayers in Barry St requested to have a street light installed. At present, there are lights only at each end of the street. “Due to this fact we consider it a dangerous street because women are too frightened to walk upon it to attend to essential services such as using the public telephone on Alexander Ave and it is too dangerous to send our children to the dairy on the corner,” Mr Bodak wrote. “We request therefore that a night light be strategically positioned in Barry St itself to alleviate the most dangerous situation we must face at the moment”. On the motion, council referred the matter to the SEC for immediate action.

30 years ago,

September 26, 1995

Four get suspended jail term for threatening to kill

FOUR members of a group of young people, who burst into a Traralgon home and made threats to kill, have been convicted and sentenced to a 12-month jail term suspended over 24 months. In Morwell court last week, Judge Shelton said he seriously considered the implications of the five defendants actions but decided “a suspended jail term would be appropriate”. Debbie Anne Soall, Julie Anne Burgess, Mark Edward Burgess, Jason Michael Fisher, of Traralgon and Robert Capuzzi, of Churchill, each pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated burglary and one count of making a threat to kill. Judge Shelton sentenced four of the defendants, but Julie Burgess was placed on a two year community order, having played a lesser role than the other accused. The court heard how on March 13 at 12:30am the group drove to a residence in Traralgon and the male defendants broke into the house and made death threats. “Serious, outrageous, intolerable behaviour that terrorised the occupants … though inept and clumsy,” Judge Shelton said. Mark Burgess was also convicted of possessing a drug of dependence.

10 years ago,

September 28, 2015

Unit to monitor mine safety

A MINE fire safety unit will be set up in the Latrobe Valley, delivering on a recommendation from the 2014 Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry. The State Government is advertising six positions, most based locally, as part of its Inquiry Implementation and Monitoring Plan. Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio said the unit will ensure mine operators complete task assessments and fire risk plans. Community leaders welcomed the move. Voices of the Valley President Wendy Farmer said it was reassuring to have staff focused on preventing future incidents, especially with a hot summer forecast. Morwell and Districts Community Recovery Committee chair Carolyne Boothman said the jobs would be “fantastic news” for the region, adding the Valley’s “unique needs” were being recognised.