House gutted
Police are investigating a suspicious fire that gutted a vacant two-storey brick house at Charlemont.
Firefighters rushed to the blaze around 1.30am on Thursday before investigators began combing the site on Geelong’s southern fringe later in the day.
Candidate named
The Liberal party has named a candidate for the safe seat of Lara less than three weeks before the Victorian election on 24 November.
The party announced on Wednesday that Melissa Di Pasquale would take on Labor incumbent and Sports Minister John Eren in the seat he holds with a margin of more than 17 per cent.
Ex-mayor returned
Surf Coast councillors have given Rose Hodge a fourth term as mayor unopposed after months of council infighting.
She replaced Cr David Bell, who had a doctor’s certificate requiring a chaperone for meetings with particular councillors in the wake of hostilities over council flying a rainbow flag.
Storages falling
The region’s water storages have continued declining despite recording 24mm of rain in the seven days to Tuesday.
Barwon Water recorded the storages at 61.2 per cent of capacity this week, down 680 million litres on the seven days previous.
Wheel installed
Geelong’s waterfront Ferris wheel has returned to Eastern Beach in time for summer.
Operators expect to begin giving rides on the 50-metre wheel tonight to coincide with the lighting of Geelong’s floating Christmas tree.
Cat signed
A delisted Geelong Cats player has secured a three-year contract with the Gold Coast Suns.
Suns list manager Craig Cameron welcomed Jordan Murdoch’s “elite speed and foot skills” after the 26-year-old managed 108 games in seven years before the Cats dumped him last week.
Road warning
Motorists face “minor delays” and residents “some construction noise” during overnight resurfacing works on Ballarat Rd in North Geelong, Vicroads has announced.
The works would force land closures between 8.30pm and 5am to make way for the project between Jasmine St and Anakie Rd from this Sunday, Vicroads said.
Rising golfers
Some of Australia’s best pre-teen golfers will gather on the Bellarine Peninsula next week for a national championship.
Competitors in School Sport Australia’s 12 Years and Under Golf Championships would include 13th Beach’s Charlie Larsen in one the sport’s “most-exciting” junior events in the country, organsiers said.
