Hotel approved
Authorities have approved plans to build Geelong’s largest hotel as part of a $150 million development at 44 Ryrie St, the developer has announced.
Work on the $75 million, 180-bed Holiday Inn Hotel and its accompanying 24 apartments, shops and offices would begin late this year for completion in 2020, Franze Developments said on Thursday.
Lyle thanks
Torquay-based professional golfer Jarrod Lyle has thanked fans for their support after he entered palliative care with cancer this week.
The support made him feel like the “luckiest golfer going around”, Lyle said after ceasing treatment for leukaemia amid his third bout of cancer.
Truck stolen
A woman has described witnessing a worker leap from the back of a furniture truck as it was stolen outside a Highton home on Monday morning.
Samantha Rasmussen told 3AW she saw the thief jump out of a grey Hilux ute and into the unoccupied Nick Scali truck cabin before driving away with the vehicle and its contents.
July surprise
Geelong’s July was drier and warmer than average despite “public opinion” that the month was cold and wet, according to a local weatherman.
The month had 40mm of rain compared to the long-term average of 45mm and was .8C warmer than usual, Geelong Weather Service’s Lindsay Smail reported this week.
Great ‘understanding’
A tourism boss wants a “better understanding” of the state coalition’s plan for a new authority to plan the future of the Great Ocean Road.
Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism chair Wayne Kalyer-Thomson said he supported the need for a “new approach” for the iconic route and its surrounding attractions, which were suffering under a “complexity of governance”.
Storages rising
Additional rain over the past week has continued an upturn in the region’s water storages, official figures reveal.
Barwon Water recorded 35mm of rain in the catchment during the seven days to Wednesday, with overall storage capacity subsequently increasing 1.3 billion litres to 55.1 per cent.
Men missing
Police have appealed for public help to find two men missing separately from Queenscliff and Geelong.
Police said Rodney Martini disappeared from Queenscliff five years ago in his mid-60s, while investigators were “very concerned” about 26-year-old Casey Donovan after his disappearance from Geelong on Monday.
