In Brief

WANTED: The two men police want to question about the alleged Rippleside fraud.

Mother bailed

A former Geelong woman whose baby washed up dead at Surfers Paradise has won bail on charges linked to the infant’s alleged murder.

Police have charged the 23-year-old’s partner with murder but she secured bail this week despite charges of failing to provide for her child and causing danger of death.

Water reverse

The region’s water storages are set to end the year below 60 per cent of capacity despite their first increase in months.

Barwon Water measurements showed that the storages added 361 million litres, or .4 per cent of capacity, over the weekend as recent rain reversed ongoing declines since the end of winter.

Cash found

A Good Samaritan has handed in a “substantial” amount of cash that remains unclaimed at Bellarine Police Station.

The owner had yet to come forward with a plausible explanation of the loss and the amount of money involved after the cash arrived at the station on 9 December, police said.

Healthy vendors

“Healthy vending machines” will help Geelong’s tertiary students “make informed decisions about what they eat and drink”, Deakin University has announced.

The university unveiled plans to install 88 of the machines at its four campuses, with the vending options to include “at least 50 per cent healthy items”.

Newtown burglary

Two burglars have stolen a credit card from a sleeping household at Newtown then withdrawn $1950 at an ATM on Pakington St, according to police.

The “unknown offenders” entered the house around 4am on 23 November before stealing a purse holding the card and making four withdrawals at the Bank of Queensland, police said.

Staff growth

Spending $858,000 on extra staff is “the first step” to improving City Hall’s planning services, according to Mayor Bruce Harwood.

The increase, which council approved last week, would help planning department officers keep up with population growth and the consequent expansion of residential estates around Geelong, Cr Harwood said.

Summer lovin’

Geelong is number seven in Australia for adultery in summer, according to a website helping users arrange affairs.

The website described Geelong’s ranking, based on a survey of users last summer, as “possibly a surprising finding”

Senior ‘conned’

Police are hunting two men who “convinced” an elderly woman to pay for repairs never undertaken on her Rippleside home.

Police released images of two men wanted for questioning over the alleged fraud, saying the older of the pair possibly spoke with an Irish accent.