Seven people have been charged with manslaughter over the death of Lino Atem, who was fatally stabbed in a Wyndham Vale park in January 2025. Homicide Squad detectives made the arrests on 21 October, with help from the VIPER Taskforce. The accused include three 17-year-old boys, who will appear in children's court, and four adults, who will appear at the Melbourne Magistrates' Court later that day. The charges follow a fight among a group of men at a park on Haines Drive. Two of Mr Atem's friends, aged 27, were hospitalised with non-life-threatening injuries.
Pentland Calisthenics College will hold its 48th Annual Display on Sunday 25 October at St Francis Catholic College in Melton. Performers will show the routines they have developed over the year. Calisthenics combines dancing, singing and gymnastics. The college says it welcomed more than 110 members across seven competitive sections and its CaliFit program in 2026. Its Masters Red team was named Division 7 State Champion. The display runs from 10am to 4pm. Tickets cost $25 for those aged 17 and over and $15 for those aged 16 and under. Next year marks the college's 50th anniversary.
The Bendigo Agricultural Show opens a new era with its recently completed Showgrounds Function Centre, which will host all homecraft competitions. The 882 square metre pavilion replaces several nearby sheds. Bendigo Agricultural Show Society executive officer Ian Furze said early reaction to the building has been very positive. The redevelopment, valued at $20 million, also includes a new arena surface with electronic irrigation and a former speedway dustbowl repurposed as asphalt parking. The show runs today and tomorrow, Friday 23 and Saturday 24 October, from 9am to 9pm.
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A preferred bidder has been chosen to transform Sunshine Station in Melbourne into a six-platform transport superhub. The Network Integration Program Alliance, made up of CPB Contractors and SMEC, will deliver the Stage 1 works, due for completion in 2030. The upgrades include new regional train platforms, an extended concourse, new forecourts and an upgraded bus interchange. Three of five Stage 1 packages have already been awarded. Stage 2 works, which will extend the line to a new Keilor East station, start in coming weeks and are due for completion in 2031.
Seven people have been charged with manslaughter over the death of Lino Atem, who was fatally stabbed in a Wyndham Vale park in January 2025. Homicide Squad detectives made the arrests on 21 October, with help from the VIPER Taskforce. The accused include three 17-year-old boys, who will appear in children's court, and four adults, who will appear at the Melbourne Magistrates' Court later that day. The charges follow a fight among a group of men at a park on Haines Drive. Two of Mr Atem's friends, aged 27, were hospitalised with non-life-threatening injuries.
Seven people have been charged with manslaughter over the death of Lino Atem, 24, who was fatally stabbed in a Wyndham Vale park in January 2025. Police arrested the group early on Wednesday, 21 October. Four adults will appear at Melbourne Magistrates' Court, and three teenagers will appear in a children's court. The stabbing followed a confrontation between Mr Atem's group and another group of men in a park on Haines Drive. Two of Mr Atem's friends were injured and taken to hospital.
The Victorian Government is using drones, long-range cameras and more officers to crack down on illegal dumping. The measures cover the Hume, Melton, Banyule and Greater Geelong council areas. Advanced drones can detect rubbish under vegetation and buried waste, while sniffer drones detect gases. Cameras can capture footage of trucks up to a kilometre away. Offenders face fines of up to about $800,000 or five years in prison.
House prices across Melton and Moorabool were mixed in the October quarter, according to data from the Real Estate Institute of Victoria. Diggers Rest recorded the strongest growth, rising 7.1 per cent to a median of $663,000, while Burnside fell 17.5 per cent to $800,000. Trentham remained Moorabool's most expensive township at $1.1 million. Across regional Victoria, house prices rose 1.2 per cent to $673,500. REIV chief executive Toby Balazs said the market was holding up well despite federal tax changes and recent cash rate rises.
Four Victorian councils will work with the state's Illegal Waste Dumping Taskforce to target dumping hotspots. Hume, Banyule, Melton and Greater Geelong will use drones, surveillance cameras and extra officers to identify offenders. The Environment Protection Authority is also deploying drones that detect gases. The taskforce has issued 22 clean-up orders and identified 18 new leads. Convicted individuals can face fines of about $800,000 or five years' imprisonment. Victorian Minister for Environment Jaclyn Symes said the new technology makes it harder for dumpers to hide.
The City of Greater Geelong is joining a Victorian state taskforce to target illegal dumping hotspots. The $21.5 million taskforce uses drones with sensors that can find rubbish hidden under vegetation or buried underground, along with long-range cameras. Environment Minister Jaclyn Symes said the technology would help catch offenders. Greater Geelong has received more than 6,600 requests to remove dumped rubbish in 2024-25, a figure that has risen each year since 2021. Individuals face fines of up to about $800,000 or five years in prison, and businesses face penalties of up to $3.95 million.
Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry left an open practice on Sunday after appearing to hurt his right knee. Coach Steve Kerr later said the injury was to Curry's right ankle, not his knee, and that Curry is fine. Curry was injured while trying to shake off defenders and planted his right foot awkwardly. The Warriors open their regular season against the Lakers on October 21, and Curry's status will be monitored before that game.
The Victorian government is deploying drones, long-range cameras and extra enforcement officers to target illegal rubbish dumping in four council areas. Hume, Banyule, Melton and Greater Geelong councils will work with the $21.5 million Illegal Waste Dumping Taskforce. Environment Minister Jaclyn Symes says the operation will help track down offenders. Businesses can face fines of up to $3.95 million, while individuals face penalties of up to approximately $800,000 or five years' imprisonment, depending on the offence.
Victoria's Labor Party has promised to cap public transport fares at $30 a week for full fare holders and $15 a week for concession card users if re-elected in November. The two-year policy, costing $206 million, aims to save commuters up to $1400 annually. Existing free travel for under 18s and seniors on weekends will continue, with changes taking effect in January 2025. The announcement follows a previous fare surcharge apology and a $1.7 billion Coalition pledge for new trains in Melbourne's western suburbs.
A 62-year-old man from Caroline Springs has been charged after an alleged incident in a change room at the Brimbank Aquatic and Wellness Centre on Sunday 25 October. Police allege he used a recording device to film several people in a change room cubicle around 11.10am. He faces charges of producing child abuse material and producing intimate images. Brimbank council says it has terminated his membership and banned him from all council leisure centres. He is bailed to appear before Sunshine Magistrates' Court on 23 March 2027.
Authorities have shut 100 shops under newly granted powers aimed at stamping out the trade in illegal tobacco. Since those powers took effect on 9 September, the VIPER Taskforce and Tobacco Licensing Victoria officers have confiscated over four million unlawful cigarettes, roughly 70,000 vaping devices, three tonnes of leaf tobacco and close to $1 million in cash. The drive is directed at criminal networks that profit from the illicit product, including groups run from overseas. Retailers across a string of Melbourne suburbs have been inspected, and the operation is still underway.
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Sunbury mother Jessica Gusew and her son Malachi are fundraising through Smart Pups Assistance Dogs after the death of Millie, the assistance dog they got in 2022. Malachi, 16, has brittle asthma and autism, and Millie helped him at hospital visits and appointments and gave him confidence. Millie died from bone cancer on 21 October. The family is now raising $25,000 to help train and place a new assistance dog, which costs the charity up to $50,000 for each child.
The Rotary Club of Keilor is preparing its annual 100 Christmas Bags project for isolated patients in the Moonee Valley and Brimbank areas. Bolton Clarke community nurses will deliver the gift bags, which contain basic food, toiletries, personal care items and seasonal treats. The club says many recipients have no family, friends or wider community, and the bags aim to bring them comfort at Christmas. Recipient Anica said the gift brought her to tears, while Kent said he was looking forward to the day.
Bacchus Marsh's Soul Food program has been awarded $19,200 in state food relief funding. The registered charity serves hot meals weekly and provides staple supplies to people in need. Coordinator Jenny Kearney said the grant, applied for in July, will help fund food purchases for the next 12 months. Every Wednesday at Saint Bernards Parish Centre, the program serves 180 to 200 lunchtime diners. Meal numbers have risen from 2800 in 2020 to over 10,000 in 2025.
A new Australian play, Fall, will have its world premiere in Melbourne's west in December. Written by Michele Lee and directed by Beng Oh, it opens at The Bowery Theatre in St Albans on 5 December. The production then moves to Bluestone Church Arts Space in Footscray for four shows from 9 to 12 December. Set in northern Laos in 1975, the three-character play follows an Australian teacher and a former Hmong student facing the end of the Secret War. The 75-minute show is recommended for audiences aged 15 and over, and Wit Incorporated Theatre Company presents it.
Typical home prices in 18 Melbourne suburbs have moved above the $950,000 cap for the federal first-home buyer scheme, according to new REA Group figures. The cap was lifted by $150,000 last October, but rising prices have pushed these suburbs beyond it again. Templestowe's median unit price now sits $31,500 above the limit. Industry figures say the scheme makes larger mortgages easier to access but does not necessarily make housing more affordable, while one builder reports packages starting at about $450,000.
Labor has pledged $5 million to further revitalise Darley if it returns to state government after the 28 November election. The funding is part of the Doing Up Darley plans and follows works at Darley Primary School, the Early Years Hub and Darley Park. Moorabool Shire mayor Steve Venditti-Taylor welcomed the commitment and said the growing area needs new and improved local amenities. Eureka MP Michaela Settle said the funding would bring local improvements such as new footpaths and safety upgrades, with residents having a say on priorities. The enrolment deadline is Tuesday 3 November at 8pm.
The Class of 2026 at Chairo Christian School in Leongatha has marked the end of its school years with a series of celebrations. A carnival morning used a toy-themed design, with graduates dressed as characters and running stalls for younger students. The next day, the final assembly featured a devotional message from school captain Meg Stokes and flowers presented by Prep students. That evening, a Valedictory Dinner recognised the graduates and their families. Principal Amy Stork said the school was proud to celebrate with the students.
WorkSafe inspectors will be able to issue on-the-spot fines from 31 March to reduce fatal falls at work. Employers can be fined for failing to control fall risks, keeping safety records unavailable, or starting high-risk construction work without a Safe Work Method Statement. Minister for WorkSafe and the TAC Steve Dimopoulos said falls remain a leading cause of workplace deaths and serious injuries. WorkSafe Chief Health and Safety Officer Sam Jenkin said employers face no new obligations, but those breaking the law will face consequences sooner.
Year 12 students at Mirboo North Secondary College began their final school day with an egg and bacon roll breakfast, many dressed in costume. An assembly followed, where students presented awards to each other and shared a video of photos from their years at the school. Senior School Coordinator Rose Hill said the event was about the students. Students entered in themed groups, and the day ended with a slip 'n slide and lunch at the park. Students in the VCE Vocational Major have finished, while VCE students are sitting exams, including English today.
