ARMED Crime Squad detectives have arrested 30-year-old Scott Ramsay following a non-fatal shooting in Mickleham yesterday.
Ramsay was arrested in the Melbourne CBD shortly after 1.20pm today and is now being interviewed by police.
Police have been unable to locate his vehicle, believed to be an early-2000s-model gold Mercedes Sedan E Class with significant damage to the front of the vehicle.
Detectives are appealing for anyone with dash cam footage or CCTV around Hockley Avenue in Mickleham or Transit Drive in Campbellfield to come forward.
The arrest followed an incident where a 31-year-old Mickleham man was shot in his vehicle on Hockley Avenue, Mickleham, just before 8am on Thursday morning.
He was conveyed to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Anyone with information about the whereabouts of the vehicle is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.
EARLIER
A POLICE manhunt is on after a Mickleham man was shot in his car yesterday.
Armed Crime Squad detectives are appealing for assistance to locate Scott Ramsay following the non-fatal shooting.
The victim, a 31-year-old Mickleham man, was shot in his vehicle on Hockley Avenue, Mickleham just before 8am.
The victim was in his car when Ramsay allegedly pulled up alongside him in a second vehicle and shot him in the upper body.
A woman, who was talking to the victim at the time, was uninjured.
Ramsay subsequently pursued the victim’s vehicle, before ramming it and causing it to roll multiple times.
Ramsay exited his vehicle while it was still moving and approached the victim’s car, which had landed right up way.
The victim then drove to a business in Transit Drive, Campbellfield, where he received treatment from paramedics who happened to be driving past at the time.
He was then taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
It is believed the parties are known to each other.
Detectives from the Armed Crime Squad, along with local police, have conducted a significant search for 30-year-old Ramsay since the incident, however have not been able to locate him.
Ramsay is described as being approximately 185cm tall, with a solid build and brown hair.
He is believed to be travelling in an early-2000s-model gold Mercedes Sedan E Class with significant damage to the front of the vehicle.
Police have released images of Ramsay and his vehicle in the hope someone can provide information regarding his current whereabouts.
He is known to frequent the Greenvale, Broadmeadows and Craigieburn areas.
Detectives are also calling on Ramsay to come forward and make contact with police.
Anyone who sights Ramsay is asked not to approach him as he is believed to be armed, and to contact triple zero (000) immediately.
Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Ramsay or the vehicle is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.
POLICE are investigating a two-vehicle collision in Wollert this afternoon that left a woman dead.
Emergency services were called to Epping Road just after 1pm after a truck and car reportedly collided.
The female driver of the car, who is yet to be formally identified, died at the scene.
The driver of the truck stopped at the scene and is assisting police with their enquiries.
The exact circumstances surrounding the crash are yet to be determined.
Anyone who witnessed the collision or has dashcam footage is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
NEWLY appointed Mitchell Shire Council Mayor Bill Chisholm has vowed to continue to push for job growth and service delivery across the shire after being sworn in on Monday night.
Cr Chisholm and fellow North Ward councillor Fiona Stevens were named Mayor and Deputy Mayor respectively after standing unopposed at Monday’s statutory council meeting, replacing outgoing Mayor Rhonda Sanderson and Deputy Mayor Nathan Clark.
Cr Chisholm previously served as Mitchell Shire Mayor in 2018-19. He has been a councillor since 2012, and has been subsequently re-elected in 2016 and 2020.
Cr Chisholm said he was proud to hold the office of Mayor again and was committed to advancing projects across the shire in the next 12 months.
“There is a real range of diverse communities throughout the shire and we’ve got to make sure everybody gets a voice and a delivery of reasonable services,” he said.
“We need to be successful in getting external funding, because you definitely can’t fund everything from just rates alone.”
Cr Chisholm said he looked forward to working with Cr Stevens as Deputy Mayor after she was appointed to the position for the first time.
He said despite both being from the North Ward, he and Cr Stevens would strive to do their best for the whole shire.
“I think it’s a good learning curve for her and the shire,” he said.
“You live in your own area, but it’s a big shire and you’ve got to represent everyone.”
See next week’s edition of the North Central Review for more.
KILMORE Racing Club officials are hoping for a strong crowd at Sunday’s Kilmore Cup as racegoers celebrate a return to the track.
With the lifting of Victoria’s COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, crowds can now attend race meetings, and Kilmore Racing Club chief executive Ben Murphy said the club was hoping to get 3000 patrons through the gate on Sunday.
“We’re really looking forward to welcoming people back to the races after a long absence,” he said.
“Bookings have been pretty solid, which has been really good. We’re keen to get people back on the course on Sunday.
“We’re approved to have a crowd of up to 5000 under the government’s roadmap and we’d be stoked to think that we could get a crowd of 3000.
“We encourage people to buy a ticket online before the event. That’s our preferred way for people to come to the races is by booking online before the day so we can best serve the patrons that are there.”
Mr Murphy said the club was disappointed by a Racing Victoria decision to move the Cranbourne Cup to the weekend before the $150,000 Kilmore Cup, but was determined to make the best of the situation.
“[Kilmore is] a listed cup, so we expect the fields to be strong, but it will be interesting to see – after Cranbourne moved their cup to last Saturday and moved it back to 1600 metres as a listed cup as well – how the fields hold up,” he said.
“They are both listed races, one a stand alone worth $500,000 and the other $150,000 both run over the same distance (1600 metres). It just doesn’t make sense.
“We’ve had a conversation with Racing Victoria about that because the bet365 Kilmore Cup has been there at the end of spring for a few years now and has ended up being quite a strong race.“Hopefully the quality of our cup isn’t impacted by Racing Victoria’s decision to move the Cranbourne Cup.
“The reality though is that it’s a positive we’ve landed where we have in the spring, because it’s enabled the community to come back and come to the races.”
Fields for the Kilmore Cup will be made public on Thursday.People can book tickets and find more information about the cup by visiting Country Racing Victoria.
WHITTLESEA cancer survivor Marnie Wills has shared her story of beating Hodgkin’s lymphoma after overcoming the disease with support from Cancer Council Australia and the Dry July Foundation.
Ms Wills was studying to become a nurse at the start of 2020 when her life took a dramatic turn.
In March she received a shock diagnosis of Hodgkin’s lymphoma – a cancer of the immune system – that coincided with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The news came as a shock, as it was only by chance that her cancer – already at stage three – was detected.
“I had to have my immunisation tested for uni placement, so I went and had a test done which came back a bit abnormal,” she said.
“They sent me off for some scans and it showed up that I had three tumours throughout my body.
“When I was diagnosed, it was a time in my life when I was just starting to find my feet and discover where I belonged in the world. Then it all came crashing down.”
Ms Wills said she felt fine during the initial stages of her treatment, but started to fully understand her situation as she began to lose her hair.
It was then that she said she contacted Cancer Council nurses through the 13 11 20 information and support line to ask about their free wig service.
“It took me a while to process because I looked healthy and felt fine. But when I started to lose my hair, it started to sink in a bit – this is my new life,” she said,
“Because of COVID [the wig service] was all done over the phone, and they let me go through the catalogue online and select what I liked best. Then it was sent out to me in the mail in about a week or so.
“Most 18-year-olds love their hair and losing that was a big part of my identity, so being able to have a wig lent to me was amazing.”
Marnie received support from the Cancer Council’s free help line, including organising a wig after she lost her hair during chemotherapy.
Donations to the Dry July charity campaign help support the Cancer Council’s 13 11 20 information and support line – a confidential service run by experienced health professionals.
This year Dry July provided $3.1 million to the Cancer Council, helping people affected by or concerned about cancer to connect with relevant support, information and resources.
Dry July donations topped $12.9 million in 2020, with more than 38,000 Australians giving up alcohol to raise money for those affected by cancer.
Dry July has provided funds to 33 beneficiaries to assist in providing services and utilities to people affected by cancer.
Ms Wills faced chemotherapy sessions fortnightly for about six-and-a-half hours per session.
“They couldn’t operate or do radiation because of the location of my tumours – they were all surrounding my vital organs. So, it was just chemo through an IV drip,” she said.
The COVID-19 pandemic also caused complications for Ms Wills, forcing her to endure chemotherapy without the support of her friends, family or boyfriend and causing her anxiety.
“You’re stressed because the media shows you how dangerous it can be for people with low immune systems,” she said.
But halfway through her treatment course, Ms Wills received some welcome news.
“[The medical team] were hoping to see good results. Then I had my PET scan, and it was all looking really good – they were sort of blown away by how I was responding to it,” she said.
By November, Ms Wills’ team of doctors and nurses told her she was in remission.
She said cancer immensely changed her life, but she now looked back on the experience with pride.
“I am just blown away by how strong I was and that I got through it. My energy levels are still getting back up there but compared to how I was feeling for those eight months, I feel incredible,” she said.
Ms Wills encouraged other people facing similar circumstances to connect to support services offered by the Cancer Council.
She said her advice to people battling cancer or those feeling completely healthy was the same.
“Make sure you have check-ups with the doctors. In my case, I was diagnosed without symptoms. Anyone can be diagnosed, so just get checked,” she said.
CLUB Mandalay in Beveridge will this year organise a toy drive in the lead up to Christmas to collect new toys for the Beveridge Community Toy Library.
Resident liaison manager Leah Hyndes said it was the first time Club Mandalay had run a toy drive, but have previously participated in other Christmas festivities including the decoration of a Christmas tree each year and sending letters to Santa.
“We thought we’d try to do something different this year,” she said.
“Greater Beveridge Community Centre promoted the toy library about a month ago and it fell a little bit flat, but we’re hoping this drive and coming out of lockdown will change that.
“We are a community full of such young families and thought it’ll be a lovely idea to host the drive to support those families.
”Ms Hyndes said people don’t have to be a resident of Club Mandalay or live in Beveridge to contribute to the toy drive.“Although we are Club Mandalay, it’s very much about the Greater Beveridge area,” she said.
“A lot of people think Mandalay is just for the residents, but it’s a place that everyone can be involved with, especially with events like the toy drive.
“There are some minor limitations on the types of toys that can be donated, and people are asked to contribute new toys that are not battery operated, and no soft toys or toys replicating weapons of any sort.
Ms Hyndes said toys can be donated for children of any age, and will be gratefully accepted.
To donate to toy drive, toys can be wrapped and dropped off under the Christmas tree at the clubhouse at Club Mandalay.
People wishing to find out more about the drive or about the Greater Beveridge Community Centre at Club Mandalay, can call 5734 6395 or email gbcc@mitchellshire.vic.gov.au.
EIGHT-year-old Tilly Rennie from Kilmore has cut her hair, and will donate her chopped locks to Real Fringe Hair Bands, a business founded to create hair pieces for those who suffer hair loss from cancer treatment or alopecia areata.
After watching her grandmother lose her hair when receiving treatment for lung cancer, Tilly took it upon herself to grow out her hair and ask her parents if they could assist her in getting it cut and finding somewhere to donate it to.
“When I was watching my granny lose her hair, I thought I should cut mine off and help others who were also losing their hair,” she said.
“Tilly watched her grandmother go through lung cancer and saw how she was feeling when she lost her hair, she had to shave it off,” Tilly’s mother Fiona Doyle said.
Tilly had three appointments made prior to the one where she finally had her hair cut, with COVID-19 continually setting back her plans.
She is now happy to have her hair cut off, measuring about 30cms in length. It will help others experiencing similar treatments to her grandmother.
Returning back to school, Tilly was able to share with her friends what she had done and she said she received a lovely response from the other children.
“When I finally got to go back to school, my friends were all really surprised at first because of how short it was, but I told them what it was for and they were all really happy and excited about it,” she said.
People who would like to find out more about donating their hair to Real Fringe hair bands can visit Real Fringe Hair Bands.
THE National Growth Areas Alliance, NGAA, has warned the City of Whittlesea is among municipalities facing a series of looming crises as one of Australia’s fastest-growing communities.
NGAA research found years of government neglect had left outer-metropolitan growth areas across Australia struggling with mounting economic, mental health and infrastructure issues.
The group interviewed more than 80,000 people as part of its research and found communities on the urban fringe of cities were consistently overlooked by state and federal governments, despite being key national economic assets.
NGAA chief executive Bronwen Clark said communities like the City of Whittlesea were well placed to support Australia’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our outer suburbs are home to the most essential workers and faced the strictest lockdowns,” she said.
“These are the communities that saw us through the pandemic and to date governments have failed to understand their needs.
“Now, governments must join the dots between high COVID rates, high outbreak risk factors and the lag in social infrastructure in fast growing outer suburbs.”
Ms Clark said the Federal Government should appoint a Minister for Growth Areas.
“This position will help to deliver stronger planning that distributes infrastructure, jobs and housing more evenly across metropolitan areas, to take advantage of the many opportunities and huge potential in growth areas,” she said.
NGAA research found 21 per cent of outer suburbs residents reported living in ‘financial survival mode’ following the pandemic.
Just over half reported struggling to pay at least one bill, particularly energy, groceries, rent and personal loans. The figure for people aged under 40 was 64 per cent.
Ms Clark said greater access to jobs was key to addressing financial stress in outer suburban communities.
“The outer suburbs are home to a big workforce that commutes into CBDs while their local economies are well placed for strong economic and jobs growth,” she said.
“A key task for a Minister for Growth Areas would be to drive the creation of industry hubs in these areas to take advantage of the vast growth-areas workforce and ample land ready to be transformed into industrial, manufacturing and high employment zones.”
Ms Clark said revitalising job opportunities could also help alleviate the looming problem of mental health issues in growth areas, where residents were more likely to feel stressed (63 per cent), frustrated (61 per cent) and anxious (57 per cent) than the national averages (60, 59 and 55 per cent respectively).
The City of Whittlesea was listed as a priority area for services in the State Government’s Royal Commission into Mental Health.
“Despite being hardest hit in recent years, less than half, 46 per cent, of growth area residents accessed mental health support in the past 12 months, compared to 52 per cent nationally,” Ms Clark said.
“This is fuelled by a lack of mental health services, with caseloads of some growth area providers being twice the national average. Government must step up with funding for these vital services.
“Australians are flocking to the outer suburbs to live the Australian dream of home ownership, spurred on by the HomeBuilder grant. This has led to soaring house prices and a record rise in land sales and building approvals.”
Ms Clark said the NGAA research found the majority of people in growth areas were embracing their neighbourhood and were more likely to stay in their area for dining, entertainment and shopping needs, highlighting the potential benefits of a greater government focus on supporting small businesses in growth areas.
“Growth areas are home to vibrant communities that are growing twice as fast as the rest of the country. COVID-19 has shown that Australia’s economic prosperity depends heavily on our vast growth areas workforce,” she said.
“It’s now critical that a Minister for Growth Areas be appointed to lead an urgent national response to growth area inequities and COVID-19 recovery.”
