Wednesday, 8 February, 2023
pakenham.starcommunity.com.au
/PakenhamBerwickGazette
Mel in the hot seat
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Mack’s need for speed
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Long grass sparks fears Long grass on a Cardinia roadside has locals concerned about the potential for fire. Cardinia local Merilyn Thorn and her father Ian Ridgway say the length of the grass along Dalmore Rd is dangerous. “You can’t see the road when you’re leaving the driveway,” Merilyn said. “It’s a fire hazard. It would just go up like nobody’s business. “Dad has a lot of stress about fire - a few years ago a grass fire started down the road and it just took off like crazy.” She said the grass had been a problem for a few months now. “We’ve had a lot of rain and it just hasn’t been maintained in the last three months,” she said. STORY PAGE 5
Commemorating Ash Wednesday
Teens arrested Pakenham police arrested six teenagers after they attempted to run from a stolen car in Officer. The teens were first spotted in Piggott Street after a caller to Triple Zero (000) advised a group of youths appeared to be acting suspiciously in the vicinity of a car about 6.45pm. Attending officers checked the registration of the 2017 Nissan X-Trail and confirmed the vehicle was stolen. As police approached, the teens ran from the scene in varying directions. STORY PAGE 5
Hundreds of past and present firefighters and volunteers, along with community members, are expected gather in Cockatoo on Sunday 12 February for a state-wide memorial service to commemorate
the 40th anniversary of the Ash Wednesday bushfires. Ash Wednesday was one of the most significant bushfire events in Australian history. It claimed the lives of 47 Victorians. STORY PAGE 2
Graham Simpson was Cockatoo’s fire captain during the Ash Wednesday fires in 1983. 318184
Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS
Pakenham man one of two before the courts following...
$1.9 million heist Au
armed robbery, false imprisonment and assault. Senior Constable Tom Ballintyne, of Greater Dandenong CIU, told Orouji’s bail hearing that shortly before the alleged robbery on 29 December, the pair drove in Orouji’s daughter’s silver Camry to Bunnings in Dandenong South.
There, Orouji allegedly bought cable-ties, a cap, high-vis T-shirt, wrecking bar and masking tape. They parked on McCrae Street, walked into Dandenong’s CBD and entered the rear yard of Zara Jewellers about 6pm, Sen Const Ballintyne said.
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The detective told the court that the alleged robbers grabbed the owner as he emerged from a toilet at the rear. Then he was “frog-marched” into the back door. The owner was allegedly bound and gagged and left in a side room. STORY PAGE 3
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A 60-year-old Pakenham man has been remanded in custody following a $1.9 million jewellery heist in Dandenong. Kamran Orouji, 66, of Doncaster, and Masoud Izadi, 60, of Pakenham, faced separate hearings in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 2 February on charges including
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