MARCH 19, 2019 \ STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
news + sport + property guide
Stepping up the fight
(Shawn Smits)
If you think climbing 7600 steps at a colosseum such as the MCG seems like a daunting task, Caroline Springs resident Adriana Ivtingioski has a message for you: “If I can do it, anyone can”. The 45-year-old mother was diagnosed with lung cancer three years ago and had to have 33 per cent of her lung removed. “I went to the gym, I never smoked, but one day I coughed up blood,” she said. Ms Ivtingioski caught the cancer in its infancy, but said it drastically altered her active lifestyle. “I was told I couldn’t go back to the gym, I couldn’t move for five to six weeks, but I was determined to prove everyone wrong.” Ms Ivtingioski is now back at the gym and her pump classes, but has expanded her fitness to participate in charity walks. In June she’ll be taking on the MCG Stadium Stomp, where members of the public take on the 7600 steps in the bays of the iconic stadium to raise money for the Leukaemia Foundation. Ms Ivtingioski said she was excited by the challenge. “If I can do this with 33 per cent of my right lung missing, then you can too.” Tate Papworth
Home invasions decline The number of home invasions recorded in the west has fallen by about a third within 12 months, as Victoria Police “relentlessly” hunt down offenders who commit the crimes. In December 2016, the state government made home invasions a specific offence under the Crimes Act, defined as when a person, in the company of others, commits a burglary while armed or while there is a person in the house. According to the state’s Crime Statistics
Agency, there were 91 home invasions in the west reported to police between December 2016 and September 2017, including 38 in Brimbank, 23 in Melton, 20 in Wyndham and 11 in Maribyrnong (there were none reported in Hobsons Bay). In comparison, between October 2017 and September last year, there were 61 home invasions recorded in the west – 27 in Brimbank, 21 in Melton, nine in Wyndham, two in Maribyrnong and two in Hobsons Bay. Between October 2017 and September last year, Brimbank and Melton recorded the
infocus t u r n t o
highest and second-highest amount of home invasions out of all Victoria’s municipalities. Wyndham recorded the equal fifth-highest amount of home invasions, along with Hume and Greater Dandenong, with each municipality experiencing nine home invasions across the 12 months. Acting Superintendent Adrian Healy said it was “pleasing” to see a decrease in the number of home invasions but “any incident is one too many”. “The emotional toll this type of offending has on victims is enormous,” he said.
“Over the past two years we have increased the number of proactive patrols in key hotspots – particularly in the west – and have a dedicated team of detectives responsible for this type of offending. “This hard work is paying off and we are arresting offenders in record numbers – in fact, Victoria Police is relentlessly investigating and hunting down these particular offenders. “The community can be reassured that our police will continue to work tirelessly and prioritise this issue so everyone can feel safe in their own home and community.”
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By Alesha Capone