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Articles by Jana Black
Nordic walking, the strange Scandinavian sport helping people overcome injury
Kristen Pratt was working in her Geneva office one day when she looked out the window and saw something that she found both surprising and amusing. A group of people were walking along with poles, almost as if they were cross-country skiing without snow. What started out as mere curiosity that day, however, developed into a passion she has now shared with hundreds of others.
Young Canberra ballet dancer Samuel Holmes leaping into success after months spent training in isolation
Samuel Holmes has been dancing since before he could walk. "My daughter Talia was already dancing when Sam was born so I used to wheel him in in the pram," his mother Jayne Holmes said. "As soon as he could sit up, he would sit on the edge of the class and he'd sort of bop along with the music, so then as soon as he was able to stand up and walk, he was in there." The 13-year-old Canberra boy has had a whirlwind 2020.
Baby Leo has already had three surgeries, but it's hoped changes to his ward will make his recovery easier
Rachael Guymer was 12 weeks pregnant when doctors told her the baby had a condition she had never heard of. Key points: A $50 million upgrade of the Canberra Hospital is underway Improvements have been made to the Paediatric High Care Ward, where young patients can be kept safe from infections Baby Leo has been receiving treatment in the ward for two months Leo, now four months old, was diagnosed with gastroschisis, where an opening, or stoma, develops in the abdominal wall.
Former Jehovah's Witness jailed for inappropriately touching teenage girls
A 56-year-old former Jehovah's Witness will spend two months in jail with the rest of the sentence suspended, and undergo community service, over historical offences relating to the inappropriate touching of two girls. The ACT Magistrates Court heard the man was at the house of fellow Jehovah's Witnesses in 2004 when the then-43-year-old asked the couple's 14-year-old daughter to log on to the computer for him.
'This is why we replaced glasses with plastic cups': ACT magistrate on court outburst
A woman who shouted "f*** you" and threw water in a magistrate's face had to be forcibly removed from the ACT Magistrates Court. Tracey Organ swore at Magistrate Peter Morrison as he rejected her bail application on Wednesday. She shouted "you don't know shit, dog". Organ, 38, stood from her chair and threw a cup of water at Mr Morrison as she was dragged out of the court. Three people in the public gallery were also advised to leave when they too began shouting at the magistrate.
Arsonist jailed for three years for attack on Brierly's Cafe in Canberra
One of the men who set fire to a Weston cafe, which shattered the new owners who had only taken possession hours earlier, has been sentenced to three years in jail. Nick Parlov, 23, and Leo Nicholas Eliadis, 47, were found guilty last month of the attack on Brierly's Cafe in 2014. The crown argued during the trial that Parlov was the one who lit the fire, while Eliadis organised the crime.
ACT rangers say they hope to find injured emu shot with arrow 'before it's too late'
ACT rangers have spent the past two days looking for an emu that was shot with an arrow. A member of the public called Access Canberra yesterday afternoon after they spotted the injured emu with an arrow hanging out of its back leg near the Cotter River. Ranger in charge of the Murrumbidgee corridor James Overall said they had spent the past 24 hours looking for the native animal.
Canberra man sold drugs to Kiwis captain Jesse Bromwich and player Kevin Proctor, court told
A Canberra man has pleaded guilty to selling drugs to two high-profile rugby league players after the Anzac Test earlier this month. The ACT Magistrates Court heard Kiwis captain Jesse Bromwich and fellow player Kevin Proctor had joined Adrian Mark Crowther, 45, outside the Cube nightclub in Canberra's city centre. Police allegedly observed Crowther on CCTV video preparing a white powder on his phone, before handing it to the two men, who rolled up bank notes and consumed the substance.
Female cadets on frontline as ADFA wages war against academy's sexist public image
A series of recent incidents at the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA), including the Skype sex scandal, appear not to have deterred women from signing up to serve. The Defence Force's image problem stems from deep-seated issues of misogyny, sexism and bastardisation. The issue came to a head in 2011 when ADFA cadet Daniel McDonald secretly filmed himself having sex with a female cadet and broadcast the vision via Skype to several colleagues.
Public servant who trafficked drugs to solve money problems given suspended sentence
A former Canberra public servant who sold ice, MDMA and cocaine to pay off his financial debts has been handed a suspended sentence by the ACT Supreme Court. In October last year Joel Andrew Lemmon, 26, and co-accused Robert James Masling were charged with trafficking and supplying a drug of dependence after a 10-month undercover police sting found $700,000 worth of drugs, three cars, six guns, ammunition and a prohibited weapon.
Steven Freeman's death in Canberra jail after 30mg methadone dose 'unlikely', doctor says
The doctor who gave methadone to an inmate at Canberra's jail two days prior to his death has told an inquest that while unusual, it is not impossible the man died from that dose. The coronial inquest is investigating the death of 25-year-old Steven Freeman at the Alexander Maconochie Centre (AMC) in May last year. Mr Freeman was found dead in his cell with a toxic amount of methadone in his system.
Carwoola fire: Homes lost, firefighter injured in fast-moving blaze near Queanbeyan
At least 15 homes have been lost in a fast-moving, out-of-control grassfire burning near Carwoola in New South Wales, as police warn that number may grow. The New South Wales Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS) told ABC Radio Canberra there had been "extensive property losses". "Unfortunately we've counted at this stage 15 homes that have been lost, particularly around the Widgiewa Road area." the RFS's Darren Marks said.
Queanbeyan-Palerang Council takes stance against planned wind farm
A wind farm planned near Tarago, south of Goulburn, may not go ahead if a local council has its way. The Jupiter wind farm, set to host 88 turbines, is currently under consideration by the NSW planning authorities. Queanbeyan Palerang Regional Council said it would oppose the project, citing noise pollution and increased bushfire danger among its concerns. The council's administrator Tim Overall said there were 250 properties in the area that would be affected.
ACT homebirth trial sees first baby delivered in publicly funded program
Fluorescent lights and the sounds of beeping machines in the clinical surrounds of a hospital are the usual welcoming of a baby, but for little Ari, it was very different. Ari's parents decided home was the best place for their second child to arrive. "He was born really quickly, everyone was there and then we just kind of got into bed and yeah that was that," second-time mother Ella Kurtz said.
Tarago fire still burning out of control as Sutton fire contained
Easing weather conditions have enabled firefighters to gain the upper hand on two serious grassfires outside the ACT border. A fire at Tarago in New South Wales remains out of control but has been downgraded to a warning of advice thanks to favourable weather conditions. Closer to Canberra, 500-hectare a blaze near the New South Wales village of Sutton has been contained. Although it is still burning slowly in an easterly direction towards the village, the alert level is set at advice.
Sutton fire: Firefighters bring grassfire under control as Tarago blaze continues to burn
Easing weather conditions have enabled firefighters to bring a serious grassfire outside the ACT border under control. The 500-hectare fire began threatening homes near the New South Wales village of Sutton at about 3:00pm on Wednesday. At its height, 70 firefighters and eight water bombers were working to put out the fast-moving grassfire, which began at Mulligans Flat Road just north of the border.
Expert to examine whether alleged failure to treat Canberra inmate's brain injuries led to death
The lawyer for the family of an Indigenous man who died in Canberra's jail has questioned whether a failure to deal with the inmate's brain injuries cost him his life. The cause of Steven Freeman's death at the Alexander Maconochie Centre (AMC) in May will be the subject of a week-long coronial inquest to begin early next year. About 13 months before his death, while on remand, Mr Freeman was badly bashed and spent a week in hospital in an induced coma.
Man who broke police officer's back faces Canberra court
A man who broke a police officer's back as he tried to avoid arrest, days after ramming two police vehicles has pleaded guilty to 35 charges in the ACT Magistrates Court. Derek Joseph Williams was fleeing police at a Chisholm address on November 8 when he hit the officer with a car. The officer landed on the bonnet but was thrown off and suffered two fractured vertebrae when the car hit a raised garden bed. Williams drove off, but was stopped by police blocking the end of the street.
Defence Force Academy cadet committed to stand trial for rape of fellow student
An Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) cadet charged with raping a fellow student after a night out drinking has been committed to stand trial in the ACT Supreme Court. Jack Toby Mitchell, 19, was arrested in early June for allegedly sexually assaulting an 18-year-old female cadet in May after partying at a Canberra nightclub. He was charged with sexual intercourse without consent, and has pleaded not guilty.
Canberra lawyer dishonestly accepted $30k from client's family on top of Legal Aid funds, court hears
A Canberra criminal lawyer who allegedly accepted payment from a client's mother while also receiving funds from Legal Aid is being tried in the ACT Supreme Court on 15 charges relating to dishonesty. In 2009, Stephen Raymond Stubbs was representing Alexander Duffy, who was accused of conspiracy to murder, when he received $30,000 from Duffy's mother. In the same period he also lodged an application for funds for the case from Legal Aid ACT.
Canberra man on trial over alleged rape denies hitting woman during intercourse
A man on trial in the ACT Supreme Court for the alleged rape of a woman has denied hitting the 19-year-old at the centre of the claims. The prosecution alleges 25-year-old Kerry Bye raped, choked and hit the woman after he took her home after a night out in Civic in November last year. Bye has pleaded not guilty to eight charges. He told the court he did not lead the woman to a taxi and said she did not fall asleep in the cab as they drove back to his home in Cook.
Convicted murderer Aleksander Vojneski has life sentence reduced on appeal
A Canberra man jailed for life for the stabbing murder of his former partner has had his sentence reduced by the ACT Court of Appeal. Aleksander Vojneski was sentenced to life in prison in late 2014, over the murder of his former partner, Paula Conlon, in her Macgregor home in 2012. Her body was not found until the next day and the murder weapon, a knife from Ms Conlon's kitchen, was never located.
Catholic churches in Canberra look to modernise donation collection with mobile app
Two Catholic parishes in the Canberra region are trialling an app that will allow people to make donations via smartphone, in what the local Archdiocese believes could be a world-first for the church. Mary Help of Christians in Woden and St Gregory's Mission in Queanbeyan are hosting the trial. An increasingly cashless culture means many Sunday mass-goers no longer make donations on the traditional collections tray.
Gap between young and old closed by unique Canberra school program
Students at a Canberra high school are tearing down stereotypes about "old people", and being taught to connect with a different generation. Campbell High School runs a program that brings students from Years 8 and 9 together with residents from the Goodwin retirement village in Ainslie. The school's youth support worker, Peter Newburn, came up with the idea two years ago. "To me, it's like going to visit my grandmother.
Overseas grandparents flying in to babysit when cost, accessibility problems arise
When Meetu Rajput returned to work following the birth of her son, Jay, she and her husband found the cost and accessibility of child care an issue. For the Rajput family, that meant turning to family in India for support. Retish and Meetu Rajput rotate between Mr Rajput's parents and Mrs Rajput's parents to look after their children. Each pair of grandparents spend a chunk of the year in Australia to help ease the burden of child rearing in the two-parent full-time working era.
Man charged with indecently touching former partner's 11yo daughter granted bail
A Canberra man charged with committing an act of indecency on an 11-year-old girl has been granted bail in the ACT Magistrates Court. The 30-year-old man was accused of entering the girl's bedroom in her north Canberra home and indecently touching her on Wednesday night. The child was in bed when the alleged incident took place. The man was in a relationship with the girl's mother, which has since ended.
Man allegedly caught on CCTV spiking woman's drink to stand trial for attempted rape
A New South Wales man accused of spiking a woman's drink so he could rape her at a Canberra hotel has been committed to stand trial. Juswan Mokmargana, 45, allegedly put Stilnox in a woman's drink after they arranged to meet and stay at a hotel together in April this year. He had allegedly ground four Stilnox tablets into a powder and packaged each ground tablet in a paper square. It is alleged CCTV shows Mokmargana putting a powdery substance in the woman's drink at a Canberra pub.
'Hovering cube' wins best design for National Botanic Gardens new conservatory
A 'hovering' glass cube will take its place at the Australian National Botanic Gardens after the design was chosen for a new conservatory. Sydney-based architect firm CHROFI won the national competition to design the new Ian Potter National Conservatory. Described as "unique", the mostly glass box will be home to Australia's most rare and endangered tropical plants. "There's a real power in anticipation and surprise," CHROFI's John Choi said.
Fashfest brings glam to Canberra as fashion designs take centre stage
Fashion designers, makeup artists, hairstylists and a long catwalk are all synonymous with Paris and Milan, but this weekend the heart of Canberra has become a fashion epicentre. Annual fashion show Fashfest's fourth year boasts more than 150 local models — double the number seen in previous years, showcasing the work of designers from the Canberra region. It takes 12 months to prepare for the three-night annual event, which attracts thousands of Canberra locals and tourists.
Breast cancer could be detected by blood test, researchers say
Breast cancer could soon be detected by a simple blood test, according to a team of scientists working to find easier ways to detect the deadly disease. Scientists at the Australian National University (ANU) have been working with researchers in France to find new ways to detect and monitor breast cancer. The condition is the most common cancer for women, and kills more than 500,000 people worldwide each year.
ACT libraries turn to new programs as loans decline in digital age
Over the past three financial years, Canberra libraries have continued to experience a decline in the number of items being borrowed. The only library to buck the trend was Gungahlin, with the population in the town centre recently booming. Despite the decline, libraries are still spending big, with $1.67 million spent on new items last financial year. The annual spend on new items means the majority of the collection is less than five years old.
Rio Paralympics: Canberra rowers Kathryn Ross and Gavin Bellis bound for Brazil
Canberra rowers Kathryn Ross and Gavin Bellis are set to team up once again after being selected for the Rio Paralympics team. Rio will be Ross's third Paralympics and Bellis's second. Ross narrowly missed out on a gold medal at the Beijing Paralympics by 0.8 of a second. The 35-year-old also missed out on a medal at London after teaming up with Bellis just four months prior.
Former University of Canberra law lecturer to stand trial over alleged sexual offences
A former senior University of Canberra law lecturer charged with a string of sexual offences against students has been committed to stand trial in the ACT Supreme Court. Arthur Marshall Hoyle, 65, was arrested for alleged sex offences in July last year. In the ACT Magistrates Court on Monday, Hoyle declined the opportunity to give evidence, call witnesses, or enter a plea.
Free city bus loop service launched in Canberra
Catching the bus around Canberra's city centre will be easier and a whole lot cheaper after a new free city loop began operating today. The service has been launched under the rebranded Transport Canberra Directorate. The loop will run every 15 minutes and will include employment hubs as well the city's major arterial roads, with stops at Australian National University, the Canberra Theatre, Northbourne Avenue and Marcus Clarke Street.
Canberra house values up 6pc in a year, property report finds
Canberra homeowners who sold their property in the first three months of this year made a median profit of $150,000, according to a new report. The CoreLogic Property Pain and Gain report found those who made a profit had owned their homes for an average of 10 years. Researcher Tim Lawless said those who made a loss sold their homes much sooner. "People who've actually doubled the value of their property on resale, they've typically owned their home for more than 15 years," he said.
Former childcare worker sentenced for unreasonable discipline
A woman who firmly grabbed children by the wrists at a Canberra Day care centre has been given three good behaviour bonds. Rajani Gautam, 50, was one of four employees of the Civic Early Childhood Centre charged after an audit at the facility in February last year. Gautam pleaded guilty to three charges of subjecting a child to discipline that was unreasonable in the ACT Magistrates Court on Wednesday afternoon.
ADFA cadet accused of raping fellow Defence member pleads not guilty
A 19-year-old Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) cadet charged with raping a female cadet in Canberra has pleaded not guilty. It is alleged Jack Toby Mitchell raped the 18-year-old woman while she was sleeping after a night out in May. Police arrested the man in the early hours of June 3 and faced court the same day. Today Mitchell entered the plea of not guilty to one charge of sexual intercourse without consent in the ACT Magistrates Court.
Election 2016: New Liberal candidate 'up for challenge' in Canberra's Labor stronghold
The newly minted Liberal Party candidate for the seat of Canberra has warned there has not been a candidate like her since the seat's creation in 1974. Former businesswoman and lawyer Jessica Adelan-Langford will go head to head with Labor's Gai Brodtmann. But it is not expected to be much of a battle. Ms Brodtmann has been the member for the safely held Labor seat since 2010, holding it by a 7.5 per cent margin.
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