Chief Minister Gallagher has announced the winners from the Master Builders charity house auction:
Chief Minister Katy Gallagher has presented more than $580,000 to five local charities from the proceeds of the sale of the Franklin Charity House.
Franklin Charity House has been a joint project between the ACT Government’s Land Development Agency (LDA), the Master [...]

The Canberra Raiders have curated the tweets of their fans:
On Thursday afternoon, the Canberra Raiders media team had a bit of fun on Twitter asking our followers to put forth their best ‘Bad Raiders Jokes.’ Here are some of our favourites
Who knows what they’d have got if they’d asked for good jokes?

This just in…
It’s about time we lobby the ACT Government to widen our bike paths!! How can we be expected to fit our cars in these piddling ½ sized lanes? In peak times there is an obvious need for the average motorist to bypass the law abiding losers waiting patiently for a variety of reasons, [...]

We bow to none in our love of lego here at RiotACT.
But we were very impressed by an email in from Hamish overnight:
From: Hamish
Subject: canberra made lego stop-motion video
Hi guys. My brother has made a Lego Stop-Motion copy of the opening scene from the Casion Royale bond movie. The scene video was posted on YouTube [...]

ACT Policing has charged two men following an aggravated burglary in Farrer yesterday (Thursday, May 16).
Police attended a residence in Farrer in response to reports of an aggravated burglary. The two offenders are understood to have gained entry to the residence through the rear door of the house.
Property stolen included a backpack, electronic tablet, camera [...]

The Centenary website has the news that Skywhale is once again taking to the skies over this weekend just in case you haven’t had enough of it yet.
Centenary of Canberra’s latest commission, Patricia Piccinini’s The Skywhale will take to Canberra’s skies again this Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 May.
The hot-air balloon sculpture will fly over [...]

The Brumbies have announced their squad to play the NSW Waratahs in Sydney this weekend.
If they get the win they’re in as real contenders. A loss, well not so much.
The University of Canberra Brumbies have made two changes to their starting line-up, with Scott Sio named at loose-head prop and Scott Fardy returning from injury [...]

The Australian has the news that former Canberra Raiders great Glenn Lazarus is running for a Queensland Senate seat as part of Clive Palmer’s team:
Billionaire Clive Palmer unveiled his party’s federal senate candidates in Brisbane today.
Lazarus, 47, the only player to win a rugby league premiership with three different clubs, will lead the team.
He played [...]

How could we not direct your attention, dear reader, to an article titled “The Ten Most Wonderful Things Committed To Hansard as a Result of the Skywhale”.
It’s worth mentioning such tech luminaries as Jzw and Cory Doctorow have now blogged about skywhale.
The full list of Google News results is staggering.
All hail Skywhale.
[Photo by Gentoopenguin]

Tim has sent this in with a question:
Are roadworkers completely stupid?!
Got an image of Canberra you want to share with the world? Email it in to images@the-riotact.com .

If you ever waved a jug over your head in Mooseheads with your trousers around your ankles you’ll be fascinated to hear that Canberra’s Film and Sound Archive have restored a rare print of the historic Eagle Rock video:
Forty two years after the distinctive opening guitar riff of one of Australia’s best loved rock anthems [...]

The Greens’ Shane Rattenbury has tweeted about a vicious attack on his person by a kangaroo!
Mugged by a kangaroo! And this was in the suburbs, had not even got to the nature park! twitter.com/ShaneRattenbur…
— Shane Rattenbury (@ShaneRattenbury) May 15, 2013

The Greens’ Shane Rattenbury has introduced a bill to get a straight published price on petrol station price boards:
“The Fair Trading (Fuel Prices) Amendment Bill 2013 will ensure that petrol stations display the fuel price that is available to all consumers and not the price available to consumers who have already shopped with the retailer [...]

Simon Corbell has announced he’s tweaking the heritage protection rules:
Appeal provisions will no longer apply against a decision by the Council not to provisionally register a place or object. Property owners will still be able to appeal a decision to register their place.
The amendments maintain the independence of the Heritage Council, while also providing [...]

Both Senator Kate Lundy and Member for Fraser Andrew Leigh appear to be remarkably on-message when it comes to this week’s horror budget for Canberra.
Kate says it will make us stronger, smarter and fairer.
And what do you know, Andrew also says it will make us stronger, smarter and fairer.
So pull out your vocoder and you [...]

ACT Policing has arrested a 24-year-old Macgregor man after executing a search warrant on Tuesday (May 14) where a quantity of illicit drugs was seized.
Criminal Investigation detectives executed a Drugs of Dependence Act search warrant at the man’s residence in Macgregor following investigations into the death of a 52-year-old Florey man on Tuesday morning.
The man [...]

Liberal Andrew Wall is breaking out the bubbly after his Calwell Master Plan motion got up in the Assembly:
Member for Brindabella Andrew Wall successfully moved a motion in the ACT Legislative Assembly this afternoon, resulting in the Calwell Group Centre and Tuggeranong Homestead site being placed on the schedule for upcoming master plans.
“As a result [...]

While everyone who supports public education chants the mantra of Gonski there are questions about what it means for schools that have been going well to date.
The Liberals’ Jeremy Hanson is starting to ask difficult questions about just what the ACT has signed up to:
n question time today Katy Gallagher refused to outline how much [...]

ACT Policing is issuing a warning following the accidental drug overdose by a man yesterday (Tuesday, May 14).
A 52-year-old Florey man was located by a family member about 4am unresponsive. Around 6am the man passed away at Calvary Hospital.
The wife of the deceased was also admitted to Calvary Hospital and remains in a stable condition. [...]

Shane Rattenbury has tweeted the rangers work in Namadgi National Park which has seen snow on this grey day:
First snow in Namadgi today – thanks TAMS rangers @tamsmediaroomfor the great pics. twitter.com/ShaneRattenbur…
— Shane Rattenbury (@ShaneRattenbury) May 15, 2013

Health ACT has announced they’re standing down the emergency measures at the hospitals in the wake of the astonishing Copa incident:
The ACT Chief Health Officer, Dr Paul Kelly has today deactivated emergency response protocols at Canberra Hospital and Calvary Hospital following Canberra’s salmonella outbreak.
“It appears that the outbreak case loads have peaked and that demand [...]

This reply in from African Look to the earlier story.
The African Look Salon has been providing niche market hair styling services including hair extensions, braiding dreadlocks, cornrolls, straightening, and perming to African and Caucasian clients in Canberra for 13 years. The vast majority of my clients are Caucasian men and women of all ages [...]

It would be a worry if it were not the case, but the Electoral Commission notes the ACT is leading the nation in the rate of electoral enrolment.
95% here compared to the worst placed Northern Territory.

The Brumbies have announced a special jersey for the upcoming game against the British and Irish Lions:
Key Features:
· Only 500 available
· The jersey features 1004 names of players who have represented the ACT in the non-professional era and Brumbies [...]

It’s been talked about for years, and announced in last night’s budget. Pay parking in the parliamentary triangle is coming.
This will mean the more important departments lose the perk of free parking, but at least some rationalism will come into the parking which will mean visitors can get a spot (even if they have to [...]

Yesterday Jeremy Hanson made a not overly sincere offer to expand the Ministry from five to six.
Here at RiotACT we noted this would banjo the committee system in the Assembly.
Chief Minister Gallagher has joined that refrain:
“Just one week ago the opposition leader refused to support an increase to the size of the Legislative Assembly, against [...]

[ 15 May, 2013; 5:45 pm; ] This jsut in from the seemingly irrepressible Cashews:

The Cashews are playing a little set early this evening at the opening of our friend Elly’s exhibition opening

5.45 pm Wed 15 May, The Front Gallery, Lyneham

More about Elly’Ken’ts work can be found at http://thecashews.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=8347576341d713b1b2c8362b2&id=22c2589389&e=495e55baff

The War Memorial is giving notice that the old pines in the commemorative area are going to have to go:
The Memorial wishes to advise that it has become necessary to remove the pines trees located in the Commemorative Area. Advice received from a tree surgeon has recommended the removal of the pine trees, as they [...]

A 32-year-old Griffith man will face the ACT Magistrates Court this morning (Wednesday, May 15) in relation to traffic offences, property damage and an outstanding First Instant Warrant.
Around 10.15pm last night (Tuesday, May 14) police were travelling westbound on Adelaide Avenue, Deakin when they observed a Subaru Impreza parked in the bicycle lane with hazard [...]

First cab off the rank for budget reactions is Jeremy Hanson from the Liberals:
Attacks on public service job cuts, superannuation, reductions on family tax payments, scrapping the baby bonus, introducing paid parking in the parliamentary zone, ongoing efficiency dividends, potential wage squeezes, reductions in office space, and university cuts are all going to affect the [...]

Taking a browse through Budget Paper 2 we find:
For the Hospital:
The Government will contribute $5.0 million to the Australian Capital Territory in 2014-15 towards the development of a dedicated service for children within the Emergency Department of the Canberra Hospital. This will help streamline and better coordinate paediatric emergency and inpatient services for around 15,000 [...]

Zed Seselja is making noise about the worrying side of the latest crime statistics:
“Whilst there have been improvements in some areas there are still significant areas of concern that need to be addressed. I am particularly concerned about the rise of violent offences in our community,” Mr Seselja said today.
“In recent months we have seen [...]