1. Wanniassa Crash:
ACT Policing is investigating a single vehicle collision in Wanniassa today (Sunday, April 12) which has resulted in the serious injury of a 34-year-old Chisholm man.
Just after midnight a white sedan travelling south-west on Erindale Drive towards Tuggeranong left the road onto the median strip taking down two light posts before coming [...]

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The National Capital Authority warns us that the relentless progress of the RG Menzies Walk around the lake comes at a price.
The road between Blundells Cottage and the Carillon, Wendouree Drive, is being turned into a temporary footpath while the mighty promenade is constructed.
The road between Blundells Cottage and the National Carillon [...]

John Hargreaves has announced that Reverend Canon Simon Wooldridge will be the first pastoral care chaplain at the Alexander Maconochie Centre.
“I am passionate about gaol chaplaincy so I am very excited about my new role,” Canon Wooldridge said.
“While I am a minister of a Christian denomination, my responsibilities are to all prisoners and custodial officers. [...]

[First filed: April 11, 2009 @ 11:33]

A crack team of rioters cycled down to the Folk Festival yesterday [Friday] and even managed to cycle back home after many pints of cider without injury.
If you’ve been previously unaware of the Festival’s charms then here are some thoughts on it.
1) Yes, it isn’t cheap. $85 for a [...]

RugbyHeaven has catastrophic news for the ACT economy with reports the Brumbies are going dry and staying off alcohol “for a couple of weeks” as a tribute to Shawn Mackay.
Apparently the team has no desire to be celebrating much at the moment, which is understandable.
So if you know the owner of an expensive watering [...]

For those of you who like pretending they’re someone or something else every now and then, word reaches the RiotLAIR that registrations have opened for Phenomenon 2009 (this year themed “Phenobition”, and nothing to do with orcs or elves despite my headline)
It’s taking place over the Queen’s Birthday Long Weekend (5-8 June) at Daramalan College. [...]

Most of the night kind of sucked. Except for the bits that sucked completely.
Keo have a fair summary although watching the game from South Africa they might have over-stated the impact of the weather on the players.
The visitors got a rare round of applause for a visitor’s try when Jean de Villiers did the only [...]

Foxsports informs us of the Raiders’ stirring 24-14 win over the Sharks at home in Cronulla.
Always good to come from behind for the win.

The ABC reports that a body has been found in Lyons, believed to be the missing diabetic Garran woman Fiona Riches.
“For the last five or six days police have been working with the SES and a number of agencies for the search, in and around the area near Curtin and surrounding area this morning,” he [...]

The Canberra Times is carrying police claims of major victories in their war on illicit drug production and supply.
Speaking after releasing results of the haul, Detective Superintendent Nicholas Bingham said police targeting of cannabis crops had a significant effect on production. ”We have seen the crop sizes reduce dramatically from thousands some years ago to [...]

[ 9 April, 2009 to 13 April, 2009. ] [First filed: April 09, 2009 @ 08:58]

Easter is upon us!

For the brave, happy, chocolate gorged few who will remain in town over the long break what’s worth seeing and doing out and about?

Just leave your suggestions in the comments.

1. Folk Festival Robbery?
ACT Policing is seeking witnesses to an aggravated robbery which occurred in Mitchell today (April 9).
Around 1.00pm an 18-year-old man was in a toilet at a folk festival located at Exhibition Park washing his hands when he was approached by three men. The men demanded the victim’s wallet which he handed [...]

Pommy Bastard took this one from his haunt at the Pinnacle last night.
Enjoy.
(Got an image of Canberra you want to share with the world? Email it to images@the-riotact.com)

With systemic problems creating what’s looking like a collapse of the general practice medical network in Canberra it’s nice to see something being done.
On the other hand Katy Gallagher’s announcement that the taxpayer is paying $220,000 to fit out a privately owned Community Health and Well-being Centre for West Belconnen looks more like fiddling at [...]

The Australian is taking over the coals of what it appears to conclude is the failure of the National Museum.
He [John Mulvaney] concedes many people like the NMA’s striking exterior. But he claims the building and car park are too small, the foyer and shop too big, and the interior walls aren’t appropriate for the [...]

The Brumbies have announced the arrangements for Shawn Mackay’s funeral.
The funeral will be in Sydney, but at the same time there will be a memorial service here in Canberra.
What: Memorial Mass for Shawn Mackay
When: 10.30am, Wednesday, 15 April, 2009
Where: St Christopher’s Cathedral, Franklin St, Forrest ACT

Chief Minister John Stanhope has announced that he’s releasing the PricewaterhouseCoopers produced business case for light rail in the ACT.
Apparently the findings included:
– Light rail could potentially decrease Canberra’s traffic congestion and commuting time and as a result reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution;
– The project would cost approximately $2 billion; and
– The project [...]

When it comes to matters radio Samuel Gordon Stewart is the man to which we defer.
Sam has produced predictably comprehensive analysis of the first radio ratings survey of 2009.
FM 104.7 and 666 ABC are the big winners.
Everyone else can be described as falling into the other category (although 2CA recorded what’s either a recovery or [...]

Our Chiefly Leader has decreed a stately pleasure dome a 22 metre glass tower will adorn the disused smokestack at the Kingston glassworks.
The winning design, Touching Lightly, is a 22m high, internally lit tower consisting of a minimalist steel frame surrounded by toughened glass. The tower artwork will be located above the existing smokestack [...]

The Brumbies have announced their team for Saturday evening:
Running on:
1. Ben Alexander
2. Stephen Moore
3. Guy Shepherson
4. Ben Hand
5. Peter Kimlin
6. Mitchell Chapman
7. George Smith (c)
8. Julian Salvi
9. Joshua Holmes
10. Christian Lealiifano
11. Alfi Mafi
12. Tyrone Smith
13. Stirling Mortlock
14. Adam Ashley-Cooper
15. Mark Gerrard
Reserves:
16. Huia Edmonds
17. Salesi Ma’afu
18. Sitaleki Timani
19. Henry Vanderglas
20. Patrick Phibbs
21. Gene Fairbanks
22. Francis Fainifo
Of [...]

The RSPCA has announced that they’re up to their elbows in kittens and would like you to take one home for Easter.
CEO of RSPCA ACT Michael Linke today advised that since 1 November 2008 RSPCA ACT had received 1,000 kittens.
“It seems there is no end in sight, day after day more and more kittens are [...]

The Canberra Centre has for some time been converting its exterior into paid billboards, of the sort Canberrans had thought were not permitted in this town.
But today I came across this unit on the outside of the old Centre Cinema building.
It’s got a whole slideshow of ads loaded.
Now, like all commercial media, RiotACT would [...]

1. Searching for Fiona Riches:
ACT Policing and SES volunteers are continuing the search for a 46-year-old diabetic woman who went missing from her Garran house about 3pm on Monday (April 6).
Police hold grave concerns for Fiona Riches welfare given her dependency on insulin, putting her at serious risk of falling into a diabetic coma if [...]

So this morning in Civic I was a little surprised to see the great big crane on the former Greater Union site shifting a wheely bin around.
So building nerds, is this normal?

The Liberal’s Jeremy Hanson is making some big claims about his opposite number Katy Gallagher’s work ethic:
“Yesterday Ms Gallagher failed to attend an ACT Health Organ and Tissue Donation Seminar despite being listed as the keynote speaker. Instead she was out in her tracksuit for an afternoon walk.
“ACT Health staff were clearly embarrassed and had [...]

[First filed: April 08, 2009 @ 07:39]

This is the 12th and final part of a series of photographs taken by RiotACT reader Old Canberran on his Kodak Box Brownie from 1948.
This one came in with the following note:
On my ride home from school I used to call in and park myself in the visitor’s [...]

1. Facefit for the Civic sexual assault:
ACT Policing has released a facefit of a male offender involved in the sexual assault of a 20-year-old victim in a Civic car park around 12.30am on Sunday (April 5).
The victim was attacked whilst leaving her vehicle in a London Circuit car park after having driven to the [...]

ArtsACT has declared themselves open for 2010 arts funding applications.
The grand Key Arts Organisation have until 19 June to get their applications in.
But for all the rest it’s 5pm on Wednesday 27 May.
If you want a good giggle loiter around outside their offices around COB on the appointed day (Level 4, Canberra Nara Centre, 1 [...]

The National Capital Authority once again warns that their lake is still full of toxic scunge:
Parts of Lake Burley Griffin are still closed due to unacceptably high levels of blue-green algae and bacteria.
East Basin and Central Basin are closed to all water activities as result of high levels of blue-green algae. Recreation activity involving [...]

[First filed: March 28, 2009 @ 10:18]
There’s no way that the functional review, should it ever be released, will live up to the expectation generated by the saga of its secrecy.
But it’s become the rope in a much needed tug-of-war between executive and parliament here in the ACT. It’s fascinating watching a quintessential round-head like [...]

The Liberal’s Senator Humphries is up in arms that Kevin Rudd is proposing to create a new Telstra just to deliver high speed internet direct to every home.
The problem? Canberra’s own TransACT is also going to be made redundant.
Apparently TransACT are right now in the middle of rolling out more fibre (but only to the [...]

[ 5 May, 2009; 5:00 pm; ] ANU has announced that they’re going to hold a Graduate Studies Information Night on 5 May.

The Student Recruitment Office is holding a Graduate Studies Information Evening Tuesday 5 May 2009 from 5pm to 7pm at University House.

The evening will allow prospective graduate students to find out about ANU and the graduate coursework and research [...]