Reflections from the past

That's the picture locally after most of the votes in Saturday's state election have been counted.

For Mr Hann, the Rodney result was a personal triumph and an important, decisive victory for his party.

But things were not so right for the National Party in the Bendigo Province election.

Mr Michael Clarke — sitting NP member for Northern Province until it was abolished in the recent electoral redistribution — trailed both Mr Reid and the Labor candidate, Cr Elaine Knight, in his new battleground, and seemed likely to lose his parliamentary seat.

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People in Echuca have been slow to return questionnaires about the development of the Paramount Theatre.

Town clerk Mr Kevin McCartney said on Friday that only about 40 of the printed forms had been returned.

It was important to the successful development of the theatre for more questionnaires to be completed and returned quickly, he said.

The form would provide the architects with vital information for a final evaluation before they drew up detailed plans.

People keen to fill out forms and have some say in how the theatre should be developed can obtain questionnaires from the civic offices, the regional library or shops where they are displayed on counters.

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Seventeen-year-old Stephen McCann is Echuca's youth of the year.

Stephen won the Lions Club award from six other students following judging at the Karabean on Tuesday night.

Now he has been named Echuca's youth of the year, Stephen is eligible to compete in regional judging to be held in Echuca next week.

Stephen is a Form Six student at Echuca Technical School studying physics, chemistry, pure and applied mathematics, English, practical electrics and technical drawing.

At Tuesday night’s judging, each contestant was required to speak for five minutes on a subject of his choice.

Stephen spoke on advertising, which he chose because ‘’seems interesting’’.

25 years ago, March 2001

Echuca-Moama could lose the $15 million funding for a new Murray River bridge if work on the bridge does not start before the end of the year.

Member for Farrer Tim Fischer issued this warning when he visited the region earlier this week.

Mr Fischer said as the funding for the project was Federal Government Centenary Federation funding, he could not guarantee it would still be there after the end of the Centenary of Federation year.

‘’The polite patience of the Federal Government will run out, and that's why they need to get the project moving,’’ Mr Fischer said.

Mr Fisher said even the calling of tenders for the new bridge would be counted as the project having started.

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Former Echuca water ski racer Jamie Oliver has continued his perfect record at the Robinvale 80 River Classic, winning the race for the 10th time from only 10 starts.

Oliver took out this year’s event, skiing behind Showdown, which was driven by Tan Tricker, with owner Steve Cotton observing and Daniel Cotton skiing.

Oliver's record at the Robinvale 80 is unlikely to ever be bettered.

During the event's 13-year history, Oliver has skied to victory behind Minimum Fuss, Island Cooler, God's Gift and Showdown.

Oliver and Showdown finished the race in a time of 28.18 minutes, comfortably ahead of the rest of the field after their main rival, the 2001 Southern 80 winner, The Stinga, broke down.

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The falling Australian dollar could be a boon to tourism destinations such as Echuca- Moama.

With the dollar as it is, many people are choosing to travel within Australia rather than going overseas.

The falling dollar could also attract more overseas visitors to Australia because it is seen as a more affordable destination.

Echuca-Moama Tourism tourism manager Maureen Bennett said American tourists would be looking more to Australia to travel.

‘’We think there could be some positives come out of this (fall in Australian dollar),’’ Mrs Bennett said.

She also said Australia was already on the minds of many overseas people because of the Sydney Olympics.

10 years ago, March 2016

Judy Campbell is a big mouth. And it’s hard not to hear her coming when she is in full cry.

A cry good enough to land the Campaspe and Murray shire town crier a silver medal at the 27th Australasian Guild of Town Criers Championship.

The Australian town crier champion and Tongala resident represented the shires during the recent Bacchus Marsh Harvest Festival.

With a chorus of loud mouths from Victoria and South Australia, Mrs Campbell was declared runner-up Australasian Guild Champion to Ballarat’s Brian Whykes in a hotly contested event.

‘‘I was very happy with how I went,’’ she said.

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Echuca’s Luke Rosendale continues to impress on the state basketball stage, earning a spot in the state country side ahead of the national championships.

Rosendale was selected as an emergency for the under 16 Victoria Country side for the nationals in Kilsyth in July, where he will pit himself against the best basketballers of his age in the country.

It comes just two months after he won gold in one of two Victoria Country sides at the National Country Basketball Championships in Albury in January.

While there were two Victorian sides in the Country nationals, there will be only one country-based side to contest the championships in Kilsyth.

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Drug crime, assaults and robberies are on the rise in Campaspe Shire.

Across the district last year, there were 311 assaults (a 21 per cent increase from 2014), eight robberies (up from five) and a 47 per cent jump in drug crime.

According to Friday’s figures from Crime Statistics Agency Data, drug offences soared to 159 in 2015, compared to 108 in 2014.

However, overall crime in Echuca dropped 12 per cent to 1671 offences in 2015.

Campaspe police Inspector Geoff Owen said the increase was due to the prevalence of ice — and police being proactive.

‘‘We know drugs are out there, and these statistics reveal when we catch them,’’ he said.

‘‘Ice is becoming more prevalent and impacting across our assaults ... as their (users) behaviour becomes irrational and threatening.’’