LOCALS are already so contorted and steamed up about traffic and parking issues related to the popular Bikram Yoga in North Perth that Vincent council has refused to allow an expansion next door. Council planning staff supported the application but CEO John Giorgi stepped in to advise the council it should refuse it. He says…

PRIDE fairday will move back to its old home of Hyde Park this weekend. The fairday’s been around for 20 years as a more laidback event in the Pride calendar, but after 11 years at Russell Square it’s moving back to Hyde Park. Pride co-president Daniel Smith says it moved partly because the fairday no…

SUNDAY’S Pride fairday will hold a minute’s silence in solidarity for LGBT people living in Russia. Amidst the Sochi Olympics—which has become synonymous with shoddy hotel rooms, suspicious yellow tapwater, dangerous infrastructure, false structures, painted tarpaulins depicting buildings, thousands of stray dogs and armed security reminiscent of Iron Curtain Russia—the city’s mayor has proudly claimed…

THE prostitution name and shame list will stay, with a divided Vincent council voting to keep it as it appears to be working. Last year the council started publishing the names of men convicted of soliciting street prostitutes following a flood of complaints from locals around Stirling Street. Names stay on the Vincent website for…

A FORMER sub-contractor for Stirling city council has been gaoled for 15 months for bribing a council employee. In November a jury found Kim Laurence Walter, 56, guilty of providing a council contractor a $43,450 bobcat to use on his hobby farm. The court found the bobcat was a “sweetener” in return for Walter’s company…

RON D’RAINE’S “giraffe kiss” captured hearts worldwide when it featured on the front page of the West Australian 19 years ago, and people still clamour to buy the photograph that was taken at Perth Zoo. But at Copenhagen zoo they feed their giraffes to lions, in front of primary school children, in the name of…

BLOCKS of flats could be banned in low density parts of Mt Hawthorn, Leederville and North Perth under a plan being investigated by Vincent council. The WA government’s push for more density in the inner city suburbs has led to locals fronting the council, unhappy with whoppers planned for next door. Cr Josh Topelberg points…

ANGOVE STREET’S history has been evoked in a new mural by Perth artist George Domahidy. Building owner Hank Ekamper—who contributed to the costs with Vincent council—says he wanted something that touched on the trams that used to run down the street. “It’s beautiful, we’re very happy with it,” Mr Ekamper says. It’s the second mural…

SCITECH’S new toddlerfest hopes to get the little ’uns interested in science with activities for kids zero to five. Rather than toddlers having to get their heads around E=MC2, Scitech’s aiming to get kids engaged in science through a more sensory experience. There’ll be playdough maths so kids can experiment with shapes, farm animals to…

FEDERAL Labor MP Alannah MacTiernan has condemned Perth lord mayor Lisa Scaffidi for dismissing the concerns of heritage supporters (Voice, February 1, 2014). At last week’s Perth city council meeting Ms Scaffidi told people fighting to save the Michelides tobacco factory that if they wanted a say on the building’s future they should buy it.…