Five years ago
• Anyone caught removing a tree on larger parcels of land not subject to a development application could soon face much stiffer fines — up to a maximum of $10,000.
Under existing guidelines, damaging a tree coincides with a fine of $100, cutting without a permit will cost $150 and the maximum penalty for removal of a tree would rise to $250, $500 and $10,000 respectively.
10 years ago
• Months after going public with concerns about their water, Whiskey Creek residents still can’t drink it — and they are at a standstill as to what to do about the utility. “As far as I’m concerned, the health board let us down,” said resident Barb Kevis.
20 years ago
• Police were alerted to the possibility of an attempted child abduction — the fourth reported incident in the past six weeks. A 10-year- old boy walking near Maple Lane in San Pareil was approached by a man in a blue pickup truck, who asked the lad if he wanted a ride home. The boy ran away immediately, police said.