It’s been quite a year in Penrith and The Western Weekender has been there to cover all the big moments.
Here’s our look at July 2019…
– The community is shocked and shaken by the death of Rita Camilleri in St Clair. Her daughter, 25-year-old Jessica Camilleri, is charged with the horrific murder.
– Local police officers declare “enough is enough”, as they put grubs who assault police on notice.
– Lawyer Amanda Little wins Penrith’s Business Person of the Year Award at the Penrith Local Business Awards.
– The St Marys Rembrandt Dutch Club faces an uncertain future, with confirmation the centre is likely to be demolished to make way for a warehouse development.
– Lindsay MP Melissa McIntosh makes her maiden speech in Parliament.
– An inquest into music festival deaths hears that there was a lack of medical staff at the Defqon.1 festival in Penrith in 2018, where two people died.
– New Labor leader Jodi McKay visits Penrith, promising to hold the recently elected Coalition government to account.
– The Independent Planning Commission dramatically refuses the highly publicised cemetery development at Wallacia Golf Club.
– Penrith City Council blocks Westfield’s planned $10.5 million expansion.
– Local vegans say tough restrictions imposed on protests won’t stop them “exposing the truth” to Penrith residents.
– A Penrith paramedic is tragically killed during a freak wind storm in the Blue Mountains. Friends and family remember Dearne Fulcher as being “confident and dedicated”.
– Former Lindsay MP Emma Husar and BuzzFeed settle their defamation case out of court.
– A former St Marys priest is jailed for the third time over sex crimes.
– The Western Sydney Wanderers play their first match at Bankwest Stadium, taking on English club Leeds United.
– James Maloney confirms he will leave the Penrith Panthers at the end of the NRL season.
– There’s heartbreak for Penrith netballer Paige Hadley when Australia loses the World Cup final to New Zealand by a point.
