If you have any feedback, suggestions, news tips or simply a great picture you'd love to share email us at addynews@austcommunitymedia.com.au or message us on social media.

Funding finalised for long-awaited Bendigo Airport upgrades

Good evening Bendigo! Late journo Alex Gretgrix here bringing you the news of this evening.

Some exciting stuff for all you airport watchers, with an announcement coming in just after we went to press.

The federal government has finalised the funding agreement allowing the Bendigo Airport upgrade to go ahead.

After fears the project would be delayed, Victorian Senator Sarah Henderson confirmed the news on Monday afternoon.

"I am delighted that the federal government has finalised its funding agreement with the City of Greater Bendigo to deliver $4.5 million to Bendigo Airport," she said.

Until tomorrow

I'm signing off for the night readers and handing over to Alex for the late shift.

See you all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed tomorrow.

Marong crash on the Calder Alternative Highway

As of 2.40pm today three local people are being treated by paramedics after two cars crashed just south of Marong.

All three will be transported to hospital, Chris Pedler reported, with one passenger considered seriously injured.

Bendigo Highway Patrol Senior Sergeant Ian Brooks said it appeared that somebody had failed to give way at the intersection, causing the accident.

V/Line update

The Twitter-sphere has confirmed tonight's 5.36pm train from Eaglehawk to Southern Cross will no longer originate from Eaglehawk.

Instead, it'll be kicking off it's journey from Bendigo Station.

Today is also the last expected day some of the trains will be replaced with coaches due to current works on the West Gate Tunnel project. I'll let you know if that changes though.

And simply because it's Monday and everyone deserves a little bit of sunshine, here's a really cute photo of our political reporter Neve Brissenden's new puppy and resident fluff-ball, Ruth.

I won't lie to you guys, it would pretty much make my day (and I'm sure many others) if I got to share your pets in the blog, so email them through to maddy.fogarty@austcommunitymedia.com.au and make sure to include names!

Have you seen Hayden?

Police have issued a second plea to the public in search for missing Bendigo man Hayden.

Hayden - who's disappearance is out of character and has his family and police concerned - was last seen at Southern Cross Station on March 12.

Hayden is approximately 180cm tall with a medium build and brown hair and facial hair.

Anyone who has seen Hayden or can provide information on his whereabouts is urged to call Triple Zero (000) or Echuca police on (03) 5483 1568.

We have a Liberal candidate!

Senior reporter Tom O'Callaghan received confirmation this morning the Liberal Party has nominated a Bendigo candidate for the 2022 federal election.

Bendigo-born Darin Schade is moving back north from Melbourne to campaign in the election that is widely suspected will be held no later than May 21 despite prime minister Scott Morrison not yet having announced anything.

Mr Schade previously campaigned for the inner-city district of Melbourne during the 2018 state election, Tom reported.

He will face off against a growing field of political candidates, including Labor incumbent Lisa Chesters, who is campaigning in her fourth election for Bendigo.

Other candidates include Ben Mahail for Pauline Hanson's One Nation, Elijah Suares for the United Australia Party and Cate Sinclair for the Australian Greens.

If the election is announced for May, Mr Schade might have as little as a month and a half to campaign, depending on the weekend the election is held.

Bendigo daily case numbers jump above 250

Greater Bendigo has recorded 262 coronavirus cases overnight, bringing it's number of active cases to 1590 - 200 more active cases than Sunday.

This is a significant spike from yesterday's 192 cases.

According to data from the Department of Health the majority of cases were linked to the 3550, 3551, 3555 and 3556 postcodes.

Surrounding shires also saw an increase in daily case numbers.

Buloke and Gannawarra shires each recorded nine new cases, Campaspe noted 40 new cases overnight and Central Goldfields recorded 23.

Loddon shire doubled it's daily cases since Sunday, reporting 10 in the last 24 hours.

Mount Alexander recorded 42 new cases while Macedon Ranges recorded 98 new cases for the third day in a row.

Partly cloudy

Hey all, I'm back with your weather update and #OnThisDay. If you guys want to chat about anything you can find me on Twitter or email me at maddy.fogarty@austcommunitymedia.com.au with any leads, tips or cool pics.

The Bureau of Meteorology has suggested slapping on your sun protection between 9.30am and 3.10pm today as the UV index is predicted to hit 6 (quite high).

It's expected today will reach a top of 23 and will be partly cloudy with light winds.

According to the Bureau, the rest of the week is shaking up to be similar forecasts.

On this day

Fifty-four years ago today, US civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated in Memphis Tennessee.

He delivered his final speech the day before.

In 1964, at age 35, Martin Luther King Jr received the Nobel Peace Prize "for his non-violent struggle for civil rights for the Afro-American population".

He was survived by wife and fellow activist Coretta Scott King and their four children; Yolanda, Martin, Dexter and Bernice. His legacy - the fight to end systemic racism - continues to this day.

Daily coronavirus cases, vaccine rates rise in Victoria

Good morning Greater Bendigo, just Maddy here delivering your latest COVID-19 stats hot off the Twitter-press. I'll be back shortly with the weather and of course Neve Brissenden's #OnThisDay.

Victoria has recorded 10,011 new cases of coronavirus overnight, about 1000 cases more than yesterday.

There are now 63,545 active cases across the state with 305 people in hospital, 17 in the ICU and three people on ventilators.

Sadly, one person died overnight.

Of the 12,626 PCR tests conducted, 2,903 were positive.

Vaccination rates continue to grow, with 66.1 per cent of eligible Victorians (aged 18 and over) having received their booster, while 94.4 per cent of Victorians aged 12 and over have received two vaccine doses.

Have you received your booster?

More to come.

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