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Janessa EkertSenior journalist

Senior court and crime journalist Janessa Ekert has worked as a journalist for 13 years. After completing a double degree at James Cook University in Townsville – studying journalism and arts, majoring in French, history and English – Janessa cut her teeth as a corporate lifestyle magazine journalist before making the jump to daily news. She has been a newspaper journalist for 10 years. In that time Janessa has covered sport, business, council, politics, entertainment and community news stories. Janesssa now specialises in court and crime reporting, which has been a focus for the past eight years. In 2020, a road safety campaign and a crime feature earned Janessa two finalist nominations in the Clarions, the Queensland State Media Awards. Janessa has worked as a senior journalist for the Daily Mercury and Cairns Post covering regional news for the bulk of her career.

Latest

A Qantas plane aborts its landing at Hamilton Island after heavy rain.

Watch: Qantas plane’s wild aborted landing during deluge

A Qantas plane has aborted its landing on Hamilton Island, and golf carts struggled in the slick as the tropical paradise was hit with more than 300mm of rain in 24 hours. SEE THE VIDEOS

UPDATEDMackay

192mm overnight: Mackay streets and cars flooded, airport opens

192mm overnight: Mackay streets and cars flooded, airport opens

Hundreds are without power, cars have conked out in floodwaters but some flights are still running after 192mm of rain hit parts of the region overnight. LATEST

UpdatedPolice & Courts

Detectives from Mackay Child Protection and Investigation Unit have charged a 50-year-old man in relation to the supply of dangerous drugs and sexual assault of a child. Images: QPS

WATCH: Police allege man gave drugs, sexually assaulted teen girl

New information can be revealed about a Queensland man who police allege groomed, sexually abused and gave drugs to an underage teen. VIDEO.

Police & Courts

Peter Thomas McDougall outside Mackay courthouse ahead of his mention on manslaughter charges over a fatal plane crash on December 24, 2021 at Ball Bay.

Amateur pilot’s bizarre ‘White House’ court claim

An amateur pilot says he has weekly calls to the Donald Trump administration as he pushes to have multiple charges linked to his capability to fly planes dismissed.

‘I wasn’t expecting to catch one that big’

‘I wasn’t expecting to catch one that big’

Mackay Airport has returned to normal operations, while a photo of Proserpine local posing with a one metre barra he hooked from flood waters off the Bruce Highway has gone viral. LATEST.

UpdatedPolice & Courts

Luke Darby Cranston is facing charges over a horror incident in late 2023 that resulted in a financial loss totalling more than $500,000. He is also charged with allegedly stealing an Isuzu NPS 3007 fire truck and Nissan Patrol rural fire vehicle and causing up to $350,000 in damage in November 2023.

Man who allegedly set fire to $1.8m home facing fresh charges

A young Ilbilbie man accused of ransacking and setting fire to a $1.8m home, and stealing and damaging a rural fire truck during bushfire season, is back on the streets after spending two nights in the Mackay watch house.

The wet weather system sitting over Mackay and Whitsunday regions. Image: BOM

A metre of rain in days and more to come

There have been six SES call-outs across the Whitsundays in the past 24 hours as the region is battered by staggering rainfall totals, with more expected in the coming days as the monster weather system shifts south.

There is currently water over Shute Harbour Road at Hamilton Plains - the road remains open but motorists are urged to drive with caution.

Man in 70s rescued from car stranded in floodwaters

Emergency crews were called to a man trapped on top of his car in floodwaters in the Whitsundays as school bus services were cancelled and residents urged to keep off flooded roads.

Cassie Townsend, in a photo shown at her funeral.

Loved ones rally behind family of Cassie Townsend

Loved ones are supporting the family of a woman who died suddenly with a fundraiser already raising thousands for her children.

Police & Courts

Bogie triple killer accused case reaches supreme court

The case against an alleged triple killer accused of gunning down three family members will take its next step, the same day he learns the result of a part heard bail application.

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Original URL: https://www.couriermail.com.au/journalists/janessa-ekert/page/13