Hundreds of tests were taken at varying times, and to my knowledge no positive results have been recorded.

This was a massive job for all concerned. Warrnambool people should be very proud of this young mans achievements.

He has been able to keep business operating, keeping hundreds of workers in employment during this trying and frustrating time.

Keep up the good work Dean, our country needs young men like you.

Thais Bayne, Terang

Please, incoming Warrnambool City councillors, resurrect the spectacular Light and Sound Show and the Maritime Village & Museum urgently for the coming influx of Melbourne visitors.

Thank you.

Yvonne Darnell, Wyndham Vale

A new council has been elected. The process of the election and the outcome says so much about the people of Warrnambool.

For at least the last 12 months the council had been in disarray and the people of Warrnambool had become disenchanted with both its performance and the apparent ethos. This is borne out by the result. Not one of them was re-elected, though I do feel for Peter Sycopoulis who had performed with courage and honesty.

It speaks volumes about Warrnambool that in this time of council chaos and internecine manoeuvring that the community gave Vicki Jellie such an overwhelming vote of confidence.

For that is what it was, not simply a vote to elect a councillor.

Vicki Jellie has a record of dauntless spirit, perseverance, and leadership and that is just what Warrnambool needs right now. When the chips were down, Warrnambool knew what to do.

Vicki will be supported by six other councillors each of whom will bring something different and worthwhile to the council chamber.

I congratulate all those elected but especially, I congratulate the community of Warrnambool who showed great courage and common sense to make this wholesale change to the council.

Jim Burke, Warrnambool

Kudos to the Warrnambool Standard, 3YB and The Terrier for actively approaching candidates for the Warrnambool council election and giving them all equal chance to have their voice heard on a range of issues.

Compared to the divisive media bias in the USA and in some respects Australia, these local media outlets ought to be congratulated for giving fair coverage to all. For candidates that are newcomers or those on limited budgets, having such coverage is worth gold.

ABC Local radio in contrast lags well behind in this regard.

Luckily they have four years in which to learn from the leaders in their field and to try to emulate their high standards.

Dr Michael McCluskey, Warrnambool

The smelter brings enormous social and economic benefits to the area.

Since its inception in 1986, Portland Aluminium has been the backbone of the town, creating more than 1100 jobs.

Its workers inject tens of millions of dollars into the town and the surrounding community, and half of Portlands retail income is estimated to come from Alcoa workers.

In the future, the smelter has the potential to lead the way in the transition towards green power in the region.

However, the smelter is likely to close if the government cannot ensure fair energy prices, which would be devastating to the local community.

As the region and state recover from COVID-19, it is crucial for the town, the region, and the state that the smelter continues to operate in Portland.

John Weichert, Committee for Portland Deputy Chair, Portland

For many of us the recent United States election was the most significant presidential ballot in our lifetime.

It's outcome represented the triumph of decency over much that wasn't.

The defeat of such a flawed and nasty character in Trump highlights the power of democratic voting and suggests the 2016 result was an aberration.

Tony Delaney, Warrnambool

Please note: The Standard prefers letters to be less than 250 words. Preference is given to shorter contributions. Letters must include the author's name, address and contact phone number for verification purposes. Letters are published at standard.net.au and in print.