Patrick Orren Stephenson, 23, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of murder after the disappearance of Ballarat mum Samantha Murphy.

Police are piecing together the circumstances surrounding an accident on Victoria's Western Highway between a truck and a car that left one person dead and others injured. 

Fire investigators are treating a bushfire which destroyed at least one home in Victoria's west as suspicious. There are fears the fire could burn for weeks.

Police allege a 26-year-old man from Snake Valley, near Ballarat, took two people hostage and shot at officers multiple times.

Regional Victorians say there are not enough crossings, signage, and adequate speed zones to protect school students.

The Catholic Church has won a High Court appeal against rulings it is vicariously liable for the actions of a priest who allegedly sexually abused a five-year-old in 1971, sparking calls for change.

The charity says there is an increasing demand for food in the state, which coincides with a 15 per cent decrease in donations.

Victoria's third-oldest newspaper, the Portland Observer, will potentially print its last edition five days before Christmas.