From the monthly archives: September 2011
Proposals to develop four children’s playparks are among the projects which have received a funding boost from Orkney Islands Council’s Community Development Fund (CDF).
Members of the CDF sub-committee have approved funding of up to £47,350 to South Ronaldsay and Burray Development Trust to refurbish the Hope playpark in St Margaret’s Hope. They also agreed [...]
Continue Reading →Guidance to help farmers comply with EU rules on sheep electronic identification (EID) has been issued today, Friday.
A letter and leaflets have been sent to all sheep farmers and should be received within the next few days.
The move follows successful negotiations with Brussels which resulted in the Scottish Government obtaining crucial flexibility at [...]
Continue Reading →A distillery company has been fined a total of £15,000 for offences relating to pollution of a water environment near Kirkwall between September 1, 2010, and October 28, 2010.
Highland Distilleries of West Kinfauns, Perth, previously pleaded guilty to three offences relating to the discharge of around 4,000 litres of diesel fuel oil into a watercourse [...]
Continue Reading →Leaders from Scotland’s three islands councils met with transport minister Keith Brown today, to press for the reinstatement of the Air Discount Scheme (ADS) for business travel.
Orkney Islands Council convener, Councillor Stephen Hagan was joined by Angus Campbell, leader of Western Isles Council, and Josie Simpson, leader of Shetland Islands Council, for the meeting.
[...]
Continue Reading →Scotland’s justice secretary can not confirm that fire stations in Orkney will be safeguarded under recently announced plans to reform Scotland’s fire and rescue services.
The justice secretary was responding to a letter from Orkney MSP Liam McArthur.
Mr McArthur said: “In light of concerns in Orkney about the implications of fire service reform on [...]
Continue Reading →The Scottish Epilepsy Initiative, will be hosting a free education day for health professionals in Orkney who are interested in epilepsy. The conference will take place at the Balfour Hospital, on October 5 and will cover a range of relevant topics.
Sheena Bevan, epilepsy specialist nurse for Grampian, Orkney and Shetland, explained: “With the development [...]
Continue Reading →A Kirkwall man, who took a taxi without permission and crashed it into the wall outside Fusion nightclub, has been sentenced to six months in custody.
James Barry Reeve, 33, of Bosquoy Road, Kirkwall, previously pleaded guilty to taking the taxi from Junction Road on June 24 and committing a catalogue of offences on Junction [...]
Continue Reading →A 77-year-old Sanday man has been jailed for two years for having sex with a 15-year-old girl.
Ian Muir, of Kettletoft, Sanday, was found guilty earlier this month when a jury returned a majority verdict following a four-day trial.
Muir was also placed on the sex offenders register for ten years when he appeared for [...]
Continue Reading →Orkney small bore shooter Bobby Spence has won a silver medal at an international shooting event in Bisley.
Bobby, from Kirkwall, was representing Scotland at the Commonwealth Shooting Federation European Division at the weekend.
He took silver in the mens 50m prone pairs match, and also realised sixth equal in the individual mens 50m final.
Continue Reading →Orkney Islands Council’s pension fund has performed “very well” over the last year.
According to the OIC’s director of finance and housing, Gareth Waterson, the fund returned a gain on investments of 12.4 per cent — out performing the benchmark of 8.2 per cent.
The pension fund is managed externally by investment managers Baillie Gifford [...]
Continue Reading →Rails Bookmaker Ltd, in Kirkwall’s Bridge Street, closed down on Monday night — with escalating licensing fees being blamed in part.
Owner Lloyd Stockan said this week that he was disappointed that it had come to this, with one full-time and two part-time staff being made redundant.
Mr Stockan opened the bookmakers 24 years ago, [...]
Continue Reading →Sexual health services in Orkney have been commended by a national standards body.
A report to be published by Healthcare Improvement Scotland highlights the strengths of service delivery across the county.
The inspectors were particularly impressed with the commitment and dedication of the small team. They also acknowledged the service “model” and Orkney’s innovative approach [...]
Continue Reading →The cafe and bar at the Pickaquoy Centre will close on Friday, September 30, leaving the venue without a catering facility for the first time.
However, centre manager Mark Harrison said he hoped to put the franchise out to tender following the completion of the new swimming pool and squash courts next summer.
Mr Harrison [...]
Continue Reading →An Orkney resident has been jailed for four months for breaching a bail condition.
The condition, imposed at Wick Sheriff Court, in May, banned Carl Howley from contacting a local woman.
However, Howley, who was also living in the town, at the time, telephoned her a matter of hours after he had been granted conditional [...]
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