The organisers of a scheme aimed at wiping out Bovine Viral Diarrhoea from Orkney cattle are only one per cent away from getting enough support.

Councillors will be told next week's economic development committee that farmers representing 79 per cent of Orkney's breeding herd have agreed to participate in the scheme. A target of 80 per cent has to be reached, backed by State Aid notification before the scheme can go ahead.

Orkney Islands Council plan to spend £540,000 on eradicating the disease in two years.

Flotta oil terminal workers given their notice this summer following the takeover by Talisman Energy have been asked to stay for longer than expected.

The decision led to claims this week that the operators couldn’t run the plant with a reduced workforce, but Talisman said it was all part and parcel of an agreement previously made clear to staff, enabling a training programme to be completed.

More details.

Claims that the police are insisting on stewarding at Kirkwall’s Christmas and New Year’s Day Ba’s have been kicked into touch this week.

Arguments broke out on The Orcadian’s online discussion forum at the end of last week, with claims made that the police were attempting to insist that stewarding was introduced at the traditional Ba’ game.

More details.

Skaill House has been shortlisted for a prestigious Scottish Tourist Board Thistle Award for its commitment to staff training and profitability.

The house, open to the public as part of a visit to Skara Brae, has been shortlisted under the small company training category for an award and is among 317 entries.

Chairman of the Scottish Tourist Board Lord Gordon of Strathblane said: "We now have to get down to the difficult task of selecting candidates for the final judging, but I think we should congratulate all shortlisted candidates on their achievement at a time when issues of quality and service within the tourism industry are being scrutinised as never before."

The winners will be announced at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre on November 10.

Council services in Orkney look set to be disrupted by further strike action following the rejection of a latest pay offer by Unison members.

The pay offer had been increased by half a per cent to three per cent with a further 3.1 per cent promised for next year.

Unison had suspended planned strike action to consult their members on the offer, but announced this week that 68 per cent of the people who voted had rejected the proposal.

The captain of Scotland's Calcutta Cup-winning side against England in April, Andy Nicol,visited Orkney on Thursday morning to present pupils from Orkney secondary schools with tickets to watch Scotland's Autumn Test Match against World Champions Australia at Murrayfield on November 11.

Kirkwall Grammar School and Stromness Academy have taken up the offer from the Scottish Rugby Union of providing free bus travel to and from Murrayfield to enable them to support the national team.

The 29-year-old scrum half, who has won 16 caps for Scotland and captained the First XV team five times, visited KGS to hand over the match tickets.

The number of full-time equivalent staff working for Orkney Islands Council increased last year to a total of 1,326. The figures, for December 1999 were up by 29 compared to staff numbers at the end of the previous year.

Figures published this week show an increase of 2,214 full-time equivalent staff working in local authorities throughout Scotland. According to the Joint Staffing Watch survey results, the December 1999 figure for the country was 236,534 compared with the December 1998 figure of 234,320.

The recommendations of a review team set up to look at tug provision around the UK coast could result in a salvage tug being stationed in Orkney waters all year round.

The salvage tug Anglian Monarch recently returned to the Northern Isles but her tour of duty ends in March next year.

Pressure has been mounting for the tug to remain on station 12 months of the year with arguments in favour pointing to the Pentland Firth being one of the most treacherous stretches of water around the UK.

The calls may have been taken on board though by a review team which could result in year-long cover.

Rare birds in Orkney are due to receive greater protection following the creation of a new Special Protection Area (SPA).

Four areas of moorland on Mainland Orkney - the Orphir and the Stenness Hills; Keelylang Hill and Swartabeck Burn; the West Mainland Moorland; and Glims Moss and Durkadale - have been designated as an SPA to give added protection to the birds in the area.

The new SPA is one of several in Orkney which include Marwick Head Copinsay and Auskerry. A proposal is also being considered to designate part of Hoy as an SPA.

Tickets for Orkney's storytelling festival - Tall Tales for Short Days - are selling well this week. The celebration of the spoken and written word begins today and includes storytelling sessions and a tour of Orkney's literary heritage.

More details.

A purpose-built drop-in centre for young people was officially opened in Westray on Monday night.

The £80,000 facility known as the “Höfn” - the name used for Pierowall in the Orkneyinga Saga - has been developed by the Westray Development Trust with funding from a number of bodies.

The drop-in centre was officially opened by the Deputy Minister for Enterprise in the Highlands and Islands, Mr Alasdair Morrison.

The idea of a drop-in centre was first raised by young people on the island at the Westray Conference two years ago. They have been involved at all stages of the building’s design and planning.

The congregation of St Magnus Cathedral have formed a partnership with a congregation in Guguletu, a black township in Cape Town, South Africa.

The link follows a visit to St Magnus earlier in the year by Rev Spiwo Xapile, a minister from Guguleto.

The St Magnus congregation's Guguletu group are aiming to raise £2,500 to buy a used mini bus as an ambulance in the township. So far they have raised £1,900.

Two youths who allegedly went on a crime spree on the island of Papa Westray last week have been reported to the procurator fiscal in Kirkwall.

Police say that enquiries are continuing into a series of car thefts, several road traffic offences, firearms offences, a house break-in at the Papay Community Co-op, and a number of other thefts.

Police enquiries are continuing after a derelict car was found to be on fire in Rousay on Wednesday evening.

At around 6.30pm, the Rousay fire brigade were called to the fire by the fish factory and extinguished the burning vehicle.

A police spokesman confirmed they would be making further enquiries into the matter, adding that anyone with any information on the fire should contact Kirkwall police on 872241.

A major £11 million boost for Scottish fishermen was announced on Thursday by Scottish Fisheries Minister John Home Robertson.

Funding for the Highlands and Islands will rise to £7.1 million over the next three years following the recent spending review - money the authorities say is available for a wide range of projects with safety being the top priority.