OIC meet targets for pre-school education

The latest figures published by Audit Scotland on behalf of the Accounts Commission, show that nearly 98 per cent of all four-year-olds in Scotland are receiving pre-school education, with 88 per cent of three-year-olds in free nursery places.

In Orkney, the figures showed that in the autumn last year all four-year-olds received a place as well as 97 per cent of three-year-olds.

Wait continues for Crowness announcement

Scottish Executive financial support for the new ferry terminal at Crowness was not forthcoming on Friday, as Scottish Transport Minister Sarah Boyack visited the county.

After cutting the first turf to begin the new Kirkwall Airport terminal development this morning, Ms Boyack didn't announce funding for the Stromness and Crowness terminals but said that engineering consultants were looking at both options.

As well as meeting with council representatives Ms Boyack visited Stromness Harbour and Crowness - the sites that will serve the new Northlink ferries.

Tourist Board implement foot-and-mouth "damage limitation" strategy

As fears grow that the current foot-and-mouth restrictions could spell disaster for Orkney's tourist industry, Orkney Tourist Board have outlined their "damage limitation" strategy.

Aimed at providing potential visitors with accurate information and reassuring them that they should still come to Orkney, among the measures implemented are special scheduled tours, guiding arrangements and special itineraries for visitors.

OTB chief executive Gareth Crichton explained: "I am of the view that the best we can do is get information to visitors in advance of their trip to Orkney - so that we can better meet and exceed their expectations once they are here."

To view the tourist board's guidance for visitors, click here.

Orkney's wartime link to leukaemia cluster

The Oxford University study, published in the medical journal The Lancet, shows that islanders' isolation up until the war had left them particularly susceptible to outside infections.

The report notes that the large influx of service personnel to the Northern Isles coincided with an unprecedented rise in the number of leukaemia cases.

The Cancer Research Campaign, who funded the study, believe that if the infectious agent can be identified, the next step might be a vaccine to prevent leukaemia from developing.

Men taken into custody after alleged 'Hope disturbance

Two men have been reported to the procurator fiscal over an alleged disturbance in St Margaret's Hope on Wednesday night.

The men were taken into custody after Kirkwall police received a number of calls from concerned members of the public in the 'Hope about an alleged disturbance on various streets in the village.

Inspector Paul Eddington said: "We received a number of calls last night (Wednesday) about the behaviour of two or three people in the 'Hope. As a result of those calls we attended and two people were taken into custody."

The men were released from custody on Thursday morning.

Police are appealing for any witnesses to contact them on 872241.

Calls for foot-and-mouth movement restrictions to relax

So far, no cases of foot-and-mouth have been diagnosed in the county, and while everyone is in agreement that precautions to prevent spread of the disease must continue, issues of animal welfare, as well as the potentially disastrous effects on the local tourist industry, are becoming more pressing.

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Council unite behind Crowness bid

Divisions within Orkney Islands Council have been set aside with councillors ready to present a united front in a bid to secure vital Government funding for a new harbour at Crowness.

All councillors have now accepted that Crowness should go ahead, subject to appropriate funding being in place. Elected members have also made a firm pledge to give priority to substantial investment for Stromness, recognising its position as the main gateway into Orkney.

More details >

Council appoint new director of technical services

Orkney Islands Council have appointed a new director of technical services.

Brian Thomson (49) will join the OIC from Fife Council where he is current Roads DLO manager. He replaces Jim Panton who leaves the council next month.

Another resignation over fisheries controversy

Jamie Stone, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross offered his resignation as Liberal Democrats Fisheries spokesman to Jim Wallace MSP, furthering the split in the Lib Dem ranks after Tavish Scott resigned from the Executive at the end of last week.

Mr Stone said: "During the extensive discussions last week I worked closely with Tavish Scott, arguing the case for short term aid. We were not successful and I voted against the Executive. This meant that I had to offer Jim Wallace my resignation as fisheries spokesman."

Orkney food and drink to be well represented at international exhibition

The five Orkney companies attending the IFE between March 25 and 28 are Orkney Brewery, Orkney Creamery, Orkney Herring, Orkney Salmon and Tods of Orkney.

Co-ordinated by Orkney Quality Food and Drink, they will be exhibiting under the distinctive banner of the Scottish Pavilion - a partnership between Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Scottish Trade Fair International.

VAO announce cash awards

Voluntary Action Orkney (VAO) have announced the local voluntary groups who will benefit from this year's Covenant to the Voluntary Sector.

VAO has £6,500 to give away to groups, priority going to groups who help the disadvantaged. This year's covenant will be shared between 19 local organisations.

Farming community concerned over Northlink livestock shipping arrangements

A number of agricultural organisations were involved in talks in Kirkwall last week with Northlink's project manager, Mr John Horton.

Responding to farming community's concerns, John Horton said: "From the discussion at those meetings and further talks, we should be able to produce a specification for a livestock vessel fairly quickly. The timescale is not a problem, because we intend to buy an existing vessel and modify it for livestock use."

Mr Horton stressed that Northlink would be holding a series of regular communication meetings with groups in Orkney.

A private home for the elderly in St Margaret's Hope is to close at the end of the month with the loss of ten jobs - amid claims and counter-claims that the council's social work department were partially to blame.

Richmond Villa Care Home is being forced to close because of financial difficulties with the owners claiming they were wrongly told by the council three years ago that they couldn't increase their charges - even though they say the families of the residents were willing to pay the extra themselves.

OIC social work director Mr Harry Garland said yesterday that he didn't want to criticise the previous administration, but as far as he was aware, the owners could have charged the families what they wanted, on top of what the council paid for residents referred to the home.

He added that more recently, the department and done everything they could to help the home meet new standards imposed by the Government. The council say they are now helping to ensure the home's seven residents are well looked after.

Concerns have been raised over the "significant" levels of senior social work staff in Orkney off work because of pressure of work.

Speaking at Thursday's full council meeting, Councillor Roderick McLeod said he was concerned that large numbers of staff were being put under "huge pressure".

Officially, the council say they currently have no staff off work because of stress, but Councillor McLeod said stress often manifested itself in different ways with doctors less likely to define it on a sick note.

Suggesting that the fault lay with pressures from external sources such as the Government, rather than from within the council, Councillor McLeod has called for some analysis of the absentee figures in an attempt to address the problem.

Shetland MSP Tavish Scott has resigned from the Scottish Executive in protest over its decision to continue with long-term aid.

Mr Scott quit his post as Deputy Minister on Friday night as a result of the Executive's decision to deny fishermen money for a tie-up scheme - this despite being defeated in the Scottish Parliament.

It's all change at Orkney Health Board with the announcement that Scotland's NHS Trusts and Health Boards are being streamlined.

Current chairman Mr Eoin Leslie has also announced that he is not seeking re-appointment to the new health board - which will be known as NHS Orkney.

Mr Leslie, who has been a member since 1970, will continue as chairman until a new appointment is made.

Each home in Orkney is to receive a hand-delivered Census form which should be filled in on Sunday, April 29.

A reply paid envelope is included with the form, and if you fail to send it back, enumerators will chase up forms which are missing.

The Census will give an accurate profile of Scotland's population and be use to plan where Scotland's resources will be required in the future.

An attempt to block plans to lease land for a privately-run ten pin bowling alley in Kirkwall fell by the wayside at last week's full council meeting.

Kirkwall businessman George Drever wants to set up a bowling alley on land owned by the council next to the Kirkwall power station and councillors have agreed to support in principle his request to lease the land for the project.

The decision was ratified at Thursday's full council meeting, but it had to go to the vote after being questioned by Councillor Jack Moodie - a firm supporter of ten-pin bowling being situated at the Pickaquoy Centre.

Councillor Moodie's bid - which if successful could have scuppered Mr Drever's plans - was defeated by 12 votes to five.

Segments of the massive anchor chain raised from Scapa Flow. (Picture: Craig Taylor)

A salvage operation by a local company in Scapa Flow has retrieved a massive anchor from the sea bed - three months after it was lost by a visiting oil tanker.

The ten tonne anchor, together with 50 tonnes of chain, were raised by Kirkwall firm of Leask Marine after the tanker Singapore Spirit lost them in November last year.

The anchor is being returned to its owners while the chain will be broken up and sold to local salmon farms.

The Canadian owners of the Flotta Oil Terminal, Talisman Energy, have unveiled a net income for last year of £402 million - more than five times the previous year's figure of £78 million.

The company's cash flow also increased dramatically - rising from £493 million in 1999 to £1,072 million last year.

Talisman are putting the increase down to strong operating performance and higher prices for oil and gas.

Police in Orkney are carrying out spot checks on vehicles carrying livestock on the county's roads.

Inspector Paul Eddington explained that they were checking to ensure owners hold a licence to transport animals to the abattoir in light of the foot-and-mouth crisis.

The police also issued a plea for farmers to ensure that fences are stock proof and gates remain closed to prevent animals wandering.