Orkney's oldest resident dies

Orkney's oldest resident, Miss Isie Thomison, died on Friday aged 104.

Miss Thomison, who originally lived at Braeside in Orphir, spent her latter years in St Rognvald's House, Kirkwall.

Councillors approve Stromness CCTV

Islands councillors have approved the use of closed circuit cameras at the Stromness and South Ronaldsay civic amenity sites.

Already in place, the cameras will be used to guard against the misuse of the sites.

Decision to move burger vans postponed

Islands' councillors shied away from relocating fast food vans in the centre of Kirkwall this week, agreeing instead to reconsider the situation in two months.

The proposal to move the vans was to reduce disturbance to residents of the new Kiln Corner housing development.

But it was decided to ask the council’s roads and environmental services committee for their views first, so that a report could come back to the June meeting of the licensing sub-committee.

Councillors back taxi fare changes

Taxi fares to and from anywhere on the Orkney Mainland, South Ronaldsay and Burray are set to rise next month.

Members of the OIC’s licensing sub-committee backed a revised set of rates, put forward by operators themselves, which will come into effect next month if no objections are received.

Viking Island Holidays officially launched at Glasgow travel show

Viking Island Holidays was officially launched on Wednesday at Scotland's largest travel show - Scotland Expo 2002 - in Glasgow.

The venture - created by Orkney and Shetland Tourist Boards and NorthLink - aims to significantly increase visitor numbers to the Northern Isles.

It is expected to boost the economy by £2 million over a three year period.

Orkney designers clinch lucrative deal

Orkney designers, Tait and Style, have won their biggest and most lucrative order to date, from the prestigious New York fashion store Saks on Fifth Avenue.

Founder of the business, Ingirid Tait, commented: "It is quite unusual and completely out of the blue. Apparently, they saw us at London Fashion Week in February and then followed it up at the Premiere Classe exhibition in Paris."

The full order of decorated scarves will be delivered by August.

600-mile walk to confront wife

An unemployed man who walked 600 miles to see his wife in Orkney ended up with an appearance at Kirkwall Sheriff Court this week.

Brian Bernard Peter Kelly (39) of Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, appeared from custody on Tuesday where he admitted following and chasing after his wife, Simone Chalmers, in Kirkwall on Monday.

£50,000 grant to "enhance and expand" training facility

A £50,000 grant has been awarded to Support Training Ltd to "enhance and expand" their Kirkwall training centre and the services it offers.

The Capital Modernisation Fund (CMF) cash has allowed to the centre to invest in new computers and a video-conferencing suite.

Lottery cash for Orkney indoor riding facility

A grant of almost £115,000 has been awarded to the Orkney branch of the Pony club to go towards the creation of an indoor riding centre.

The sportscotland lottery grant of £114,787 will allow the club to progress the ambitious project.

Development group set up to safeguard Shapinsay's future

Shapinsay has taken Westray and Papay’s lead, setting up the Shapinsay Development Group to look at ways of safeguarding the island’s prosperity in the future.

A recent public meeting, attended by 60 islanders, suggested that there was need to look at transport links; the potential for tourism and leisure activities; arts and crafts; heritage and the environment among other issues.

See www.shapinsay.org.uk for more details.

Torvhaug four escape prison sentence

The four men involved in the Torvhaug Inn disturbance in November 2000, escaped a prison sentence at Kirkwall Sheriff Court yesterday.

Condemning their behaviour, Sheriff Colin Scott Mackenzie said he had decided against jailing the men, instead sentencing them to community service and compensation.

David Sutherland was sentenced to 240 hours of community service and ordered to pay £150 compensation; Ian Spence was given 200 hours community service and must pay £100 compensation; Tony Steeple was given 200 hours community service and must pay £200 compensation and Iain Gatt was placed on 180 hours community service. The compensation is to be paid to the Torvhaug Inn.

Archive story: Four plead guilty to Torvhaug charges

Work begins on bowling alley

Building work on Orkney's first ten-pin bowling alley is now under way, with "Powerbowl" due to open in September.

The venture, located on Great Western Road, Kirkwall, attracted funding of £106,000 from Orkney Enterprise.

Orkney call on supporters for weekend promotion play-off

Orkney Rugby Club's First XV face Stirling University at the weekend – an encounter that will see the winner promoted to Division Four of the BT National League.

The Orkney side are hoping for a large number of exiled Orcadian rugby fans, living in or around Stirling, to turn up and show their support on the day.

The game kicks off at noon on Saturday at the Garnochy Playing fields at the student side's campus.

MSP moves to allay livestock shipping fears

Orkney’s MSP has moved to allay the farming community's fears that livestock shipping arrangements won't be in place to meet the peak demand this autumn.

However, Jim Wallace says that the Scottish Executive are pursuing what he called “a twin track approach” to ensure that NorthLink's new livestock cassette system will be in place by the autumn deadline.

They are also negotiating to charter a livestock vessel, in the event that cassettes are not ready.

Drug worries after Northern heroin haul

The seizure of £40,000 worth of heroin by police in the Northern Constabulary area has heightened fears that hard drugs are on the way north.

Although last week's operation did not involve Orkney officers, police are not revealing where the seizure was made.

Kirkwall Police Sergeant David Miller pointed out that there has only been one seizure of heroin in Orkney but stressed that it didn't pay to be complacent.

First liner of season visits Kirkwall

The first cruise liner of the season, a Norwegian-registered vessel on her maiden voyage, visited Kirkwall on Sunday.

The 138.5-metre Finnmarken, carrying 535 passengers, docked in Kirkwall - the second largest vessel ever to come alongside the pier.

Finnmarken is touring northern Europe before returning to Norway to work on coastal routes.

Westray conversion cited as example of good architectural practice

Trenabie Mill, Westray

The conversion of Trenabie Mill in Westray will be highlighted as an example of good practice at a major architectural conference next month.

South Ronaldsay-based architect, May Finnigan, who helped owners Sandy and Willie McEwen create their dream home, has been invited to address the annual conference of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland on May 4.

Sandy McEwen will also speak about her vision for the project and how it was achieved.