Councillor appointed to mobility and access committee

Orkney Islands Council transport committee member, Councillor Roderick McLeod, has been appointed to a new committee which will examine the transport needs of disabled people.

The new Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland (MACS) will act as an advisory body looking at transport issues affecting disabled people, including accessibility, and providing suggestions for practical improvements.

Orkney ready for international influx

Final arrangements are being made for Orkney to host its first ever international conference, with delegates from all over Europe, the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean due to arrive next week.

They will be attending the annual meeting of the Islands Commission of the EU’s Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR).

Transport and changes in constitutional arrangements will be the main themes of the conference, being held at the Pickaquoy Centre next Thursday and Friday.

£15,000 boost for carers’ charity

Crossroads Orkney has received a £15,000 cash boost over three years to help provide additional respite care for carers.

The Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland funding will potentially allow an additional 40 carers in the islands to have a few days break each year, leaving their dependants to be cared for by a Crossroads care worker.

MSP steps in over hospital staffing crisis

Orkney’s MSP, Mr Jim Wallace, met with senior NHS officials yesterday to discuss a staffing crisis at Kirkwall’s Balfour Hospital.

Mr Wallace’s move followed news that NHS Orkney had been forced last week to consider a number of measures, including the temporary closure of Orkney’s cancer care unit, Macmillan House, to help cope with a short-term shortage of acute nursing staff.

Unruly youths force drop-in centre closure

Disruptions caused by local youngsters have forced the closure of the South Ronaldsay and Burray Drop-In Centre which was created to provide activities especially for them.

The centre has closed with staff saying they were “tired out” because of the behaviour of some of the youngsters attending the centre.

The organisation will now have to return a grant for £2,987 they received from the Lottery Awards for All scheme earlier this month.

Churches may face major repair bills

A number of Orkney congregations have been asked to consider the future of their church buildings, as the ten-year-long Presbytery Plan reaches half way.

Orkney Presbytery’s property convener, Mrs Pauline Hunt, made the plea at Tuesday’s Presbytery meeting after a number of church surveys showed thousands of pounds in repair and maintenance work may be needed.

The Evie, Twatt, Rendall, Stromness, Birsay, Harray and Sandwick churches are reported to be in need of a considerable maintenance within the next five years.

Ferry construction on schedule as Hrossey takes to the water

Hrossey takes to the water at the Aker Shipyards in Finland.

The new NorthLink ferry to serve the Aberdeen-Orkney-Shetland route was "floated out" of her dry dock at the weekend

In dry-dock construction, the float-out takes the place of the conventional launch.

Hrossey, the second of NorthLink's three new ferries, is on target for delivery in September this year.

More details and pictures

Marine national park could give Orkney waters extra protection

The waters around Orkney could become a marine national park.

The idea follows a proposal by Environment Secretary, Mrs Margaret Beckett, for conserving marine life around the UK coastline. Her initiative plans to use European Habitats Directives to safeguard large areas of the sea against fishing, oil exploration and military activities.

Details of the areas earmarked for special protection, which could include Orkney, are likely to be announced on May 1.

Sheriff Court days change

Court days at Kirkwall Sheriff Court have changed. From this week civil cases will be heard on a Tuesday with criminal cases heard fortnightly on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

The Court Users Group – made up of procurator fiscal, solicitors, Victim Support and police – agreed the change to streamline the system and make it more user friendly.

Stromness man sets up Orkney's first honey company

An Stromness man is setting up the county's first honey company.

Erland Omand plans to sell traditional clover honey through outlets across the UK's as well as breeding pedigree queen bees for sale across the world.

Building the business will be a slow process, taking at least three years to build up enough hives to produce honey on a commercial scale.

Revised design welcomed but more walkway discussions needed says Brown

The latest proposal for the Stromness passenger walkway (seen in background)

Plans to replace the proposed metal ferry passenger walkway in Stromness with a glass one was hailed as a step in the right direction On Tuesday by Stromness councillor John Brown.

Orkney Islands councillor Brown had referred to the previous design as a "blight" on the gateway to Orkney.

At Tuesday's meeting of the full council he welcomed the latest modification but called for further discussions about other possible finishes.

Summer start for airport ILS work

Construction work on Kirkwall Airport's £1.9 million Instrument Landing System is due to start this summer.

The date was revealed by Highlands and Islands Airports Limited managing director Bob Macleod, in Orkney on Tuesday for the official opening of the airport terminal by First Minister Jack McConnell.

Mr Macleod said the system should be installed by the end of 2002 and after a period of thorough testing, would be ready by October 2003.

NHS Orkney face staffing crisis

Stromness GPs have demanded a meeting with NHS Orkney representatives, after it emerged last week that two Balfour Hospital wards may have to close due to nursing shortages.

NHS Orkney were forced to consider closing admissions to Macmillan House, which caters for terminally ill cancer patients, and the St Magnus Day Hospital rehabilitation unit. Measures announced yesterday to alleviate shortages include increased day surgery and prioritisation of non-emergency patients.

A Stromness Practice spokesman said: “We were unhappy about the withdrawal of the service, and an underlying problem of staff retention and staff recruitment.”

Finance and housing director leaves OIC

Orkney Islands Council's director of finance and housing David Robertson is moving on after 17 years with the OIC.

Mr Robertson is leaving Orkney to take up a new job as Head of Accounting at the Highlands Council headquarters in Inverness.

He is due to move in three months, working his last day at the OIC on July 19.

Scapa Flow scallop ban lifted

A ban on collecting King Scallops in Scapa Flow – in force since August last year – has been lifted by the Food Standards Agency.

The ban, imposed due to levels of Amnesic, Paralytic and Diarrhetic shellfish toxins was lifted at 4 pm on Friday.

Flying visit for First Minister

First Minister Jack McConnell was in Orkney on Tuesday to officially open the new Kirkwall Airport Terminal.

Mr McConnell's first visit to the county was a short one - after performing the official opening he flew out again.

Orkney Sea Farms plan processing facility

The former premises of J & L Leonard, now the property of Orkney Sea Farms

Orkney Sea Farms have bought premises at Hatston and could be employing up to 20 extra staff by next year as they begin to process their own fish.

The company have acquired the factory and yard formerly owned by local builders, J & L Leonard, in Kirkwall's Hatston Industrial Estate.

Bruckbusters blitz county beaches

A major weekend clean-up campaign at beaches throughout the county was held at the weekend.

The Bag the Bruck weekend – run by Environmental Concern Orkney and sponsored by Highland Park – involving hundreds of volunteers took place on Saturday and Sunday.

The annual event is held to get rid of rubbish on Orkney’s beaches.

Renewed efforts to increase lottery grants

Renewed efforts are being made to increase the flow of lottery funds into Orkney.

A meeting last week between the Community Fund, Orkney Islands Council and Voluntary Action Orkney reviewed progress since they last met a year ago.

Community Fund's Grants Officer for Orkney, Alec Stevenson, said: “In the past the success rate for applications in Orkney has soared but we have had fewer of them. In light of this we have agreed to produce a special flyer for Orkney showing the very wide range of products we can fund.”

Hackers target Tourist Board site

The Orkney Tourist Board website was taken offline on Friday after being targeted by hackers.

It is understood that the site, www.visitorkney.com, went offline after links on the site were altered after somebody gained unauthorised access to the site server.

Teenager pleads guilt to Burray break-in

A teenager who pled guilty to breaking into a garage in Burray is to appear for sentencing in June.

Sebastian David Fullick (18) of Yetholm, Front Road, St Margaret’s Hope, admitted breaking into the Seaview Garage in Burray and stealing cash and confectionery. He also admitted stealing a battery from a vehicle in St Margaret’s Hope.

Honorary Sheriff Bill Wright said he would “take a chance” and free Fullick, but warned him that if he came to the attention of the courts in the meantime, he would be “in very serious trouble.”