Orcadian appointed director of RHAS

Orcadian farmer Mr Ronnie Baillie has been appointed a director of the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society (RHAS).

Mr Baillie, of Biggings, Toab, was appointed on Thursday, and as an area director will represent the Highland area for a year.

He is the first Orkney representative for "many years".

New owners for Commodore Motel

An Orkney business is expanding into a new area with the purchase of the Commodore Motel in Holm.

Colin Reid from Kirkwall, who owns the local building firm of Nicolson Brothers, was granted a public house licence for the Commodore at a meeting of the Orkney Licensing Board on Friday.

He was also successful in gaining the regular extension to opening hours, within guidelines, and a children’s certificate for the restaurant and lounge bar.

Youth orchestra tune up in Orkney as tour starts

The National Youth Orchestra of Scotland began their summer tour in Orkney on Friday night, after a week of rehearsals at Kirkwall Grammar School.

The orchestra members, aged from 12 to 21, spent the week in Orkney preparing for the national tour which kicked off in the Pickaquoy Centre, Kirkwall.

Two hospitalised after three vehicle accident

A report is being prepared for the procurator fiscal after a three vehicle road accident in Stenness on Thursday night, which saw two people taken to hospital.

The incident, at the junction of the Brodgar road, near Barnhouse, involved a Fiesta, a Shogun and a Honda CRV.

A police spokesman confirmed that none of the injuries were life-threatening.

Emergency equipment presentation

Eday’s GP is the first doctor in Orkney to receive an emergency kit bag from a Scottish life-saving charity.

Dr Louise Fortune was presented with the bag on Friday morning by the Sandpiper Charity, as part of their mission to raise £750,000 to equip doctors and nurses in Scotland with vital life-saving equipment.

Children’s blueprint launched this week

The blueprint for children’s services in Orkney over the next two years was launched on Friday.

The OIC’s community social services department and education department worked with NHS Orkney, the Northern Constabulary and other agencies to draw up the Children’s Services Plan 2002-2004.

The document highlights the full range of services available to children, young people and their families.

Man charged with assault and possessing knife

A man appeared from custody at Kirkwall Sheriff Court on Thursday charged with two assaults and possession of a knife.

The case against John William Bews (27), Linklet, Kirkwall, was continued without plea until August 13 and he was released on bail.

Bews is charged with punching Carl Howley and headbutting Rhianna-Leigh Hopkins at Ivydean in Kirkwall, committing a breach of the peace and possession of an offensive weapon over the course of Wednesday and Thursday.

Cannabis site calls on surfers to lobby government

An Orkney MS sufferer’s cannabis website is calling for people to lobby the government for the legalisation of medicinal cannabis.

The appeal, made by Burray-resident Bill Reeve, is in response to the imminent court case of fellow MS sufferer, Biz Ivol.

The site – www.cannabisfoods.co.uk – asks people to forward a prepared letter urging the government to legalise medicinal cannabis to Orkney MP, Mr Alistair Carmichael, and the Home Secretary, Mr David Blunkett.

Convener rules out £12.5m dredging claim

Suggestions that Hoy Sound and the Stromness harbour entrance have to be dredged to accommodate NorthLink's new ferry have been quashed by OIC convener, Councillor Hugh Halcro-Johnston.

One source, who claimed discussions on the project has taken place within the OIC, suggested a possible cost of £12.5 million for the work.

But the convener told The Orcadian this week that the anticipated high cost of dredging at Stromness had been a major factor in the decision to develop a new deep water terminal at Hatston.

The wreck of a World War One ship was discovered by divers off Deerness on Wednesday morning.

Andy Cuthbertson, skipper of the MV Jean Elaine, found the remains of HMYacht Zarefah off Deerness' Mull Head.

The vessel is believed to have sunk in May 1917 after hitting a mine.

Charities to benefit as Orkney wine hits the shelves

The first batch of locally-produced wine went on sale in Kirkwall this week.

The first bottles of hop wine made by the Orkney Wine Company went on the shelves on Wednesday along with rice and blaeberry wine, and "black portent" - a fortified wine, similar to port.

Owner Mr Emile van Schayk is to donate 10 pence to charity for every bottle sold.

Millionaire liner in Kirkwall Bay

The World anchored in Kirkwall Bay. (www.orkneyphotographic.co.uk)

With a farewell blast of her horn, the luxury cruise liner World of Residensea left Kirkwall Bay at 4pm on Wednesday.

But despite the rumours of Hollywood celebrities among the multi-millionaire passengers, her visit was fairly low-key.

"We're not travelling Rockefellers," joked Californian cattle ranch owner Geoff Thompson, who with his wife, has made The World his home for eight months.

Crackdown on litter louts

People caught littering in Orkney are to be offered fixed penalty fines of £25.

Failure to pay those fines within 14 days could result in a report being sent to the procurator fiscal.

The hard line measures follow an anti-litter and dog fouling campaign launched in February by environmental health officers at Orkney Islands Council and local police.

Archive story: Police and OIC campaign to clean up streets

Balfour staffing crisis easing

The staffing crisis at Kirkwall's Balfour Hospital - which led to fears that Orkney's cancer care unit at Macmillan House could close - is easing off according to NHS Orkney.

Clinical directorate manager Alex Clark said this week that although there were still some staffing problems, caused mainly by people off sick or on holiday, the hospital was operating normally.

Archive stories: MSP steps in over hospital staffing crisis
NHS Orkney face staffing crisis

Wave test centre project moves up a gear

Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) are seeking planning permission for a test centre with four offshore testing berths to the west of Billia Croo, near Stromness, as well as onshore building work.

If the application is successful, the wave test energy centre could be up and running by summer 2003.

Archive story:Islands can be leading player in renewables
Stromness chosen as site for wave power test centre
Wave measurement study under way

Biz Ivol case continues without plea

The first hearing in the case against MS sufferer Biz Ivol took place in Kirkwall Town Hall on Tuesday.

Mrs Ivol, who has been charged with supplying, growing and possessing cannabis, was not present and the case was continue without please for four weeks.

Archive story: Court summons for wheelchair-bound cannabis campaigner

Wind speed shipping proposals look set to be abandoned

Orkney farmers have welcomed news that European proposals to stop livestock shipping in high winds are likely to be abandoned.

Orkney had protested that the scheme - to halt livestock shipping in winds of force five or more - would disrupt transportation for months. But at Monday night's NFU meeting in Kirkwall, members heard that the European Commission were now not keen to include the proposals.

It was also confirmed that the boats, Buffalo Express and Caroline have been booked to transport livestock this autumn.

Nominations sought for annual food awards

The build up to this year’s Taste of Orkney Food Festival begins later this week with main event tickets going on sale.

There's still time to nominate local eateries for the annual Food Awards. Click here for category details.

Nominations must be in by August 25, to Elma Cullen, Orkney Quality Food and Drink, Husbreck, Grimbister, Firth, KW15 1TS.

Bodhran workshops in Sandwick

A Sandwick photographic gallery hosted a series of musical workshops this week, focussing on the bodhran, or Irish drum.

Pam Farmer's gallery at Appiehouse was used for the workshops, run by bodhran player Aimee Leonard.

Mrs Farmer said if they proved successful, she hoped to host more musical workshops in the winter as well as craft workshops.

Navy team begin Royal Oak work

Briggs Marine were awarded a two-year contract by the Ministry of Defence to carry out the work, which started last year.

A process known as "hot tapping" will be used to remove the rest of the oil from the warship's bunker tanks.

Burr formally assumes chief executive deputising function in OIC reorganisation

Orkney Islands Council’s assistant chief executive Mr Malcolm Burr has formally taken on all deputising functions for the chief executive, following a department reorganisation.

In the event that chief executive, Mr Alastair Buchan is unavailable, Mr Burr will assume the same special powers currently vested in the chief executive.

The reorganisation also sees the information technology department transferred to the chief executive’s department.

Fifth place for Sichel in Cologne

Sanday-based ultra distance runner William Sichel came fifth in the Cologne 24-hour race at the weekend, running 117 miles.

His placing, however, is not good enough to earn him an automatic place in September's European 24-hour Championships.

No job cuts at Orkney College

Job cuts are not being considered at Orkney College to cut back on costs says principal Bill Ross.

Dr Ross dismissed rumours that the college is looking at scrapping contracts to save money, because of a poor budget settlement, saying he was baffled by talk the college was going to scrap jobs to claw back some of the money.

"There are no job costs that have actually been discussed at the college whatsoever and the first people that would hear would be the staff," he said. "There are not any contracts that have been terminated."

Archive story: Funding increase hit by cancellation
of college construction payments

More suggestions for Happy Valley

The Orkney Mission have expressed an interest in acquiring Happy Valley in Stenness with a view to using the property to raise funds for the charity.

They want to renovate the cottage in the future, possibly into a coffee house, the profits of which could go towards the local charity.

Meanwhile, former Hoy GP Dr Tony Trickett has also suggested forming a trust to maintain and look after the property.

Archive story: Everything's not so happy in
overgrown Stenness valley

The Food Standards Agency has placed a ban on harvesting king scallops in an area of Scapa Flow.

The ban, which came into force at 4pm on Friday, is because of high levels of Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning (ASP) toxins detected in the area.

The waters around Hoy and the western half of Scapa Flow (FSA box 018) are affected.

Local solicitors participate in Will Aid

Four local solicitors are participating in this year’s Will Aid campaign.

Drever and Heddle, JEP Robertson and Son, W. Graham Sutherland and Lows Orkney are taking part in the annual campaign, in which people don’t have to pay their solicitor for making up a will – but are asked for a donation to charity.

The suggested donation level is £50 for a single Will, £75 for a pair of wills or £25 for a codicil to an existing will.