The opening of Kirkwall airport was delayed on Saturday morning as staff fought to keep the runway clear of snow.

The airport eventually opened at 11am, but continuing snow showers, here and across Scotland, still caused some disruptions.

Students overhaul Opportunities Centre website

The Orkney Opportunities Centre website has been revamped, thanks to three sixth year students from Kirkwall Grammar School.

Tom Pickles, Andrew Thomson and Catherine Groundwater have been working together twice a week compiling information and redesigning the site, which aims to easier to use and useful to people of all ages.

The website can be found at www.oppcentre.co.uk.

Finance education CDs presented to KGS

Kirkwall Grammar School pupils can now take lessons in managing their money thanks to a new interactive CD-Rom, presented to the school on Friday afternoon.

A class pack of 25 CD-Rom’s - entitled Facing Up 2 Finance - was presented to Jim Cromarty, assistant head teacher at Kirkwall Grammar School, by Ian Paterson, Youth Liaison Officer for the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Videoing drunken girl not a breach of peace say appeal judges

An Orkney man who video-taped a drunken 13-year-old girl in a state of distress and then showed the film has been cleared of committing a crime, by appeal judges.

Three judges hit out at Lawrence Borwick’s behaviour as “highly reprehensible” but said he was not guilty of a breach of the peace.

More details

Farmers' transport concerns reach breaking point

Concerns among farmers in Orkney over the introduction of the new livestock transport system in the autumn reached "breaking point" on Friday.

Mr Scott Harcus, chairman of the NFU Scotland Orkney and Shetland Regional Board, said: "We still have no reassurance from the Scottish Executive that an acceptable livestock shipping service will be in place to meet demand, nor has the Scottish Executive accepted ownership of an animal welfare problem, should the new service be delayed or running under capacity."

Mr Harcus said a request to meet Transport Minister Wendy Alexander had "so far fallen on deaf ears", adding: "The Minister must accept that there is an accumulation of problems which must be sorted out immediately so that progress can be made and the genuine fears felt by farmers in Orkney and Shetland can be alleviated."

Four months after the pupils began their first term, the new Firth Primary School was officially opened on Friday.

Westminster MP Alistair Carmichael performed the opening ceremony in front of pupils, teachers and invited guests.

Archive story: Firth pupils begin new term in new school

Wallace welcomes LPG from Flotta investigation

So far Orcadians have been unable to use cheap LPG in place of expensive petrol because of safety regulations governing the carriage of bulk LPG tankers on the enclosed vehicle deck of the ferry St Ola.

Describing the news as a step in the right direction, Mr Wallace said:"The high cost of petrol and diesel in Orkney is a major problem for individuals and businesses alike and so I would like to see Orcadians having the opportunity to switch to LPG. If we can overcome the supply problem, then this possibility could become a reality."

Stromness' international golf champs to compete in Masters competition

Stromness pair Angus and Kathleen Sutherland will be among the past and present champions competing in the new International Masters competition. They play the course after becoming Scottish Mixed Pairs champions at the International Pairs competition last year.

Archive story: Stromness pair lift International Pairs 2001 golf trophy

Extra sailings help get Stronsay wind farm construction under way

With one turbine already standing, the Stronsay wind farm could be ready by the end of next week, although the forces of nature it intends to harness could end up delaying the project.

Three 800 kilowatt turbines are being erected at Rothiesholm, after the parts arrived on the North Isles ferries. The turbines will eventually produce enough electricity to power 2,500 homes, or all of the North Isles.

Full story

Norwegian deal would make us all millionaires

Recent talk of the Northern Isles being reclaimed by Norway has prompted St Ola resident Charles Hibbert to work out how much cash would need to change hands today to make the dream come true.

Click here for full story

Urgent meeting needed over council's transport cash

Orkney Islands Council are anxious to meet with the Scottish Local Government Finance Minister regarding their transport budget.

The need for an urgent meeting to discuss expenditure on internal ferries and internal air service support was emphasised at Wednesday's meeting of the council’s finance and general purposes committee, where the anticipated overspend on these items was highlighted as a serious problem.

Councillor Mike Drever commented: “What is implicit, but not explicit in this report, is that if we do not get the extra money for transport from the Finance Minister, we will not be able to afford to run the transport services we do at present.”

OIC’s £150,000 towards cable seen as bargain

Orkney Islands councillors this week recommended that £150,000 go towards laying a submarine fibre optic cable between Shetland and the Scottish mainland, via Orkney.

This is three times greater than the original figure the council were asked to contribute.

Several members of the OIC’s finance and general purposes committee described the contribution of £150,000 to gain access to broadband technology in Orkney as “a good bargain.”

Previous story: Councillors to decide whether to
contribute to broadband cable cost

Executive boost for £2.3m Orkney Meat redevelopment plan

Orkney Meat have been awarded a grant of more than £800,000 for a major redevelopment of the company’s plant at Hatston, Kirkwall.

The money, from the Scottish Executive’s Processing Marketing Grant Scheme, will support a £2.3 million project to increase chilled storage capacity, update abattoir and cutting facilities, and install new plant and equipment.

The money will allow Orkney Islands Council, who own the building, to carry out the work which will take two years to complete.

Orkney Hood artefact to be recreated

The Orkney Hood (Picture: National Museums of Scotland)

A project centred around Minehowe in Tankerness is enabling experimental archaeologist Jacqui Wood to recreate the Orkney Hood.

The 1,750-year-old Iron Age fringed woollen cape was found in a peat bog at Groatsetter in Tankerness, in 1867 and has been kept at the National Museum of Scotland for well over 100 years.

The commission is expected to take around five weeks and it is hoped funding can be found to ensure the recreated Orkney Hood can be permanently displayed in Orkney. Orkney Museum staff are currently arranging for the original hood to revisit Orkney during the Minehowe Know How event at the end of May.

Orkney Islands Council have been told to make it clearer they are not directly involved in financing the Pickaquoy Centre, and that a separate fund was set up to pay for its running costs.

Commenting on the audit of the OIC Accounts for 2000/01, the chief auditor says the council should give high priority to signing a formal agreement with the Pickaquoy Centre Trust about the initial funding arrangements.

This has been mentioned previously and although a draft agreement was drawn up, it was not signed by the Trust. It was also recommended that a new Audit and Scrutiny Committee be formed as part of the current OIC review of their committee structure.

Two MSPs were touring the county this week, guests of salmon farming company Aquascot.

The MSPs - Maureen MacMillan and Robin Harper - visited various sites connected to the local fish farming industry.

Councillors to decide whether to contribute to broadband cable cost

The route for a planned submarine fibre optic cable linking Shetland to the Scottish mainland via Orkney has changed.

Initially the cable was to go straight from the Banffshire coast to Orkney then Shetland. But the latest plan is to extend the existing cable to Dounreay across the Pentland Firth to the Bay of Skaill in Sandwick, route it underground via Kirkwall and east to Dingieshowe in Deerness. There, the cable will travel underwater to Shetland.

Orkney Islands councillors will be asked today whether they wish to contribute £50,000 towards the cost of installing the broadband cable - estimated at £11.5 million - or to put the project on a list to be judged against other priorities.

MS sufferer Bill Reeve has stepped up his campaign for the legalisation of cannabis use, although he is waiting to see whether he will be charged following a police raid at his home in Burray last year.

Through his website – www.cannabisfoods.co.uk – Mr Reeve is calling on site visitors to use a letter he has set up to forward to all politicians nationwide, calling for the legalisation of cannabis.

The letter, signed by Bill Reeve, states: “I suffer from MS and take cannabis as the only way of gaining relief from the symptoms of this incurable disease. This requires me breaking the law. Please lobby the government to change this cruel situation.”

Military exercise over Orkney

The skies over Orkney will be busy this week as aircraft from all three armed forces gather for one of the biggest military exercises ever staged in Britain.

The operation, codename TLT/NITEX 02, runs until Thursday night, and will see air activity over Orkney, Shetland and Western Isles.

RAF crews from Kinloss and Lossiemouth will join Naval pilots and Army helicopter crews in the exercise, designed to promote co-operation between the forces and improve frontline pilots’ abilities to work at night.

Man hospitalised after "strange behaviour" at Scapa

A man was taken to Balfour Hospital at the weekend after his behaviour caused concern to a member of the public.

The man, believed to be in his 30s, was said to be “acting strangely” within the naval history hut at Scapa, outside Kirkwall.

According to Inspector Paul Eddington, a member of the public became concerned after seeing the man around 12.40pm on Saturday.

“Due to the man’s mental state, he was conveyed to the Balfour Hospital for treatment. No action is being taken by police,” Inspector Eddington added.

A Kirkwall boy was treated in Balfour Hospital on Sunday afternoon after being knocked off his bike by a car.

The six-year-old boy, who had rushed out of a lane in the Papdale East area of Kirkwall into the path of the car, was treated for cuts and scratches and a mild concussion. He was kept overnight for observation.

According to Kirkwall Police Inspector Paul Eddington the boy’s cycle helmet saved him from more serious injuries.

Orkney and Shetland will retain separate MSPs

Orkney and Shetland will retain their own separate members in the Scottish Parliament, despite talk of reducing MSPs in Edinburgh proportionate to a cut in the number of Scottish MPs at Westminster.

Northern Isles MP, Mr Alistair Carmichael, told The Orcadian that both seats in Edinburgh are safe and would require primary legislation to be passed at both Westminster and Holyrood to alter that position.

Community groups encouraged to apply for drug education funds

Community groups are being encouraged to apply for some of the £250,000 available from the Scottish Communities Against Drugs (SCAD) fund - a fund providing financial backing to address the problems of drugs in local communities.

Karyn Tait, NHS Orkney's Drug Development Officer, is encouraging community groups to think about things they can do which will contribute to drug education and prevention in Orkney.

Applications for funding must be sent to SCAD by the end of March 2002. For more details contact Karyn Tait on 870690 or e-mail karyn.tait@orkney-hb.scot.nhs.uk.

Nine percent rise in council tax rates

This year's rise in council tax will see Orkney residents paying figures well above the current rate of inflation.

Orkney Islands Council confirmed on Friday afternoon that council tax payers in the county face a 9.3 per cent rise - figures that were agreed a year ago.

The new rates will see Band 'D' properties pay £824 from April 1, 2002 - £70 more than the current rate.