Children with special needs in Orkney look set to benefit from the appointment of a new specialist physiotherapist.

NHS Orkney has received the go ahead with funding from the Scottish Executive to appoint a paediatric physiotherapy specialist practitioner to work with children with special needs and their families in their homes and schools.

The successful bid is one of just six to eight such posts funded by the Scottish Executive across Scotland. It is hoped that the new practitioner will be in post by late summer 2004.

The Orkney Explorer Pass allows unlimited access to all of Historic Scotland's visitor attractions in Orkney - the Bishop's and Earl's Palaces, Brough of Birsay, Broch of Gurness, Maeshowe and Skara Brae.

The Orkney Explorer Pass costs £12 for adults, £3.50 for children and £24 for families and are available from Historic Scotland sites or the Tourist Information Centres.

NorthLink did its bit for charity on Friday, donating all the proceeds from breakfasts served on board their ferries to cancer research.

The restaurants on board all three of NorthLink's passenger vessels - Hamnavoe, Hjaltland and Hrossey - offered "breakfasts" throughough the day as part of Cancer Reasearch UK's All Day Breakfast Event.

Kirkwall Fire Brigade were called to a minor fire in Finstown on Friday morning.

A single unit attended the boiler fire at Islesview in Firth around 8.45am, but the problem had been dealt with by the time they arrived.

A range of free activities across Orkney are being offered by Orkney Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking Team and the Community Safety Forum to keep pupils occupied during their holidays.

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The number of people out of work in Orkney last month was lower than February 2003.

Statistics released by the Scottish Office showed that a total of 255 people­ 171 men and 84 women ­ were unemployed and claiming benefit in mid-February.

That was an improvement on the number for February 2003, when 276 people were unemployed. The current level of unemployment represents 2.2 per cent of the possible workforce.

Live could be put at risk on Hoy following a dispute between coastguard volunteers and a local landowner.

The volunteers claim a gentleman's agreement is being broken, while the landowner has the law on his side.

The lease on the Hoy auxiliary coastguard station building, where they store their equipment is up for renewal in May. But the landowner has given a statutory notice to quit - ending a 20 year lease with the former landowner.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency say they have no choice but to take back the equipment - which includes a Land Rover, cliff gear and generators - unless an alternative store can be found.

An article in the Sunday Times centres on author Luke Sutherland, who claims to have suffered racial abuse while growing up in Orkney.

But Luke claims he has been misrepresented in the media.

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Orkney's MP Alistair Carmichael has hit out at Wednesday's budget, calling it a "kick in the teeth" for rural Scotland.

The budget will not only see an increase in red diesel duty but the introduction of whisky strip stamps - a measure the Government believes will combat illegal whisky sales but one Mr Carmichael said would be "greeted with dismay" and would badly affect small and medium sized distillers.

Mr Carmichael said: "The increase in red diesel duty will add significantly to costs for our farmers and fishermen at a time when both industries have difficulties and substantial uncertainties."

The latest figures from Orkney Enterprise show that Kirkwall now has 511 registrations for broadband, in excess of the notional trigger level of 500 that was set. Of the other trigger areas, Holm just needs five more registrations, Stromness 39, and St Margaret's Hope 12.

Of the other areas where BT have not set a trigger level, Tankerness is ahead with 95 and other areas are being encouraged to register

To register call 0800 027 23 27, or visit /broadband.orkneyenterprise.co.uk.

An Orkney project is one of 56 benefiting from a £1.6 million cash boost from the Scottish Executive.

£21,718 of cash from the Rural Challenge Fund (RCF) has been allocated to the project, which aims to tackle the problem of substance misuse in the islands by providing a counselling service..

Fourteen Orkney bands have entered Battle of the Bands 2004.

The competition, sponsored by The Orcadian, offers local bands the chance to win a prize valued at more than £1,000 to help start a career in music.

Tickets for both heats and the final in Fusion go on sale on Saturday, March 27 and profiles on each band will appear in The Orcadian every week from Thursday, March 25.

Orkney seafarers may soon be able to get maritime qualifications without leaving the county.

The nautical studies and engineering department of the North Atlantic Fisheries College has announced plans to run cadet training courses in the Northern Isles from September.

The courses, approved by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and Merchant Navy Training Board, are currently only available on the UK mainland.

Mr Wallace said: "Ministers have maintained a strong Orkney tourist organisation through the Orkney local hub while its accountability has been improved. For example, just now, Orkney Islands Council has little say once they hand funding to the Orkney Tourist Board. Now their service level agreement will specify what they will get in return, and the Orkney hub will have to demonstrate that it is delivering."

"In addition, Orkney will benefit by being better linked into the rest of Scotland," he added.

The Food Standards Agency has lifted a ban on fishing for king scallops in the eastern side of Scapa Flow.

The ban, which covered Box 019, was lifted on Monday afternoon following the reduction in levels of ASP toxins found in samples taken in the area.

World Health Day is April 7 and is dedicated to the road safety cause.

OIC Convener, Stephen Hagan, NHS Orkney's Dr Ken Black and Police Inspector David Miller will sign a scroll currently circulating Scotland in a special baton that left Edinburgh on February 26.

Welcoming the baton to the Orkney, Stephen Hagan said: "Orkney's role in this baton odyssey will demonstrate the strength of support from our community to making the roads in the islands safer for our children."

The first stage of renovation work in the Kirkwall Hotel is nearing completion.

The £225,000 upgrade of the hotel's third floor rooms was supported by a £66,000 grant from Orkney Enterprise as well as funding from Orkney Islands Council.

With the completion of the first phase of work early in April, the hotel's third floor will have 16 refurbished en-suite rooms.

Although Orkney's lochs are a Mecca for anglers, angler expenditure in the Northern Isles is the lowest in Scotland.

A report published today shows that although angling is worth £113 million a year to Scotland, Orkney and Shetland recorded the lowest angler expenditure figure of £511,000.

The full report, "The Economic Impact of Game and Coarse Angling in Scotland", is available from the Scottish Executive website.

The planned launch of a prototype tidal energy turbine has been postponed again.

The device, called SNAIL, was to have been launched from Hatston Pier on Monday, to begin sea trials in the turbulent waters of Eynhallow Sound.

But the 20 metre device, which was originally due to have been launched last year, will not now be launched until the end of March.

A three month consultation on revising criteria for defining ancient monuments has been announced today by Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport, Frank McAveety.

The consultation is being carried out by Historic Scotland and aims to identify revised criteria and guidance for determining whether a monument is of national importance and therefore deserves protection as a scheduled monument.

The consultation document is available from www.historic-scotland.gov.uk

The recent Oscar success has scuppered plans to show the entire The Lord of the Rings trilogy at the Pickaquoy Centre this weekend.

Assistant manager Mark Harrison said that the film distributors have now confirmed that no cinema will be receiving the trilogy until later in the year.

But there's good news for Tolkien fans, as Mark explained: “Obviously we are extremely disappointed by this news however, as a means of compensating our local customers we are planning to play The Return of the King - on Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 March at 11am and 4pm . Admission FREE. ”

Booking in advance is recommended.

As spring approaches, volunteers are being sought for Orkney's annual Bag the Bruck cleanup campaign.

This year's Bag the Bruck, run by Environmental Concern Orkney, is to take place over the weekend of April 17 and 18. All groups and individuals who took part in last year's mass cleanup will be contacted but new volunteers will also be welcome.

Anyone wishing further information visit the ECO page at Orkneycommunities.co.uk for contact details.

Scottish National Party MSP Rob Gibson's call comes after a constituent pointed out that petrol in Portree was cheaper than Thurso. Mr Gibson reported seeing a filling station in Lerwick selling petrol at the same price as that in Inverness.

Mr Gibson said that transport costs were always used to explain the difference in fuel prices but that the argument "doesn't hold" when the similar distances between Inverness, Thurso and Portree were considered.