The Kirkwall lifeboat was launched on Sunday afternoon to aid a broken-down speedboat taking on water in Kirkwall Bay.

The boat, with three people on board, was towed safely back to Kirkwall.

The BBC television programme Holiday 2005 wound up three days of filming in Orkney on Saturday night in Kirkwall's Fusion nightclub.

The crew began filming on Thursday, taking in popular tourist attractions such as Skara Brae and the Ring of Brodgar.

To show the 'other side of Orkney', the filming concluded by showing clubbers partying in Fusion.

The Orkney Blide Trust officially opened their new premises in Kirkwall on Saturday afternoon.

Now named Laura Grimond House, the improved facilities in the Victoria Street premises will allow the trust, who offer support to more people with mental illnesses.

The opening was performed by Johnny Grimond, the late Laura Grimond's son.

Local hero - Mrs Jean Leonard

Stromness music teacher Jean Leonard was among those attending the official opening of the new Scottish Parliament building in Edinburgh on Saturday.

Jean, a music teacher, was nominated as a "local hero" by Orkney MSP and Deputy First Minister, Jim Wallace.

The event began with a ceremony in the Parliament Hall before "riding" down the Royal Mile, which Jean attended with Jim Wallace.

Sheila Fleet Jewellery and the Stromness Hotel are among the local businesses who benefited from Orkney Enterprise grants in September this year.

Just over £126,000 worth of grants were approved by the local enterprise company in September, including £74,400 to Sheila Fleet Jewellery to expand their jewellery manufacturing operations.

The Stromness Hotel received £14,463 for staff training.

The record breaking hot air balloon flight over the northern isles, which was due to launch from Birsay on Saturday morning, has been postponed.

The man behind the venture, Andrew Holly, told The Orcadian that he had to call of the attempt because of illness.

But the eye-catching balloon's flight will, he said, be rescheduled.

Two appliances from the Kirkwall Fire Brigade attended a false alarm at Watergate, Kirkwall, on Friday afternoon.

A fire alarm in a property in the street sparked the emergency call-out, but upon arriving at the scene it became clear there was no fire.

The Boy's Ba' in action

The history of the Kirkwall Ba' game is the subject of a new book by Orkney businessman John D. M. Robertson.

The Kirkwall Ba' - From the Water to the Wall is a much-revised and expanded edition of John Robertson's Uppies and Doonies, a book which is now long out of print.

As well as studying the origin and history of the Ba', the book also looks at mass football in the British Isles.

The book is due to be released in November.

The exhibition, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, contains artefacts from a number of Britain's major maritime museums, including the Royal Naval Museum.

The objects on display cover themes such as fishing, whaling, the oil industry, cargo ships and liners, including artefacts recovered from the ill-fated Franklin expedition, which perished attempting to discover the Northwest Passage.

Supermarket giants Morrisons have dismissed rumours that they are to sell the Kirkwall branch of Safeway.

A Morrisons spokesman said on Thursday that the suggestion the Pickaquoy Road supermarket, which they acquired earlier this year, was being put on the market was a "vicious rumour".

The Creel Restaurant in St Margaret's Hope is one of three high-scoring Scottish restaurants to be listed in The Good Food Guide 2005.

The Creel received seven marks out of ten for the fourth year running, one of only three in Scotland which the publication describes as "highly recommended".

Owner and chef, Alan Craigie, said he was delighted with the result and said that consistency was behind the restaurant's success.

A breakthrough in tackling three major killer diseases - heart disease, strokes and diabetes - could be found in Orkney.

One thousand adults with a bloodline stemming from the North Isles are being sought to take part in a two year research programme undertaken by the University of Edinburgh.

The project volunteers will have their height, weight and blood pressure measured and will have ultrasound tests to measure the hardening of the arteries. Each participant will also be asked to complete a questionnaire on dietary habits, physical activity and family medical history.

Interested volunteers should call Ms Denise Devine on 0131 651 1643 or email: orkney@ed.ac.uk.

The development plan launch in Westray on Wednesday

Westray's new development plan was officially launched on Wednesday.

The plan, entitled The Tide is Turning...five years on, includes using renewable energy, sustainability and housing issues as well as basing the ferry on the island.

It was launched at the Westray Kirk to invited guests and members of the community.

Norman Wilson, 48, Vasa, Kirkwall, was found guilty after trial of failing to securely store a number of weapons, including a .22 rifle, a pump action shotgun and 141 rounds of .22 ammunition while parked at the Stromness ferry terminal in March.

There were also four shotguns in the vehicle at the time.

Gary Sullivan, 37, of Craigie Crescent, Kirkwall, admitted driving while three and a half times the legal alcohol limit and colliding with another vehicle in Kirkwall earlier this year.

Sheriff Graeme Napier said he did not believe Sullivan could carry out community service, or that he could pay the fine of £2,500 he was considering imposing.

So, following an updated assessment, Sullivan was not fined but placed on 18 months probation, banned from driving for five years and ordered to carry out 200 hours community service.

As a result, the OIC is urgently seeking clarification with Scottish Water and are to invite the organisation's chairman to Orkney to discuss ways to overcome problems relating to water and sewage constraints.

In addition, OIC representatives will meet with a senior Scottish Executive official next month to discuss these issues.

Once the position is clarified, the OIC will issue advice to those intending to apply for planning permission in Kirkwall or Finstown.

The under-subscribed 3.45am and 6am sailings - out of Stromness and Scrabster respectively - are to be replaced by departures at the later times of 6.30am and 8.45am.

NorthLink's commercial director Gareth Crichton said: "The new schedule sees an increase in the total number of sailings on the Pentland Firth, with additional morning services provided at weekends during the summer season."

Councillor Keith Johnson raised the shortage of affordable rural housing for young people at Tuesday's full council meeting.

He said: "If we want county districts to thrive we have to keep young people in them. I don't think our policies on housing in the countryside are doing that."

Convener, Councillor Stephen Hagan told members that reports have been prepared on the issue and will be considered shortly.

Islands councillors have scrapped plans to install CCTV on a Stromness school bus.

At last month's OIC transportation meeting a report was requested on whether there was a need for the cameras to be fitted.

Following inquiries, Councillor Janice Annal told the full council on Tuesday: "It seems there was one incident which has been dealt with so I would request that no further action be taken."

As part of Kirkwall police’s ongoing road safety campaign, officers have been targeting speeding hotspots around the county over the weekend.

A police spokesman said: “Drivers are reminded about the dangers of exceeding the speed limits and the hazards they present to pedestrians and other road users.”

Kirkwall lifeboat was called out to a boat aground in the Rousay Sound on Sunday afternoon.

The yacht, Vastry, with one person on board, was towed clear less than an hour later, at 2.20pm.

It was captured on camera by Graham Campbell, of the Kirkwall lifeboat.

A Buckie-registered fishing boat was towed into Westray in the early hours of Monday morning after fouling her propeller.

The Reliant was towed approximately 30 miles to Westray by the vessel Endeavour around 3am this morning.

After a section of rope was removed from the Reliant's propeller, the vessel sailed for the Scottish mainland at 5am.

Work resurfacing roads in Kirkwall's town centre began on Monday.

Castle Street, Broad Street and Palace Road will be affected by resurfacing works all week, which will see some disruption to traffic.

An OIC spokesman said the existing road surface had reached the end of its serviceable life and needed to be replaced.

The cash, which is part of national cash allocation by the Scottish Executive which sees £406 million in 2005-06 and £399 million in each of the following two years.

Pentland Ferries completed their first live safety exercise with the Longhope lifeboat and coastguard rescue team on Sunday afternoon.

The exercise, which was held between Flotta and St Margaret’s Hope, tested the rescue plan between the ferry and the coastguard team.

Pentland Ferries had previously completed a test on paper, but this was the first time that they have done a live demonstration in the area.

Pupils from Kirkwall Academy and Stromness Academy will have the opportunity to meet occupational therapists who will hold a discussion about the role of the job and and the support it provides.

During the session there will be a video and practical demonstration, which will illustrate the difficulties that people who require occupational therapy encounter.