| Narrow defeat for Orkney Firsts |
| |
Orkney Rugby Club kicked off their 2006 fixtures on Saturday with
a home game against Crieff and Strathearn.
But the visiting side emerged victorious, beating Orkney 13-12.
|
| MSP welcomes rate exemption assurances
for offshore power sites |
| |
Orkney MSP, Jim Wallace, has won assurances from the Finance Minister,
Tom McCabe, that offshore wave and tidal power installations will
be exempt from business rates.
Mr Wallace had taken the issue up with the Minister, arguing that
it was important that marine energy developments were encouraged
and should be exempt from business rates.
Commenting on the Minister's reply, Mr Wallace said: "This will
help the devices which are tested at one of EMEC's test sites in Orkney
to make the next step to be used in a commercial wave or tidal energy
farm. Orkney already has a world lead in marine renewables research.
This move should help Orkney and the rest of Scotland to win a world
lead in commercial marine renewables schemes as well." |
| Ortak appoint new director |
| |
Kirkwall jewellery manufacturer Ortak has appointed a new sales
and marketing director.
Mr Mark Riddle succeeds Sid Peaty who is taking semi-retirement
from the Company after 14 years. Mr Riddle will be responsible for
the United Kingdom and export markets.
|
| Fingertip search of murder scene |
| |
Police are appealing for anyone who witnessed anything unusual
or suspicious in Finstown on Thursday night to contact them on 872241.
A forensic team from Inverness continued their investigation at
the scene of the murder on Friday afternoon. Thereafter, police
were to carry out a search of the property in an effort to confirm
the weapon used in the crime.
Detective Inspector Iain Smith confirmed that a number of shotguns
had been found in the cottage and that David Leask was a firearms
and shotgun certificate holder.
He said: "It is a tragic set of circumstances that occurred
in a small, close-knit, community. "
He added that although police are not looking for anyone else in
connection with the deaths, officers would like to hear from anyone
in the area after 10pm on Thursday.
|
| Couple died of gunshot wounds say police
|
| |
Police have released the names of the deceased man and woman found
by police at a house in Finstown on Thursday night.
They were David Leask, 43, of Hamnavoe, Stromness, and Donna Leask
(nee Spence), 30, of Bellevue, Finstown.
Their four-year-old daughter was removed unharmed from the scene.
At a press conference in Kirkwall on Friday afternoon, Detective
Inspector Iain Smith confirmed that the pair had died from gunshot
wounds.
He said: "We have an idea of who is responsible but I do not
want to make comment on that."
"The post mortem will go a long way to confirming the culpability
of either person," he added.
|
| Murder inquiry launched after double
death in Finstown |
| |
Police inquiries into a murder at a house in Finstown on Thursday
are continuing.
About 10.20pm on Thursday night, officers were notified of an incident
in the village involving a firearm.
Upon arrival, they discovered the bodies of a 43-year-old man and
a 30-year-old woman inside the cottage.
The deaths are being treated as suspicious but police are not looking
for anyone else in connection with the incident.
A report is to be submitted to the procurator fiscal.
|
| Hereford man arrested in Kirkwall |
| |
A 41-year-old man was arrested in Kirkwall on Thursday in connection
with an assault of a woman in Hereford, England, on New Year's Day.
In a joint operation with Kirkwall police, officers from Hereford
arrested the man around 4.30pm on Thursday. He is being returned
to Hereford where he will be interviewed in relation to the assault.
|
| Work on Lidl store to begin within
a fortnight |
| |
Construction work on Kirkwall's new Lidl store is due to start
within the next two weeks.
Douglas Marshall, the German company's acquisitions manager, confirmed
that the demolition work and new building, with a retail floor area
of 1,286 square metres, was still on course for an April opening.
|
| Pensioners and disabled will have choice
of operators for free ferry crossings |
| |
Orkney pensioners and disabled people will be given a choice of
ferry operators when they make use of their annual two free return
trips from Orkney to the Scottish mainland, which they will be entitled
to when the Scotland-wide free bus travel scheme is introduced in
April.
Orkney MSP, Jim Wallace, raised the issue with Transport Minister,
Tavish Scott, after being asked by a constituent whether he could
only have NorthLink's service.
In his reply, the Minister stated: "My intention is that all
islands to mainland crossings, including the route operated by Pentland
Ferries, will be in the Scotland wide Free Bus Scheme." |
| Stromness fundraiser total approaches
£5,000 |
| |
A Stromness fundraising campaign to highlight the plight of homeless
children in Bolivia has raised £4,750 to date.
Barbara McVean and Jean Davidson slept out on the streets of Stromness
at the start of December. Mrs McVean’s daughter, Barbara-Ann,
is currently working in the South American country.
As well as domestic items such as soap and food, it is hoped to
use the cash to buy a water heater to improve a mobile washing facility
used in the town of Cochabamba.
|
| Orkney in December was warmest place
in UK |
| |
Orkney was one of the warmest parts of the UK in December, according
to the Met Office.
A spokesman confirmed today that, on average, the county's temperatures
were a 1.5 degrees higher than the 30 year mean - 6 degrees C.
The highest maximum temperature topped 12.5 degrees C on December
10, with the lowest record - 1.6 degrees C on December 18. |
| New Year celebrations were "quiet
and peaceful" |
| |
The 2006 New Year celebrations have been described by Kirkwall
police as "quiet and peaceful."
In the lead up to the New Year, and during the celebrations themselves,
there were few arrests, mainly for disorderly conduct.
A man was arrested on Friday, December 30, in Westray for alleged
drink driving, while a female was arrested during the Hogmanay celebrations
in Broad Street, Kirkwall, for disorderly conduct. Shortly afterwards,
a man, who had too much to drink, was arrested in the town centre
of Kirkwall in the early hours of New Year's day, and detained overnight,
"for his own safety."
Another man was arrested for disorderly conduct in Stromness town
centre on Hogmanay afternoon and a male arrested on New Year’s
night, in the Papdale East area of Kirkwall, for a breach of the peace.
|
| Author's manuscripts lost in Edinburgh
blaze |
| |
A number of manuscripts by Orkney author Eric
Linklater have been destroyed by a fire in Edinburgh.
The manuscripts, along with artwork and antiquarian books, were
lost at the home of Magnus Linklater, son of the writer.
According to Mr Linklater, the destruction of his father’s
bound manuscripts was "a devastating loss". |
| Delighted Doonies break Uppies' run |
| |
The Doonies have won the New Year's Ba' for the first time since
January 1998.
At around 3.30pm on January 2, the game looked almost over, with
the ba' outside the Royal British Legion and heading south. Then,
the Doonies managed to get the ba' over a wall and on to Great Western
Road.
From there, a Doonie rush saw the ba' taken straight to the Ayre
Road and into the sea.
The contestants took the trophy back to the Shapinsay slip, from
where Alec Findlater and Mick Harcus, swam round the West Pier and
into the Kirkwall Basin.
After a debate on the pier, the ba' was returned to the water where
Alec Findlater emerged the winner.
Click here to read full
report
|
| Second Boys' Ba' of the season to Doonies
|
| |
The first ba' of 2006 went to the Doonies, with Christopher Guthrie,
the twin brother of Christmas winner, Marcus Guthrie, lifting the
trophy at the end of a 150 minute game.
The ba' was thrown up at 10.30am by Susan Learmonth, whose husband,
Eoin, won the Christmas Men's Ba' for the Uppies.
The pack remained on Broad Street for over an hour, until a Doonie
break around 11.40am saw the ba' carried up Palace Road, through
Copland's Lane and into King Street.
From there, the ba' was rushed northwards before being halted in
Bridge Street in sight of the Doonie goal. But the Uppies were not
giving in without a fight, and by midday, the pack had been shepherded
into the Albert Street car park where it remained for around 30
minutes.
The Doonie boys continued their push, however, gradually edging
the trophy out of the car park to reach the basin shortly before
1pm.
Click here to read full
report
|
