Stromness lifeboat was called out in the early hours of Sunday morning to aid a Wick-registered fishing boat 20 miles north west of Birsay.

The Kemarvin, with four crew on board, had suffered a blockage in the fuel system, when they called Shetland Coastguard for help.

The lifeboat took the vessel under tow and arrived back into Stromness harbour about 10am on Sunday.

Derek Robb scores for Orkney in the second half of the match against Crieff and Strathearn. (Picture: Bryan Leslie)

Orkney Rugby Club had a return to winning ways on Saturday afternoon, beating Crieff and Strathearn at Pickaquoy.

Orkney scored 12 tries with a final score of 72-7. However, the visiting side travelled north with only 13 players, so two Orkney players made up the numbers.

Prior to the match, a minutes silence was observed in memory of Darren Norquoy, the 17-year-old Orcadian who died in a car crash last weekend.

OIC assistant chief executive, Elaine Grieve, and chief executive Alistair Buchan.

A recently introduced recycling programme at the OIC is saving a tonne of waste paper a month.

Since the paper skip in the Council car park arrived in May over three tonnes have been saved for recycling. Schools have also been doing their bit, with over eight tonnes saved from Mainland schools in three months.

“Even people who were cynical about the recycling project are starting to take part. You just have to look at how full the paper bins around the council offices are to see how successful it’s becoming”, said Waste Reduction Officer, Maria Cuthbertson.

The OIC has launched an all out campaign to encourage local people to stand for election as councillors at the local authority elections due to take place on May 3, next year.

The campaign is part of a Scottish Executive initiative to promote the role of local councillors and to encourage a new generation of candidates from a wide range of backgrounds.

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The popularity of free bus travel for pensioners and the disabled is threatening to exhaust its budget, according to Audit Scotland.

In Orkney, they also benefit from two free return ferry trips to the mainland.

The national watchdog said the higher than expected take-up of the Scottish Executive scheme means the £159 million budget this year, and £163 million next year, could run out.

Some of Orkney’s young people took part in competitions during the summer aimed at increasing awareness about road safety.

The Community Safety Team gave out competition forms at this year's agricultural shows and the winners have been announced as:

• 5 – 8 year old section: 1st Scott Sclater; 2nd Katy Dingwall
• 9 – 12 year old section: 1st Jaimie Cooper; 2nd Catherine Leask.

Owner of Pentland Ferries, Mr Andrew Banks, has confirmed he has placed an order for a catamaran to run between South Ronaldsay and the Scottish mainland.

It is hoped the 65-metre long vessel will cut sailing times across the Pentland Firth to 45-50 minutes and carry out eight round trips daily – a service every two hours out of Orkney.

The Shapinsay Development Trust is looking for exhibitors for a planned renewable seminar on the island later this year.

The trust would like to hear from renewable energy installers, or any other groups with an interest in this field, to come along at take a free stall at the event on November 18.

The seminar will feature a mixture of short talks from industry experts as well as question and answer session to help locals find out the practicalities of becoming part of the local Renewables initiatives.

From next month, women will be able to join Orkney’s Territorial Army when the local infantryman formally re-roll to become 10 (Orkney) Field Troop Royal Engineers.

The new troop of engineers (known as 'Sappers') will be under the command of 71 Engineer Regiment (Volunteers), which has its headquarters at RAF Leuchars in Fife.

According to a spokesman, the regiment - which has both men and women in its ranks – will offer women, as well as men, the opportunity to “gain new skills, and experience new challenges by serving in the Royal Engineers."

Highlands and Islands MSP Rob Gibson has called on the Health Minister to look at the recruitment of health service staff in rural areas.

His call comes after he learned, among other things, that in the year ending September 30, 2005, locums filled the two vacant consultant posts in Orkney.

A Sanday project is one of 41 in Scotland to benefit from a grant from the Scottish Community Diet Project.

The Sanday Development Trust was awarded £2,960 for a healthy eating awareness project on the island.

A conservation group has put up a £5,000 reward for information on the shooting of five seals in Evie last week.

Founder and president of Sea Shepherd, Captain Paul Watson said: “If the police are motivated enough, perhaps they will press forward with an investigation. If so, we are prepared to contribute the £5,000 to a police charity of their choice if they can secure a conviction.”

“We will also pay out the reward to any member of the public who comes forward with evidence that will contribute to a conviction in this case,” added Captain Watson.

The search is on for an artist to create work inspired by spending a year with Orkney’s farming community.

The Pier Arts Centre’s art and agriculture project has won Lottery funding from the Scottish Arts Council.

“Art and agriculture are traditionally seen as two very different worlds,” said Andrew Parkinson, the Pier’s exhibitions officer. “By placing an artist at the heart of Orkney’s farming community, we hope to bridge that gap in a way that inspires some striking new work.

Artists and farmers interested in getting involved should contact Andrew Parkinson on 01856 850209.

A Burray man who denies who denies refusing to give a breath test to police will stand trial on December 14.

Andrew John Laird, 25, of The Caravan, Mossbank, appeared from custody at Kirkwall Sheriff Court on Wednesday afternoon, where he denied refusing a breath test while in charge of a car on Tuesday night.

The OIC's Head of Heritage Services, Steve Callaghan has been awarded the qualification of Fellowship of the Museums Association.

The award is given in recognition of a "significant contribution to the museums sector", including supporting academic research, junior staff within the profession and advocacy for and within the museums sector.

With new animals being introduced into flocks, farmers are being urged to be on their guard against sheep scab over the next few weeks.

The warning from the Scottish Sheep Scab Initiative (SSSI) comes as results from a nationwide survey emphasise the threat posed by scab. It showed 11 reported cases of sheep scab in Orkney in the last five years.

Loganair's new winter timetable will commence on Sunday, October 29.

On the new timetable, the direct Kirkwall to Edinburgh service – no longer stopping in Inverness – will continue, cutting the flying time to 80 minutes. Passengers flying from Kirkwall to Glasgow will be able to fly non-stop every day, with no transit through Inverness in either direction.

A connection between Kirkwall and the Caithness area will remain with the second daily service from Edinburgh connecting via Wick.

The Kirkwall to Inverness flight will continue twice daily, Monday to Friday, while Kirkwall to Aberdeen will operate three services per day.

Thirteen inspectors from the Social Work Inspection Agency (SWIA) are in Orkney to assess the OIC’s social work department.

The inspection involves interviews with service users and deliverers as well as staff surveys, case file analysis and site visits.

In March, social work director, Harry Garland warned that the department was “setting itself up to fall”.

He told councillors: “How can we have staff satisfaction and service-user satisfaction when we are cutting costs.”

But commenting this week, Mr Garland said: “Not only will [the inspections] help highlight our areas of strength and weakness, it will also allow the inspectors to see, first hand, the unique set of circumstances in which social work services are delivered in Orkney.

Police are appealing for information about an incident in Kirkwall’s Albert Street on Monday afternoon.

According to Sergeant Eddie Graham, a woman had been allegedly “abused” by a male outside Boots at 4.30pm.

“There were more than two individuals involved,” he added.

Time is running out for anyone wanting to make a nomination for the 2006 Orkney Sports Awards.

Nomination forms are now available for download from The Orcadian website, with the nomination deadline being Monday, October 9, at 3pm.

Click here to download nomination forms

Users of private water supplies must now register with the OIC.

Under new Scottish Executive regulations, the council must compile a register of private supplies in the county. This will contain information such as location, type of supply and reason the supply is used.

The Executive has provided councils with funding to improve private water supplies that fail to meet the required standards.

Further information will be sent to owners along with questionnaires., but anyone who has not yet received a pack should contact Donna McMahon on 873535.

New statistics from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) show that Orkney lifeboat launches this summer were considerably higher than the same period last year.

In fact, an RNLI spokesman confirmed that Kirkwall’s summer rescue figure increased by over 100 per cent in comparison to 2005.

The period from June to August saw the Longhope lifeboat launched twice and the Kirkwall and Stromness lifeboats out eight times each.

A planning application from an islands councillor has been deferred to allow members of the planning referrals sub-committee to attend a site visit.

Councillor Jim Foubister, who is the chairman of the planning committee, has applied to site a house at Little Quoys, Deerness.

Members of the planning referrals committee agreed yesterday to defer their decision until the site visit is carried out.

An islands councillor hit out at the health board on Monday, claiming it must get involved in the debate on the provision of air ambulance services in Orkney.

Councillor Sinclair Scott told Monday morning’s meeting of the board that the new service is a “thirty years backward step”.

He said: “The main thing is there is a continual and continuous propaganda which says that the helicopter emergency air ambulance is an enhancement on the previous service. Which it is not. And it is clear to the people in the North Isles that it is not.”

A Finstown man has been warned that he faces jail if he continues to breach his bail conditions.

James Alfred Moar, 55, denies assaulting a woman earlier this month and breaking bail conditions set by the court not to approach her.

Moar was granted bail but warned that if he breached his bail conditions again he would be sent to jail.

A 31-year-old man who broke his bail conditions was remanded in custody at Kirkwall Sheriff Court on Monday.

Ian Graham of Grimond Place, Finstown, denied conducting himself in a disorderly manner and committing a breach of the peace in Lidl’s car park, Kirkwall, on Friday.

He also denied sending an offensive text message to a woman and threatening four other people.

In a bid to encourage Orkney families to get out and about to see the local wildlife on our, VisitScotland has produced a free education pack for local schools.

The new resource for teachers will enable local primary 4 and 5 pupils to learn about everything from golden eagles and puffins to osprey and dolphins. 

Police have named the young driver killed in a road accident in the West Mainland on Saturday.

He was Darren John Norquoy, 17, from Birsay.

The incident occurred on the Dounby Road, near the Merkister junction, shortly after 5pm on Saturday afternoon.

Mr Norquoy was killed and a 15-year-old female passenger was transferred to Kirkwall's Balfour Hospital with head injuries. Her condition is described as stable.

The Stromness Fire Brigade were called to a fire in the engine room of a vessel approaching port on Saturday night.

The Forth Constructor, with five people on board, was towed in to Stromness, accompanied by the lifeboat.

The second sheep management day in the Farming for the Future programme will be held at Binscarth Farm on Wednesday.

The subject is tup and ewe management, with sessions on flock management systems, tup health, flock health planning and management systems.

Organised by the Scottish Agricultural College and NFU Scotland, the day will also include a demonstration of mobile handling facilities.

There are still places left. Anyone wishing to go should contact the union or the SAC.

Homeless people were housed in bed and breakfast accommodation an average of once a week last year.

An OIC spokeswoman said that during 2005-2006, B&Bs were used on 48 occasions for an average duration of 16 days.

Currently it takes, on average, seven-and-a-half months for a family to be allocated a two-bedroom property and 13 months for a three-bed house.

Homeless people are, again on average, being allocated one third of all council houses that become vacant during the year.

NHS Orkney’s Director of Public Health presented her annual report to the health board on Monday morning.

The report, by Dr Sarah Taylor, describes the health of the people of Orkney and compares the county with the rest of Scotland.

She said: “There are many areas and issues where we need to know more, or where we need to build the evidence to show how to develop appropriate and sustainable services for the future.”

Child vaccinations in Orkney have fallen to their lowest in ten years.

Uptake rates at two-years-old from MMR vaccinations fell from 96.4 per cent in 1995, to 84.2 per cent in 2005.

It is a similar picture for diphtheria and tetanus, with a 98 per cent uptake rate ten years ago, compared to just 90 per cent last year for both. Polio vaccination rates fell from 98.4 per cent in 1995, to 89.6 per cent in 2005.