| MBE for Boys' Brigade stalwart |
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A Firth man has been awarded an MBE in the Queen's New Year Honours list.
William Barry Slater receives his award for services to the Boys’ Brigade in Orkney. |
| Navigation warning after ship loses containers off Stronsay |
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Mariners in Orkney have been warned to be on the look out after a cargo vessel lost 20 empty containers overboard on Friday.
The containers were lost at 2.30pm on Friday, from the Streamline-chartered Fehn Mistral. The vessel was in heavy seas east of Stronsay in south-south-easterly force ten winds.
The vessel made its way to Kirkwall where it was expected to stay over New Year. |
| Funding boost for Papay boat service |
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A project run by the Papay Development Trust is one of 11 across Scotland to benefit from a £1 million Scottish Executive funding package to help rural communities with no access to regular public transport services.
The £3,312 will allow the continuation of a boat services between Papay and Westray on winter evenings and weekends.
This allows the residents of Papa Westray to participate in a wide range of community activities with Westray residents, including educational and leisure pursuits. |
| Two projects benefit from ESF cash |
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Two Orkney projects are to benefit from funding from the final round of the Highland and Islands Transitional Programme, funded by the European Social Fund (ESF).
Employability Orkney, whose first project was a supported employment service, set up to help people with support needs find and keep the jobs they want, will receive £40,400.
Meanwhile the OIC is to get £30,531 for its project “Enabling new abilities through computer technology”. |
| Drink-driving message seems to be getting through say police |
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Three weeks into the police’s festive campaign, there had been no drink drivers reported in Orkney.
A spokeswoman said the police were “delighted” that the message may finally be getting through to motorists “as a significant number of breath tests have been carried out during dedicated patrols.”
She added: “Usually over this period there would have been some. We can but presume there are less folk out there getting behind the wheel after drinking.” |
| Information appeal on Stromness collision |
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Police are appealing for witnesses after a vehicle struck a house in Stromness’s Church Road at Christmas.
The vehicle, which is believed to be red, did not stop. The incident is believed to have taken place between 9am on Christmas Eve and 4pm on Christmas Day.
Because the damage may have been caused by a large vehicle attempting to negotiate the tight corners, a police spokeswoman reminded drivers of a three tonne weight limit on the road. |
| Islanders plan action as rats "overrun" Egilsay |
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New Zealand rat-exterminators could be the answer to ridding Egilsay of the rats residents say are fast taking over the island.
Plans to tackle the vermin are being drawn up, as residents struggle to control the growing problem which has seen the island “overrun” in recent years.
Hearing of a project in which 10,000 rats were culled in Canna, one if the inner Hebridean Islands, Egilsay residents are hoping they can use the same approach.
Canna’s rats were wiped out by eight tonnes of poison, and the project cost £580,000 in total. But Egilsay, which is only two miles long, compared to Canna’s four and a half, might not need treatment on the same scale. |
| Orkney farmer is NFUS vice-president candidate |
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An Orkney farmer has been named as a candidate for the office of vice-president of NFU Scotland.
Stewart Wood runs Garson Farms in Sandwick as a family partnership. He is the current chairman of the Orkney and Shetland region of the NFUS.
Mr Wood's unit extends to 209 hectares and is predominantly in grassland, with around 40 hectares of spring barley grown each year. All of the grain and straw are used on farm.
Stock comprises a herd of 170 suckler cows (including a small pedigree Charolais herd) and a sheep flock of 200 ewes.
Elections will take place at the NFU Scotland Council Meeting on February 23, 2007. All NFUS members are invited to attend the Orkney Hustings meetings, which will take place on February 7 in the Kirkwall Hotel at 7.30pm. |
| Orkney Enterprise rebranded |
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Orkney Enterprise is to be rebranded HIE Orkney as part of a new reorganisation of local enterprise companies in the highlands and islands.
The changes have come about as a result of the network's organisational review, begun in the spring of 2006 when the number of LECs was reduced from ten to nine and boundaries redefined.
Chairman of HIE Orkney, Edgar Balfour said: "The local board fully supports this move which strengthens the HIE network approach. This has always been a positive feature of our operations, enabling us to draw on experience from across the Highlands and Islands to address issues whenever they arise." |
| Scottish Water warns of bogus callers |
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Be on your guard for Bogus Callers. This is the message being issued by Scottish Water today after a number of incidents where customers have been targeted via the telephone.
The water company has received reports where people claiming to be calling from Scottish Water and requesting bank details from customers or conducting a survey.
A spokesman said: “Our staff would never cold call a customer on the doorstep let alone on the phone. Our customers are billed via the Council Tax so there is absolutely no need for us to ever request personal bank details for payment.” |
| Fusion owner praises clubbers' behaviour |
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The proprietor of Kirkwall’s Fusion club has praised the good behaviour of clubbers over the festive season.
Mark Ridgway said: “Thanks to everyone for their fantastic behaviour. Over both nights, we had numbers between 1200 and 1300, and out of that, we only ejected about three people from the club over both nights - that is nothing." |
| Second Christmas ba' for the Uppies |
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The Christmas Day Mens' Ba' went up in 3 hours and 17 minutes.
After the ba' reached the uppie goal, the trophy went to Stuart Slater of Quoybanks Place, Kirkwall.
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| Uppie boys take first ba' of the season |
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 The first ba' game of the festive season went to the uppies.
In a 53 minute game, in which the boys' ba' was dominated by the uppie players, the trophy was presented to Ewan Gray (pictured right).
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