A unique fundraising event was held in Kirkwall on Saturday.

CLIC 2 saw some of Orkney’s best bands perform at Kirkwall’s skatepark over a ten-hour period, alongside competitions for those on BMXs, skateboards and ina-line skates, all in the name of fundraising for CLIC Sargent.

The champion of the yard at Friday's Sanday Show was a Suffolk ram lamb shown by J. & M. Dearness.

Representatives from NHS Orkney were in Westray, outlining the GP service arrangements to be put in place when the current contract expires.

At a meeting on Wednesday night, NHS Orkney reported that the present arrangements would continue to be provided in the short term.

The board also reported that its “Creating Sustainable Services Project” (CSSP) was looking at how all services will be provided in the longer term, which includes Primary Care Services. 

Orkney Ferries has announced a change to the North Isles timetable on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

The change is due to "crewing problems" and will see two vessels operating instead of three.

The changes include the North Ronaldsay cargo run moved to Sunday and the cancellation of Sunday's planned excursion to the island.

Services as per the published timetable should resume on Tuesday.

Members of the Orkney Communities website are now able to receive step-by-step tuition for managing their sites, thanks to an interactive training CD launched on Thursday.

Through funding from The National Lottery’s Awards For All, the CD was also developed to encourage more societies and community groups to join the Orkney Communities programme and build a site of their own.

At the launch, Orkney MSP Liam McArthur said: “The Orkney Communities website has been a real success story. Hopefully this training CD will go towards safeguarding its future for many years to come.”

A puffin recaptured on Sule Skerry recently has been found to be at least 34 years old.

That makes the bird the oldest known puffin in Britain, and only a year short of being the oldest in the world - currently an Icelandic bird.

The bird was first caught and ringed in July 1975, during the first expedition of the Sule Skerry Ringing Group.

With Orkney's agricultural show season imminent, the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) has warned dog owners that they face prosecution if they leave pets locked away in vehicles.

SSPCA officer Mike Lynch will be patrolling the show car parks on the lookout for vulnerable animals and taking action if necessary.

His advice is simple - leave your pets at home.

An 18-year-old male was in custody, after appearing in private at Kirkwall Sheriff Court on Monday.

Kyron Kynoch, of Kirkwall, was arrested by police following an incident in the early hours of Sunday at the Kiln Corner flats in the town.

It is alleged that he was in possession of a knife at the time. He appeared at court in connection with two charges of assault and a breach of the peace. Kynoch was committed for further examination and remanded in custody.

A 17-year-old motorist is to be reported to the procurator fiscal after a road accident on Tuesday afternoon.

According to police, the Skoda Felicia he was driving left the road at the bottom of Wideford Brae, St Ola, where it struck a stone dyke, causing the car to flip over and land on its roof down an embankment.

The driver and his passenger sustained cuts to the head and other minor injuries which were treated at Balfour Hospital.

Scotland's Deputy First Minister and Health Secretary, Nicola Sturgeon, has declined an invitation to visit Orkney to discuss the air ambulance service.

Orkney Islands Council convener, Councillor Stephen Hagan, said: "It is very disappointing that Nicola Sturgeon has declined the invitation to come and meet with us."

The convener said he was concerned that information about the service being passed to the minister was misleading.

"We are not prepared to accept something that we see on the ground as definitely not as good as what we were used to," Councillor Hagan added.

The first study into the impact of migrant workers in Orkney has been completed.

Out of the 31 employers surveyed, nearly 70 per cent of replies said that they had employed migrant workers in 2006-2007 - an increase from 17 per cent in 2002.

The report, compiled by AB Associates on behalf of the council, found that most migrant workers in Orkney come from Poland and are most likely to be found working in the food processing, construction and accommodation sectors.

The square-rigged barque Sea Cloud II sailed into Scapa Flow on Monday afternoon - one of the most unusual cruise ships to visit Orkney this year.

The vessel is a modern ship based on the windjammers of the past, bearing 29,600 square feet of sails, all set by hand in the traditional way.

The vessel was launched in 2001 as the largest barque ever built and contains cabins for 94 passengers and 54 crew members.

Police are appealing for witnesses to a suspected vehicle collision in Rousay.

Between the evenings of Wednesday, July 25 and Friday, July 27, a maroon Volvo car parked on Pier Road sustained damage, believed to be from another motor vehicle.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Kirkwall police on 872241.

Over £11,000 in Lottery Grants has been awarded to the Stronsay Development Trust and the Haughland House Trust in Shapinsay as part of the Awards for All programme.

The Stronsay Development Trust will receive £7,500 while £3,586, went to the Haughland House Trust, which manages a residential retreat offering meditation plus creative and traditional arts, crafts and skills.

The Minister for Public Health has rejected Liam McArthur MSP's call for an independent review of the air ambulance service in Orkney.

However, she has conceded that information given to a public meeting in Kirkwall, by the chief executive of the Scottish Ambulance Service, was false.

The minister advised Mr McArthur: "If any of your constituents are concerned about an incident involving the Scottish Ambulance Service which they believe resulted in sub-standard service being provided, then they should write the ambulance service."

Police are appealing for information after the discovery of a forced door in a house in St Rognvald Street, Kirkwall.

The incident occurred sometime between 10pm on Friday and 10am on Saturday morning.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 872241.

Police are looking to identify a vehicle that damaged a section of wall in the car park off Junction Road at the weekend.

Between 6pm on Saturday and 10am on Sunday, an unknown vehicle reversed into a 5ft stone wall, adjacent to the Salvation Army Hall, damaging it.

Once again, anyone with information is asked to call 872241.

A new scheme in which two doctors are providing out of hours cover for the Mainland has been implemented by NHS Orkney.  However, the system, which will be reviewed after a three-month period, does have cost implications.

Chief executive Ian Crozier  said: “We are putting in place an all-Mainland out-of-hours service. The board receives no extra funding to provide that service.”

Orkney's county football squad were beaten 4-1 by Shetland in the annual Milne Cup inter-county game in Lerwick on Friday night.

Orkney's only goal came from Robbie Balfour.

Patients who fail to turn up for hospital appointments could be taken off the waiting list and referred back to their GP.

At this week’s meeting of the health board , Balfour Hospital general manager, Rhoda Walker, warned that they were keeping a close eye on “do not attends”.

She said: “Once we have checked and found that someone did not turn up, they will no longer wait on the waiting list -  that is in line with new national guidelines.”