Orkney MP Alistair Carmichael has expressed disappointment at the news that Scotland¹s Kenny Richey collapsed hours before he was expected to be released on Thursday.

The 43-year-old was sentence too death in America, after being convicted of murdering a child, but has proclaimed his innocence for 21 years.

He was due to plead no contest to charges of involuntary manslaughter, and expected to be freed, but collapsed hours before he was due in court. Mr Carmichael has been a great supporter of the campaign to free him, and even visited him on death row.

He said: "The news about Kenny¹s ill health is disappointing and concerning, but not surprising.

"He has been kept for over 20 years, locked up for 23 hours a day and given only the most rudimentary health care. That he should be unwell at the end of this is no surprise."

Cynthia Spencer

A woman, born and raised in Orkney, will return to her roots when she becomes NorthLink’s new commercial director.

Cynthia Spencer was educated at Kirkwall Grammar School, but left Orkney in 1987.

She is currently head of product management for Europe with the Visa credit card company, based in London. Her work in product strategy, communications and marketing there included negotiating for Visa to become the Portuguese football side’s main sponsor.

Ms Spencer will replace Gareth Crichton, who has been with NorthLink since the ferry company was first formed.

Kirkwall police are investigating after a collision occurred in the car park of the Wellpark Garden Centre on the evening of December 17.

A W reg. silver Ford Mondeo was seen to reverse into another car and damage it, following which, the driver left the scene, failing to leave details.

Police are interested in hearing from anyone who may have knowledge of the vehicle. Anyone with a similar car is also asked to make contact with them, so that they can be eliminated from the inquiry.

Northern Isles MP Alistair Carmichael will stay on the front bench of the Liberal Democrat shadow cabinet under new leader Nick Clegg.

Mr Carmichael will retain his position as the party’s spokesman for Scotland and Northern Ireland.

He described it as a great honour to have a leading role in the future growth of the party.

“The election of an SNP government this May, in Edinburgh, has changed the political dynamic of devolution and there is a new challenge for those of us who believe in the continuation of the United Kingdom from that,” Mr Carmichael said.

A Stenness man will stand trial on March 5, 2008, after denying driving dangerously while being pursued by a police car.

William Sutherland, 29, of Sutherland¹s Garage, appeared from custody at Kirkwall Sheriff Court on Thursday morning. He pled not guilty to driving after allegedly having consumed alcohol on Thursday, December 13.

He was released on bail after giving a special undertaking that he will not drive in the meantime.

Measures are being brought in to try to disperse festive revellers from Kirkwall and Stromness town centres.

Half-price taxi fares, extra monitoring of CCTV and additional police on the beat are initiatives being put in place by the Orkney Community Safety Partnership, using a £10,000 Government grant as part of the Safer Streets campaign.

Craigie's, Bob's, Brass's and Stromness taxis are participating in an initiative offering the cheaper deal to customers leaving town centres from 12.30-2.30am on the Fridays and Saturdays of December 21 and 22 and 28 and 29.

A group of German film-makers are looking for extras to take part in a project centred around the New Year¹s Day Ba¹. The film, a project for the German film school Film-akademie Baden-Württemberg, aims to combine a fictitious plot with documentary material of the Ba¹, to be filmed on New Year¹s Day.

The film-makers are looking for at least 20 local men as extras. These extras would be filmed on December 30, in a mock Ba¹ game and will be required for the whole day. In addition, they are looking for extras to play a male pensioner, a young mother, a playing child and a dog.

Anyone interested can contact Kristine Knudsen on kk@knudsenstreuber.de, or by phone to Germany on (49) 17767 37935.

Sandwick Community Association looks set to receive £3,900 for a feasibility study which will consider options for renovations and improvements to the Sandwick Hall.

Councillors backed their application for funding on Wednesday at a meeting of Orkney Islands Council's community development fund sub-committee, but suggested they also look into seedcorn funding.

The Eday Partnership looks set to receive funding of £2,000 to train volunteers to carry out historical research with older members of the community.

At a meeting of Orkney Islands Council’s community development fund subcommittee on Wednesday, councillors backed the application from the Eday partnership, who hope to record and preserve elements of life on the island - the total project cost is expected to be £23,380.

They will be supported by the Eday Heritage Centre Association, and Eday Primary School.

BBC One’s Watchnight Celebration programme, on Christmas Eve at 11.35pm, will feature the Kirkwall Christmas tree lighting ceremony and the Mayfield Singers at the Italian Chapel.

Also to appear are the Kirkwall Grammar School choir, Hadhirgaan and a Christmas service at St Magnus Cathedral.

Farmers’ Less Favoured Area Support Scheme (LFASS) payments will be issued in January.

Cabinet secretary Richard Lochhead confirmed that, following his discussions with the EU agricultural commissioner in Brussels this week, LFA payments of £61 million can be processed.

Police are appealing for information after a teenage woman was "chased" by a man in St Margaret's Hope on Monday night.

The incident occurred during the late evening, on the B9043 between Quindry and St Margaret’s Hope. The teenager was was chased by a male, described as six feet tall, with broad shoulders, possibly wearing a hat and speaking with a non-Scottish accent and a deep, gruff voice.

The OIC is to improve how it handles complaints from the public.

A best value review of its complaints procedure found  that all departments were handling complaints well, but recommended that the complaints handling structure and processes and practices be improved.

The council has also introduced a named complaints officer in every department, who will handle complaints, in addition to their normal duties.

Extensive damage was caused to a garage at Hermaness, Kirkwall, on Monday afternoon.

Units from Kirkwall Fire Brigade were called to the blaze, which is thought to have started in a tumble dryer, about 1.30pm.

Orkney and Shetland's MSPs have slammed Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) for not providing details of how the Northern Isles’ share of the £19 million LEADER programme funding was calculated.

Liam McArthur and Tavish Scott are not happy with their constituencies’ “unreasonably small share of the funds”, suggesting that HIE skewed the allocation of money to gain favour with the SNP Government.

The pair said on Monday that nearly two weeks after requesting detailed justification for their proposals, HIE had yet to respond.

An agreement to refurbish the underground oil tanks in Lyness, Hoy, was signed on Monday.

The agreement, between Orkney Islands Council and Swedish-based bulk storage company Dynamic Tank Storage Ltd, will bring an estimated £1.5 million revenue to the council over 15 years - from rental charges and harbour fees when the tanks are filled.

The tanks, which are situated in the hill behind the Lyness Industrial Estate, were last used in 1976.

Orkney's acting chief inspector Davie Miller is warning women in Kirkwall to be extra vigilant following Sunday's serious assault.

But he stressed to the public that it was a very rare crime - which he believes has never occurred before in Orkney.

He said: "We are carrying out door to door inquiries and are looking at all the CCTV that we can obtain. We will do our utmost to try and trace this man."

A senior investigating officer was due to arrive in the county on Monday to lead the investigation.

A full police investigation is under way after a 19-year-old woman was sexually assaulted in Kirkwall in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The assault took place in the Quoybanks Crescent area between 1.30 and 2.30am on Sunday.

Police are appealing for information to help find the assailant, described as a male in his late teens or early 20s, of skinny build with a thin face, clean shaven, with short hair and small sideburns.

At the time of the incident he was wearing a dark coloured wool type "toorie" hat, which was turned up round the edge. He was also wearing  dark clothing with a wind/waterproof jacket with elasticated cuffs,  and jeans.

They would like to hear from anyone who was in the vicinity at the time. Anyone who has information or who can identify the male is asked to call 872241 or the Crimestoppers anonymous line, 0800 555 111.

The throwers of the four festive ba’ games have been named.

The Christmas Day Boys’ Ba’ has been donated, and will be thrown up by, Lizzie Myles. Lizzie, from Sandwick,  who is the daughter of previous ba’ winner Jim Leonard.

The Men’s Ba’ will be thrown up by Sandy Keldie, who won his men’s ba’ on Christmas Day, 1982. Sandy, who is also donating the ba’, was also a boys’ ba’ winner on New Year’s Day, 1968.

The New Years Boys’ Ba’ has been donated, and will be thrown up, by staunch doonie Jane Macdonald. The chief executive of the OIC, Alistair Buchan, will throw up the New Years Men’s Ba’