The Rev Canon Emsley Nimmo, new Episcopal dean for Orkney and Aberdeen.

Orkney and Aberdeen will have a new Episcopal dean from March 8 in the Rev Canon Emsley Nimmo, 55.

Canon Nimmo is the Rector of St Margaret¹s Episcopal Church, Gallowgate, Aberdeen, and a Canon of the city¹s St Andrew¹s Cathedral and will become Dean at the Diocesan Synod, in March.

Rev Emsley Nimmo takes over as dean from the Very Rev Gerald Stranraer-Mull, Rector of St Mary¹s Church, Ellon, and St James¹s Church, Cruden Bay, who has served the diocese as dean for 20 years.

In doing so, he will become 'the Very Rev¹ ­ the title given to the office of dean in the Scottish Episcopal Church.

Allan Guthrie at a booksigning.

Orkney-born writer Allan Guthrie has received the inaugural Spinetingler Best Novel - New Voice Award from Canadian crime magazine Crime Zine Report.

The 41-year-old Edinburgh-based writer won the award for his third novel Hard Man. The book has been praised for its ability "to make readers wince with pain and laughter."

The Spintingler is Allan¹s second big win - his debut novel Two-Way Split was named Theakston¹s Old Peculier Crime Novel of Year for 2007.

Allan has a fourth book, Savage Night, due for release next month.

A mountain bike was taken from near the swimming pool in Kirkwall on Wednesday.

The black "Giant" bike had been left at Kirkwall Grammar School, near the pool, and was taken between 6.05pm and 7.30pm.

Kirkwall police would like to hear from anyone with information on 872241.

Karen Aim's memory will live on in a piece of music being composed by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies.

Sir Peter, the Master of the Queen's Music, said he had been "moved and shocked" by Karen¹s murder in New Zealand last month. The 26-year-old, from Holm, died in hospital from head injuries after being attacked.

Sir Peter, 73, of Sanday, said: "I feel a kind of responsibility; it has to be acknowledged. I felt this was such a dreadful thing to happen. It struck something and I wanted to make a spontaneous musical response."

He plans to unveil the composition at the St Magnus Festival in June.

Councillors at Tuesday's special meeting of the OIC policy and resources committee have recommended that Orkney's council tax levels remain unchanged for 2008/2009.

If ratified by full council, it will mean that the bill for a band D property will remain at £1,037.

Councillors also agreed with recommendations on the council¹s overall budget.

Philip MacCallum has resigned as a salaried dentist with NHS Orkney to take up a new post outside the county.

NHS Orkney chief administrative dental officer for Orkney, Moya Nelson, said: "Those patients who are currently in treatment will be given appointments as soon as possible. Those who are currently on Mr MacCallum¹s list, but not in treatment, will be held on a waiting list until we have the resources to treat them."

During Mr MacCallum¹s period of notice, patients are advise to attend appointments currently booked, unless contacted by the Station Dental Centre by letter or telephone.

The latest brochure from VisitOrkney is now available on audio CD thanks to a collaboration between VisitOrkney and the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) who were asked to record the brochure in an audible format for visually impaired people.

Marketing executive for VisitOrkney, Carly Simpson, said: "Audio guides are an excellent means of ensuring that everyone can find out about Orkney and all that it offers as a holiday destination.

The VisitOrkney audio CD will be available on their website www.visitorkney.com, and on request, by contacting the VisitOrkney office on 01856 872001.

Police want to find whoever removed property from a car parked near Kirkwall Grammar School over the weekend.

The Volkwagen Golf was in the Meadows car park opposite KGS between 5pm on Saturday and 6.45am on Monday.

Any information regarding the incident, or about anyone seen acting in a suspicious manner in the area, would be welcomed. Contact Kirkwall police station on 872241.

The performance of the Northern and Western Isles Energy Efficiency Advice Centre, based in Kirkwall, has been given the thumbs up.

According to the Energy Saving Trust, the centre has met all of the performance requirements following a recent review.

Ken Ross, of the centre, said the successful review would not have been possible without the dedicated team around him.

Kirkwall police report that entry was forced into a garage on Glaitness Road, Kirkwall, between Sunday, January 27, and Monday, February 4.

Also, a window at HIE Orkney in Queen Street, Kirkwall, was damaged between Friday and Monday.

Anyone with information regarding these incidents is asked to contact Kirkwall police station on 872241.

Health staff in Orkney are appealing for patients to let them know if they can't make an appointment or scheduled admission, as people failing to turn up for appointments at Kirkwall's Balfour Hospital is costing NHS Orkney thousands of pounds every year.

Dr Peter Baxter, NHS Orkney's interim medical director, said: "Every time someone does not attend an outpatient appointment or planned admission they deny someone else the opportunity to be seen and treated. There are substantial costs associated with each missed appointment or admission."

In total, those who failed to show in the 12 months identified, cost the health board £15,545.

Kirkwall's lifeboat was called out on Saturday night to help transfer a sick fishing boat crewman to the Balfour Hospital.

The vessel Edward Henry, which was east of Westray, had a crew member with a suspected ruptured appendix and possible complications.

The RNLI relief lifeboat, Osier, with Dr Peter Fay on board, set off at 10.57pm, reaching the fishing boat at 11.55pm.

By 1am the lifeboat was back in Kirkwall and the casualty had been transferred to hospital.

The precarious financial position of NHS Orkney is being monitored on a daily basis, health board members heard last week.

NHS Orkney’s director of finance, Iain White, said: “Currently, we are forecasting a deficit of £700,000 in this financial year. The executive management team are working on initiatives to reduce this and move towards a break-even position.

“Stringent cost control measures are in place and regular monitoring meetings with the Scottish Government Health Department are taking place.”

Kirkwall Community Council would like to see a bronze statue of Earl Rognvald - founder of St Magnus Cathedral - erected on the Kirk Green.

The statue would commemorate the 850th anniversary of Rognvald’s death, community council chairman, Spencer Rosie, said.

 “2008 is the 850th anniversary of the death of Earl Rognvald Kali Kolson. It would seem an opportune time to commission a statue in his honour. While he was certainly no saint, he was a highly cultured and intelligent person whose legacy to Orkney, the building of St Magnus Cathedral, is worthy of celebration.”

The Pier Arts Centre is one of only two Scottish galleries/museums competing for a place in the short-list for a major £100,000 art prize.

Along with the Shetland Museum and Archives in Lerwick and eight others across the UK, the Stromness venue is in the running for the Art Fund Prize for museums and galleries 2008.

Director of the Pier Arts Centre, Neil Firth said: “We are very pleased that our project has been long-listed for such a prestigious prize. The Centre plays an important role in the islands’ cultural well-being and works hard to complement Orkney’s natural attributes and its archaeological World Heritage status.”

People can show their support for the Pier Arts Centre, by leaving comments at www.artfundprize.org.uk.