The Birsay Heritage Trust has been granted half of the money towards training a new miller, in a bid to keep an ancient tradition alive in Orkney.

As the current miller at the Barony Mill prepares to retire, it is hoped that another person can be trained over three years, at a cost of £14,080.

Between 9am and 1pm on Wednesday, a silver Mercedes car was struck by another unknown vehicle while parked unattended outside the emergency entrance to the Balfour Hospital in Kirkwall.

The vehicle’s front passenger side wing was damaged.

Meanwhile, a yellow Skoda Fabia was damaged while parked at the Kirkwall swimming pool between 1.30pm and 4pm last Thursday.

Kirkwall police would like to hear from anyone who may have information about the incidents on 872241.

A report is to be submitted to the procurator fiscal following a two-vehicle collision on the Harray road near its junction with the main Kirkwall to Stromness road about 7pm on Wednesday.

No one was injured in the incident, which involved a Peugeot 206 and an Audi A4.

Islands councillors have agreed on a 2008-2009 funding package for the Pickaquoy Centre – but it's almost £100,000 less than was originally asked for.

At a special general meeting of Orkney Islands Council, councillors were asked to agree a lump sum and that there should be no sub-division of how the funding is used by the trust.

The Picky Centre Trust had asked for £827,300 for 2008-2009, but officials subsequently whittled down this figure to £779,000.

However, Councillors Graham Sinclair and Jack Moodie were unhappy that the Picky Centre were asking for extra cash, while already reporting a £50,000 underspend to the end of January 2008.

Due to adverse weather conditions, all of today's sailings from Stromness and Scrabster have been cancelled.

Also, Saturday's 9am sailing from Stromness and 12 noon sailing from Scrabster have been rescheduled to depart Stromness at 10am, departing Scrabster at 12.30pm.

The ship which lost power west of Hoy is now under tow by the Coastguard tug the Anglian Sovereign.

The 173m Atlantic Trader, believed to have 24 people on board, originally declined a tow but is now on her way into Scapa Flow in heavy seas.

The picture was taken from the Hamnavoe, south of Brims, Hoy, around 2.30pm on Thursday afternoon.

NHS Orkney has been given the go ahead for the first stage of a proposed redesign of health facilities in Kirkwall - including a new Balfour Hospital.

The Scottish Government Health Directorate has given approval for the “initial agreement”, allowing the board to progress to the outline business case.

Board chairman, John Ross Scott, said: “If successful, it will be the biggest investment in health care in Orkney for the last century. A new era for health care could dawn, if this comes together.”

NHS Orkney chief executive, Iain Crozier, said they are talking about investment of several tens of millions.

“The staff have, for several years, been working in sub-optimal facilities at the Balfour Hospital. It is great news for the board, its staff and particularly for the population in Orkney.”

Orkney MSP, Liam McArthur, has slammed the new Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) management structure - which lumps Orkney and Shetland in with Forres and Buckie.

This, said Mr McArthur, then puts this "illogical area" under the control of a manager from Caithness and Sutherland.

The first phase of work to extend Kirkwall Airport’s parking facilities is now complete.

Airport Manager David Blackman has confirmed that the new area contains 40 spaces, and is now available to use.

“There is another bit to come  - in total we are looking at have 58 spaces,” he added.

A 29-year-old woman on Wednesday pled guilty to calling out the Highlands and Islands Fire Rescue Service to a fake fire.

Jeanette Elaine Allen, of Heath Cottage, Rendall, admitted knowingly giving her name to a representative of the Highlands and Islands Fire Rescue Service, raising a fake alarm of fire in a 999 phone call, stating that she was a passer-by, and that she could smell smoke coming from 6 Lynn Crescent, Kirkwall, on January 3.

Allen’s sentence has been deferred until September 18 for good behaviour and for evidence that the cost of the call-out - £1,035.82 - has been repaid.

A former social work director at Edinburgh City Council has been appointed as interim director of community social services for Orkney Islands Council.

Duncan Macauley will fill the post initially until the end of the year. 

During this period, the roles and responsibilities of the post in relation to the wider department will be reviewed.

An advanced draft of Orkney Islands Council’s Corporate Strategic Plan is now available to view on the council website.

The plan will be presented to the OIC’s policy and resources committee in April.

The document has been shaped by the recent household survey conducted by the council and an extensive consultation process involving the public and other organisations.

It sets out the council’s priorities for the next five years and demonstrates how the OIC is contributing to the new community plan - Orkney 2020: Our Vision.

A Kirkwall councillor is running an online survey to gauge public opinion on NorthLink Ferries plans to introduce photo ID.

The online survey, set up by Councillor Steven Heddle, can be accessed at kw15.co.uk and will remain open until April 7.

Meanwhile, the ferry company's chief executive, Bill Davidson, is to deliver a presentation to Orkney Islands Council on Thursday when he will underline the reasons for the company's decision to implement photographic ID for passengers over 16.

Mr Davidson said: "It might have been preferable for Councillor Heddle to have waited until after Thursday's meeting before launching his online survey."

Development of affordable housing in Orkney came close to the top of a wish list in a recent household survey conducted in the county.

However, in order to develop a complete picture of housing need throughout Orkney, the council is now proposing to survey every household in the islands.

Additionally, the council is inviting tenders to undertake a private sector house condition survey. This will provide comprehensive information on the state of repair of private sector properties in the county by dwelling type, tenure and by sub-area.

If you would like any additional information on either surveys then contact the council on 873535 or e-mail housing@orkney.co.uk.

A 14-year-old boy has appeared in court in New Zealand charged with murdering Karen Aim.

He appeared in the Rotorua Youth Court on Monday, accused of the murder and aggravated robbery of Ms Aim and with causing grievous bodily harm, and was also charged in relation to intentional damage at Taupo Nui A Tia College on same night, January 17.

He was remanded in custody to a youth justice facility. A pre-depositions hearing will be held on April 15.

Under the New Zealand justice system, a date will be set for the taking of depositions, when the Crown must prove there is a case to answer. A plea is not entered until the end of the depositions hearing.

An ornately carved stone, thought to date from the Neolithic period, was found on a South Ronaldsay beach last week.

The stone, which may be around 5,000 years old, was found by ‘Hope resident David Barnes, who was out walking by Sandwick Bay in South Ronaldsay.

The faint carving, “pecked” into a slab of sandstone, is difficult to see in direct light, but either features two concentric circles or one concentric circle and a spiral surrounded by an oval – part of the end of which has been lost when the stone was broken.

The stone was removed from the beach on Friday afternoon and transferred to the Orkney Museum.

The Stromness lifeboat went to the aid of a group of sightseers in the Pentland Firth on Sunday.

The rigid inflatable boat (RIB), North Coast Explorer, operated by Caithness company North Coast Marine Adventures, takes sightseers out into the Firth to view the scenery and wildlife.

However, around 11am on Sunday, the vessel suffered an engine failure, which left her adrift to the west of Swona in "treacherous tides".

The singer of chart-topping act Embrace is returning to Orkney next month to perform a DJ set.

Danny McNamara will take to the decks in Fusion for a one-off set on Friday, April 4.

Fusion’s owner Mark Ridgway said: “Some offers cannot be turned down even at short notice.

“I know that Embrace had a big impact when they played at Magfest a few years ago, so its great for us to be able to welcome the singer back here, and it fantastic that he came so readily.

Shaun Tulloch and Erika Leslie, of the Palace Players Youth team, pictured with the trophy on Saturday night.

Palace Players Youth team now face a long journey after they won the Northern Division of the Scottish Community Drama Association Youth Festival, which was held in Orkney for first time on Saturday.

The Orkney team's performance of The Importance of Being Earnest, by Oscar Wilde, now goes forward to the Scottish Youth Final in Stranraer, on June 21.

The three teams competing were Splinters Youth, from Shetland, Unmasqued Drama Company (Youth), from Perth, and Palace Players Youth.

The Palace Players team will also be appearing in the Northern Divsional Finals, in Aberdeen Arts Centre, on April 4.

Police have confirmed a sudden death in Stromness.

The body of Frederick Edward Young, 71, of Melvin Place, Stromness, was found after an extensive search of his house and outbuildings. Mr Young had been previously reported missing.

Police say there are no supsicious circumstances and a report is being submitted to the procurator fiscal.

Kirkwall power station

This week the Mayfield Singers plan to perform 400-year-old music for Holy Week in the power station on Great Western Road, Kirkwall.

The music for Tenebrae is traditionally associated with the events of the week leading up to Easter and will be sung on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday.

The settings which the choir will sing were written by the Spanish composer Tomas Luis de Victoria (1548-1611).

Tenebrae is Latin for darkness and the events always take place in almost total darkness, except for 15 candles, which are gradually extinguished through the course of the performance, but as this would not be safe, they will be replaced by lamps and torches.

Charlotte Slater

Stromness Academy pupil Charlotte Slater had scooped the Marjorie Linklater Writing Award, 2008.

Her piece, entitled There Was a Banging at the Door impressed judges, and come out at the top to ten entries from Stromness Academy, Kirkwall Grammar School and Orkney College.

KGS pupil Leah Drever's The Creatures of the Night took second place, while Katherine Stockan's The Hudson Bay Secret, and Clair Mackenzie's Letting Go were highly commended. Amanda Hourston's Drift Wild was also commended.