Empty shelves as Kirkwall's Woolworths store closes.

Saturday, December 27, saw the end of an era when the Woolworths store in Albert Street Kirkwall, along with others throughout Scotland, closed its doors for the last time.

The final day's trading saw crowds of shoppers in the store, which had signs showing 70 per cent off changed to 80 per cent off as the day progressed, and even the stores' shelving being offered for sale.

The loss of the store, which has been trading in Kirkwall for nearly 50 years, will, it is feared, affect the whole retail trade in the town and 34 employees will lose their jobs unless a last-minute buyer is found for the national chain.

A window was damaged at Argo's Bakery, Stromness, between 7pm on Wednesday, December 24, and 12.30pm on Friday, December 26.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Kirkwall Police, on 872241.

A minor accident occurred around 10.15pm, on Friday, December 26, at the first Churchill Barrier.

No-one was injured as a result of the accident.

A victory for the Uppie men on Christmas Day, saw the Uppies notch up another two consecutive wins.

In a relatively short game, the ba' reached the Uppie goal at 3.35pm, where it was awarded to Kirkwall businessman Neil Stevenson.

After the throw up, at 1pm, play remained on Broad Street for around 30 minutes, before an Uppie break saw the ba' quickly taken south along Victoria Street to William Shearer's.

Kyle Robb celebrates winning the Boys' Christmas Day Ba'.

Fifteen-year-old Kyle Robb won the Boy's Christmas Day Ba' - giving the first victory of the festive season to the Uppies.

After almost three and a half hours, the ba' touched the Uppie goal at 1.53pm, with Kyle declared the winner at 2.11pm.

Orkney will not be affected by industrial action planned by Scottish Water staff across the country.

Hundreds of the company's stand-by staff, including ten in Shetland, are refusing to provide emergency cover from 4pm on Wednesday, December 24, until January 5. However, Scottish Water staff in Orkney are not taking part in the action in a dispute over pay.

Area manager, Sandy McConnachie said: "It is business as usual as far as Orkney is concerned. There are obviously Unison members here, but there is no strong feeling in Orkney to support industrial action."

A Scottish Water spokesperson said they have contingency plans in place so that normal service will be maintained.

At Kirkwall Sheriff Court on Wednesday, sentence was deferred on Scott Fergus Scollie (19) until January 7, 2009 - despite the Crown refusing his application for bail.

Scollie appeared at an undertaking and admitted breaching conditions of a bail order, served on December 3. He also admitted threatening to strike a man with a length of wood on December 21, and breaking the window of a house in Meadowbank on the same day, and also admitted pulling a security light from its fixings at Quoybanks Place on December 1.

Procurator fiscal Sue Foard said that Scollie had “an absolutely appalling record” and said she “could almost guarantee he will drink and he will commit further offences” if he was released on bail.

However, Honorary Sheriff Eric Green told Scollie: “Perhaps against my better judgement, I am going to grant bail, but you must clearly understand that this is the final time the court will place any trust in you.”

Orkney’s MSP Liam McArthur has demanded action on a review of agricultural appeals. He said that Ministers cannot delay responding to a review of the EU Subsidy Appeals procedure.

Mr McArthur said: “The appeals procedure needs urgent attention as it cannot differentiate between genuine mistakes made by farmers and an attempt to defraud the system.

“In the middle of July, a Scottish Government official told a constituent that the Kinnaird report was to be presented to Richard Lochhead in three to four weeks, so he would have had it since the middle of August. Yet it took until the beginning of November for the Government to make the report public, and they have still to give any indication of how they intend to react to its sensible recommendations.”

Sometime before Saturday, December 20, a section of fencing was damaged by a vehicle near to the junction of Craigiefield Road and Work Road, St Ola.

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

Orkney motorists have been warned that they could be locked up over the festive period, if they are caught drink-driving.

Northern Constabulary highlighted its pledge to remand drink and drug drivers until the next available court date, by arresting seven people in the region during the second week of the Festive Safety campaign.

The national campaign, which kicked off on December 8, targets those who drink or take drugs before driving.

During week two of the campaign, the Force reported ten people in the Northern Constabulary area for drink driving and one person for drug-driving.

At a special meeting of Orkney Islands Council council on Tuesday, councillors decided that in light of recent movements in the financial markets, the council will take advantage by borrowing externally.

This will involve their current treasury management practices being revised and could help fund key projects such as the Schools Investment Programme and the ferry replacement programme.

Director of finance at OIC, Albert Tait presented a report to the meeting, but before the report’s recommendations could be agreed, councillors had to suspend standing orders, which they did.

OIC convener, councillor Steven Hagan moved the recommendations, which were seconded by vice-convener, councillor James Stockan.

Orkney Islands Council has has secured £1.2 million from sportscotland for a new swimming pool and squash courts.

The project will see a new 25-metre pool built at the Pickaquoy Centre in Kirkwall.

The facility will contain six lanes and will have a moving floor and an adjacent area of leisure waters, which includes a shallow/beach recreation area and a number of other minor leisure facilities.

Three new squash courts will also be created at the Pickaquoy Centre thanks to the funding allocation.

Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael has welcomed the news that Orkney Breweries' Skull Splitter beer will be saved.

A decision has been made by the Portman Group not to ban Skull Splitter following a complaint that the beer “implied violence and the impact the strength of the beer may have on the drinker. Additionally there is a picture which could be seen to reinforce the aggressive theme”.

Mr Carmichael said: “I am delighted that the brand of Skull Splitter will be preserved. I remain highly dubious of the process that brought it into doubt in the first place.”

It has been confirmed that Kirkwall’s Woolworths store will close on Saturday, December 27.

A spokesman from the company’s joint administrator’s Deloitte said today that the store is due to close its doors for the last time on Saturday, and the 34 staff in Kirkwall “will be retained for a period following the store closure but will be made redundant”.

The spokesman said that the administrator is in advanced discussions with third-party retailers about selling 300 of the 800 Woolworths stores and that there has been “considerable interest” in the other 500 stores, but said he could not comment further on any individual shops.

NorthLink Ferries announced their annual refit schedule this week, and added that cheques will no longer be accepted as a payment method.

The company's survey and refit period for mv Hrossey and mv Hjaltland will begin on January 31.

Each vessel will be out of service for a little over two weeks and during the total five-week period, when the two passenger vessels are out of service and the normal service is reduced to alternate nights, the freight vessels mv Hascosay and mv Clare will be running to a modified timetable.

NorthLink Ferries have also announced that from February 1, they will no longer accept personal cheques in payment for travel tickets and on-board purchases.

Gusts exceeding 75 knots battered the Orkney at the weekend - knocking the power off in hundreds of homes throughout the county.

Met Office statistics show that the strong winds should subside this week - setting up a mild Christmas.

The gales wreaked havoc over the weekend, causing power outages for more than 13 hours in some homes.

A spokeswoman from the Met Office said Friday evening saw the strongest winds, with gusts up to 77 knots recorded.

Saturday was considerably less fierce, but the wind picked up again on Sunday night, reaching 70 knots between 11pm and midnight.

Kirkwall police are appealing for information on the following incidents:

During last Friday evening, a blue Ford Fiesta car was stolen from outside a garage in Hatston Industrial Estate, Kirkwall. The vehicle was later recovered in Kirkwall.

Two vehicles were damaged over the weekend. a Vauxhall Astra was struck from behind by an unknown vehicle at the junction of Bignold Park Road and The Meadows, Kirkwall and a Hyundai car, which was parked in St Catherine's Place, Kirkwall, was also struck and damaged.

In the early hours of Saturday morning, someone entered a house in Torness, Kirkwall, removing items and causing damage.

Anyone with any information on theses matters is asked to contact the police on 872241, or information can be passed in confidence to Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

Orkney Islands Council is currently looking at a variety of options to support the local building trade through the current credit crunch.

The council is now in discussion with a number of local building firms about acquiring properties they currently have under construction or planned for construction and also exploring options to bring forward funding for building and engineering works.

It is hoped that a variety of tender opportunities will be advertised in the first three months of 2009, including building and civil engineering works.

The OIC’s commitment to the building trade includes a £13m investment to build 100 social rented houses per year over the next three years, which they are currently working on with Orkney Housing Association Limited .