A 49-year-old Shapinsay man was fined £750 and disqualified from driving for 18 months after admitting driving a school bus while three times over the legal alcohol limit.

Neil Sinclair, 12 Helliar View, appeared from custody at Kirkwall Sheriff Court on Thursday. He pleaded guilty to driving a mini-bus with 111mg of alcohol in 100ml of breath, over the allowed limit of 35mg, at Balfour village to Sandgarth public road and the Balfour ferry terminal car park.

He was given one month to pay.

A man charged with being in a public place in Kirkwall with a knife has been remanded in custody pending a psychiatric assessment.

Bail was refused in the case against Philip Winterflood, 42, Flat 3, 6 Gunn's Close, Kirkwall, who appeared from custody at Kirkwall Sheriff Court on Thursday.

He is charged with having the offensive weapon at Gunn's Close, Buttquoy Park and the common staircase of 1-11 Buttquoy Park.

The case was continued without plea and Winterflood was remanded until April 30.

Orkney Islands Council has put a hold on a previous eviction notice issued to the Orkney Wireless Museum, while they consider their options.

The museum was previously told by the council to vacate the current storage facility in St Margaret's Hope, by April 20, however, museum chairman, Bill Wright, said this is now on hold, while OIC look at alternatives for the museum to house their 600 radio sets.

He commented: "It's all very worrying. [The council] are just exploring the possibilities, and we kept coming back to Tomison's Academy."

Initially, the museum suggested Tomison's Academy, in South Ronaldsay, as being suitable as an alternative, but OIC said building was not suitable, as it would cost too much to "put it right". However, the council are still reconsidering this option, Mr Wright explained.

Disabled passengers travelling on Orkney Ferries' Varagen vessel can now access the main passenger deck, after the ship underwent a £20,000 modification.

Orkney Harbours marketing manager, Michael Morrison, said that the ro-ro ferry is now operating in line with European rules, which state that all passenger ships must supply necessary facilities to accommodate people with reduced mobility.

In the past, disabled passengers would have been unable to travel on the Varagen if "dangerous cargo" was on board, ferry services manager, David Sawkins, explained.

Northern Isles MP, Alistair Carmichael, has hit out at news that households in Orkney may not be connected to faster broadband.

This follows admissions by Lord Carter, minister for communications, broadcasting and technology, that large parts of the "countryside" would not be connected to the faster land-based networks.

According to Mr Carmichael, Lord Carter admitted there will "certainly be 25 per cent to 30 per cent of the country where there will be no economic case for building a next-generation fixed network".

Commenting Mr Carmichael said: "The admission that the Government plans to leave the Highlands and Islands yet further behind, in their plan for the digital future, shows that Lord Carter knows the price of everything and the value of nothing."

Orkney MSP, Liam McArthur has welcomed news that better mobile phone coverage for the islands is being researched.

Last week, Mr McArthur was advised by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), that their current research into connectivity across the region will include work with mobile phone companies.

Mr McArthur said: "Ever since I was elected, I have been raising with the mobile phone companies, the need to fill in the gaps in mobile phone coverage in Orkney. I have received sympathetic replies, but there has not been any noticeable improvement in the coverage.

"The news that the companies are now starting to share masts is helpful. It gives ground for optimism, as mast sharing should help to cut the costs the companies face as they fill in the gaps in their coverage."

The NHS in Scotland, including Orkney, is to hire an army of new cleaners in a bid to win the battle against hospital superbugs.

Health boards will be handed £5.4million per year to recruit 600 more cleaning staff - £22,000 for NHS Orkney.

The new staff will be permanent NHS employees and will not work for private cleaning firms.

Health secretary, Nicola Sturgeon, said last week: "This investment is good for the NHS and good for patients. It will improve even further the standards of hygiene and cleanliness in our hospitals.

"But it will do more than that. At a time of rising unemployment, it will also provide jobs for 600 people and that has got to be good news."

Confusion about multiple sclerosis (MS) in the minds of the general public has been revealed in a new survey, carried out for the MS Society.

The results of the poll highlight many misconceptions that exist around the condition - which affects one in every 250 people in Orkney - and have been released ahead of next week's MS Week (April 27 to May 3), during which the charity hopes to encourage better understanding among the public.

Within the results, from more than 2,000 people questioned, there was a lack of understanding of how common MS is, what its symptoms are and at what age it is generally diagnosed.

MS Society chief executive, Simon Gillespie, said: "This survey gives us the clearest picture yet of what people know - or don't know - about MS, and the results are a cause for concern.

"These myths make life even more tough for people living with MS, so take time out during MS Week to find out more and help us fight misconceptions."

Mountain Warehouse is wasting no time in forging ahead with their plans to re-open the former Woolworths store in Kirkwall.

The outdoor supply store is advertising in the shop window for staff, with the promise of "opening soon".

Mountain Warehouse is aiming for a May re-opening.

Thirty-four people lost their jobs when Woolies closed down on December 27, 2008.

Founded with one store in Swindon in 1997, Mountain Warehouse has now grown to over 60 stores across the UK, stocking a range of products for hiking, travelling, skiing, camping, cycling and many more outdoor activities.

Benchmarks for best practice have been drawn up for the fast emerging marine energy industry — to stimulate the development of wave and tidal power systems.

EMEC, the Stromness-based European Marine Energy Test Centre, brought together an array of experts to produce the new guidelines.

The guidelines cover a range of issues, from the way energy, in waves or tidal currents, is measured — to the design of wave and tidal energy devices, their deployment at sea and eventual decommissioning.

A pregnant woman was airlifted from Sanday on Monday morning, by Coastguard helicopter.

The aircraft was scrambled at 10.25am and the woman transferred to Kirkwall airport, where a waiting ambulance took her to the Balfour Hospital.

A coastguard spokeswoman said: "The helicopter landing at Sanday was more difficult than expected, due to thick fog shrouding the island at the time, and, with the destinations alternating between Kirkwall and Aberdeen, the incident was slightly more involving than normal.

"However, the practised co-operation between the Coastguard service and health authorities ensured the lady was delivered swiftly and safely."

Firefighters were called to tackle a house fire in Kirkwall at the weekend.

The two-storey, semi-detached home, in Eunson Kloss, sustained "moderate structural damage" following the fire, which is said to have been caused by an electrical fault.

The fire service were alerted after a call was received, from a member of the public, at 10.47pm, on Saturday, April 18.

Three fire engines attended the incident; two from Kirkwall and one from Stromness, while the St Margaret's Hope engine stood by, at Kirkwall fire station.

The blaze was brought under control at 12.15am, after fire crews used two main jets, two hose reel jets and six sets of breathing apparatus.

A petition against a planned wind turbine at Hatston, on the outskirts of Kirkwall, has attracted 230 supporters over the past week.

Orkney Energy  Gateway Ltd propose to erect a 93.5 metre turbine — twice the height of St Magnus Cathedral — directly opposite the  ferry terminal. Opponents of the plans are concerned over the visual impact of the turbine, which they feel will dominate the Kirkwall skyline.

Printed copies of the petition are in local shops, and an electronic version put online.

Leading members of the international PelleTIME Project will be coming to Orkney on Wednesday, this week.

The visit and talks programme will aim to discuss what the potential for Biomass, both wood and grass for energy, is in Orkney, what the PelleTIME project is doing right now in Orkney and Shetland, how pellets for energy may develop in the future in Orkney and what the project aims to promote in these Islands in the next two years.

The first part, from 2pm, which will start at Orkney College with introductory talks and a visit to see the grasses for biomass trials at the College followed by a visit to Muddisdale to see the willow trials.

Then, between 5.30pm and 7.30pm, at the Ayre Hotel there will be a short series of talks from Geoff Sellers, Fay McKenzie and visiting Scandinavian experts about pellets, biomass, research into their potential in Orkney and Shetland and their potential for the future.

The Ferry Inn’s Pink Week, aimed at raising money for cancer charities started in Stromness on Friday night, and runs to Sunday, April 26.

The event was set up in memory of Ingrid Rosie, who died in 2003 of breast cancer at the age of 25.

The programme this year includes an Elvis-themed karaoke and fancy dress on Friday night, spaghetti eating competition on Saturday, a “Party” Lite Candle Party on Wednesday evening, and a Car Treasure Hunt on Sunday, April 26.

All proceeds raised during the week will be donated to Clan, Cancer Research UK, and CLIC Sargent.

The Orkney Sports Forum meets next month, giving local clubs the chance to come together to share ideas and contribute to the development of sport.

Sports clubs who are registered to the Councils Active Schools and Sports Development Team are invited to attend the forum on a quarterly basis and the secretaries of these clubs are notified of the meetings.

The meeting takes place on Wednesday, May 6, at 7pm in the Kirkwall Community Centre.

For more information on the forum, to register with the Active Schools and Sports Development Team or to put forward an agenda topic please contact Vicki Copland by emailing vicki.copland@orkney.gov.uk.