Nwicker60
21-Sep-11, 09:37
Caithness Courier review: September 21, 2011
A SAD story makes the front page lead centering on the Thurso couple having to come to terms with the death of their son, 17 months after his sudden disappearance. A bone, found washed up on a stretch of local foreshore, has been matched with 44-year-old Michael Sinclair. The result of the forensic probe has dashed the lingering hopes of John and Margaret Sinclair had, that their son was still alive. The couple, of Royal Terrace, Thurso, now plan to stage a church service in his memory. Last seen leaving his home in the town on the evening of April 19, last year, extensive land, river and sea searches failed to find any trace of him.
LOCAL MSP Rob Gibson has issued a challenge to the Westminster’s chief secretary to the Treasury—save the Wick tax office. The SNP representative for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, welcomed news over the weekend, that over 2000 HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) officers are to be recruited to recover unpaid tax, but added that this must lead to the employees at Wick keeping their jobs. He made the comments following the Liberal Democrats’ conference speech by Treasurey secretary and Highland, MP Danny Alexander, in which he discussed tackling tax evasion with increased staffing.
THE third item on the front page is a good news story which reports that a Wick company has taken a top award for research and innovations, thanks to its continuing bid to stay at the forefront of work in its field. At the Scottish Council for Development and Industry’s Highlands and Islands annual dinner and business excellence awards, on Friday, KP Technology was recognised for its success in new technology innovation. The Highlands and Islands Enterprise Award for Excellence in Research and Innovation, marked the company’s development of new surface, science research, tools and the award of two patents for its work.
HIGHLAND COUNCIL is failing to hit its targets in dealing with planning applications. In fact, Audit Scotland has released figures indicating most councils across the country, are not meeting specific times while dealing with submissions. They have been published as part of a report which assessed whether recent reform of the planning system, is making it more economic, efficient and effective. The report found the time local authorities take to decide on the outcome of applications, has not reduced and there is a widening gap between the cost of processing applications and the income council receive from fees.
A MARRIED mother-of-two from Dunnet, who was given just one year to live seven years ago, is set to make a leap of faith for charity. Annette Ward, who has twice battled a rare cancer, will abseil around 160ft from the Forth Bridge on October 2 in order to raise money for the UK’s only dedicated myeloma charity. The 58-year-old Castle of Mey tour guide was told she did not have long to live, back in November 2004 when she was diagnosed with the rare cancer found in bone marrow-multiple myeloma. She is now in remission for the second time, and, despite being afraid of heights, she is more determined than ever to take advantage of feeling at her best, to raise fund for Myeloma UK.
MEMBERS of the Caithness Biodiversity Group and Caithness Countryside Volunteers learned about the best techniques to collect and store wild flower seeds. A training day was held at the Seadrift Centre, Dunnet and the volunteers were trained by Giles Laverack and Fiona Guest from Scotia Seeds.
AN environmental group and the Northern isles local authorities have united against a planned series of nuclear waste shipments between Caithness and Belgium. Dounreay site licence company DSRL intends moving the first of a series of consignments “fairly imminently” from Scrabster to a reactor in Mol. The material is to be shipped over, as part of an inter-government agreement dating back to the days when highly-enriched nuclear fuel from all over the world was reprocessed at the Caithness site. DSRL confirmed the first consignment is ready for dispatch to the BR2 reactor.
CHRISTIAN pop singer BeBe Vox took Caithness by storm last week, performing a series of concerts in schools and churches around the county. She entertained over 1,500 pupils during assemblies at Miller Academy, Mount Pleasant and Pennyland in Thurso, at Castletown and Keiss and at Hillhead, Pulteneytown Academy, North and South in Wick, while her colleague, singer Chip Kendall also staged shows in Halkirk and Lybster primary schools, to over 200 youngsters.
PREDICTABLY, Wick Academy dominated back page sport with their landslide 8-1 victory over lowly Ft William and the win earned praised for the players from Scorries manager, Davie Kirkwood. It should set them up nicely for the crucial Scottish Cup tie against Coldstream, at home, on Saturday.
A SAD story makes the front page lead centering on the Thurso couple having to come to terms with the death of their son, 17 months after his sudden disappearance. A bone, found washed up on a stretch of local foreshore, has been matched with 44-year-old Michael Sinclair. The result of the forensic probe has dashed the lingering hopes of John and Margaret Sinclair had, that their son was still alive. The couple, of Royal Terrace, Thurso, now plan to stage a church service in his memory. Last seen leaving his home in the town on the evening of April 19, last year, extensive land, river and sea searches failed to find any trace of him.
LOCAL MSP Rob Gibson has issued a challenge to the Westminster’s chief secretary to the Treasury—save the Wick tax office. The SNP representative for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, welcomed news over the weekend, that over 2000 HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) officers are to be recruited to recover unpaid tax, but added that this must lead to the employees at Wick keeping their jobs. He made the comments following the Liberal Democrats’ conference speech by Treasurey secretary and Highland, MP Danny Alexander, in which he discussed tackling tax evasion with increased staffing.
THE third item on the front page is a good news story which reports that a Wick company has taken a top award for research and innovations, thanks to its continuing bid to stay at the forefront of work in its field. At the Scottish Council for Development and Industry’s Highlands and Islands annual dinner and business excellence awards, on Friday, KP Technology was recognised for its success in new technology innovation. The Highlands and Islands Enterprise Award for Excellence in Research and Innovation, marked the company’s development of new surface, science research, tools and the award of two patents for its work.
HIGHLAND COUNCIL is failing to hit its targets in dealing with planning applications. In fact, Audit Scotland has released figures indicating most councils across the country, are not meeting specific times while dealing with submissions. They have been published as part of a report which assessed whether recent reform of the planning system, is making it more economic, efficient and effective. The report found the time local authorities take to decide on the outcome of applications, has not reduced and there is a widening gap between the cost of processing applications and the income council receive from fees.
A MARRIED mother-of-two from Dunnet, who was given just one year to live seven years ago, is set to make a leap of faith for charity. Annette Ward, who has twice battled a rare cancer, will abseil around 160ft from the Forth Bridge on October 2 in order to raise money for the UK’s only dedicated myeloma charity. The 58-year-old Castle of Mey tour guide was told she did not have long to live, back in November 2004 when she was diagnosed with the rare cancer found in bone marrow-multiple myeloma. She is now in remission for the second time, and, despite being afraid of heights, she is more determined than ever to take advantage of feeling at her best, to raise fund for Myeloma UK.
MEMBERS of the Caithness Biodiversity Group and Caithness Countryside Volunteers learned about the best techniques to collect and store wild flower seeds. A training day was held at the Seadrift Centre, Dunnet and the volunteers were trained by Giles Laverack and Fiona Guest from Scotia Seeds.
AN environmental group and the Northern isles local authorities have united against a planned series of nuclear waste shipments between Caithness and Belgium. Dounreay site licence company DSRL intends moving the first of a series of consignments “fairly imminently” from Scrabster to a reactor in Mol. The material is to be shipped over, as part of an inter-government agreement dating back to the days when highly-enriched nuclear fuel from all over the world was reprocessed at the Caithness site. DSRL confirmed the first consignment is ready for dispatch to the BR2 reactor.
CHRISTIAN pop singer BeBe Vox took Caithness by storm last week, performing a series of concerts in schools and churches around the county. She entertained over 1,500 pupils during assemblies at Miller Academy, Mount Pleasant and Pennyland in Thurso, at Castletown and Keiss and at Hillhead, Pulteneytown Academy, North and South in Wick, while her colleague, singer Chip Kendall also staged shows in Halkirk and Lybster primary schools, to over 200 youngsters.
PREDICTABLY, Wick Academy dominated back page sport with their landslide 8-1 victory over lowly Ft William and the win earned praised for the players from Scorries manager, Davie Kirkwood. It should set them up nicely for the crucial Scottish Cup tie against Coldstream, at home, on Saturday.