Nwicker60
21-Dec-11, 12:29
John O’ Groat Journal review: December 21, 2011
THE paper leads with the announcement of estimate accelerate dates for the clean-up at Dounreay which has left many of the workers there, in a state of uncertainty. That is the view of Thurso and Wick Trades Union Council chairman, Derrick Milnes, who said that the lack of detail given by the preferred contractor of the site has left employees worrying about the immediate future. He was speaking after the Dounreay Stakeholder Group meeting, in Thurso, at which Babcock Dounreay Partnership (BDP) managing director designate, Roger Hardy, said the consortium aimed to complete the decommissioning between 2022 and 2025. It means work could finish up to 17 years quicker than the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority had planned. At the moment, the site is working to a closure date of 2039.
SERIOUS cases, presently heard at Wick Sheriff Court, may be moved to Inverness as part of plans by the Scottish Court Service to reduce its budget. It has been reported that Wick has been chosen as one of 32 potential sheriff courts across Scotland to no longer hear jury trials. Under the proposals, jury trials would be transferred 103 miles south to Inverness. It has also been mooted that sheriff courts at Dornoch and Tain be closed, as they are not busy enough, along with Dingwall where the town is said not to be big enough for a sheriff court. The Caithness Courier understands that Wick Sheriff Court has not been earmarked for closure and, in future, could take in cases from Sutherland.
A CANISBAY single mother has hit out at the “coward” who has left her forking out almost £400 just days before Christmas. Kirsty Shearer (44) is having to dig deep into her pockets after someone smashed into the back of her year-old car... and then drove off without leaving contact details. The mother of 12-year-old Kaitlyn and Erin(9) said it is her children who will unfairly suffer as a result of the other, driver’s actions. She believes the damage was caused while she was attending a parents’ evening at Wick High School. Her insurance excess is £250 and it won’t be worth having her premium “go through the roof” to get the work done under her policy.
INSIDE...having started it all off in his attic over 10 years ago, an entrepreneur has gone on to welcome clients from all over the world to his office in wick. Professor Iain Baikie has turned his one-man operation into a world-renowned company and his specialist products are in Global demand from some of the world’s leading companies and institutions. KP Technology has gone on to win many awards for design and innovation in its field. The company continues to grow and it about to open its second office early next year -in Massachusetts- due to demand in the American market.
HUNDREDS of customers in Caithness have voiced their anger about extra delivery charges when purchasing items online. The Caithness Citizens Advice Bureau said it has been overwhelmed with responses to a survey into surcharges to deliver to remote rural locations and has resassured people that the fight is only beginning. CAB has surveyed people across rural Scotland over the past few weeks, and the findings show that many companies refuse to deliver to the Far North altogether, or charge huge fees for doing so. The survey attracted responses from nearly 900 people across northern Scotland with a large percentage said to be from Caithness.
A BURNT-OUT fan is the likely cause of an early morning alert which saw fire crews from across Caithness, rush to Dounreay. The site’s firefighters were called out at around 2.45am on Saturday after a smoke detector sounded inside the Prototype Fast Reactor complex. Site communications manager, Colin Punler, explained that as the site fire brigade responded, more alarms started going off. He said: “This is one of the buildings where there is still some hazardous material. In the course of the site’s fire brigade responding to that call, another five alarms went off on three different floors of the building.” The firefighters could not find any signs of fire and were stood down about 5.30am and the smoke detectors were reset. Additional monitoring was carried out but no radiation was detected.”
A BID to establish a tidal energy project off the Caithness coast, is expected to move forward in the new year. MeyGen Ltd intends to submit its environmental statement for phase one of the development to the Scottish Government early in 2012. The initial phase would involve up to 86 turbines, each of which would be separately connected to the grid. The company, which is a joint venture between investment bank Morgan Stanley, independent power generator International Power and tidal technology provider Atlantis Resources, is also to apply to Highland Council for permission for three onshore buildings.
SUCCESS for the Scorries at the weekend against Strathspey Thistle has meant a move up the table. Now sitting in 11th position, the top half is a point away and Academy boss David Kirkwood said it’s time for his team to make the move. Speaking ahead of a festive double-header against Brora, he said: “With Brora coming up twice then Rothes at home, we’ve got to capitalise on that. The way we’ve been doing it so far is just scrapping away, especially against Buckie last week. We’ve played everyone now, so we’ve got to turn that corner, look at the teams we’ve not played so well against and just try and bury it and go for maximum points.”
THE paper leads with the announcement of estimate accelerate dates for the clean-up at Dounreay which has left many of the workers there, in a state of uncertainty. That is the view of Thurso and Wick Trades Union Council chairman, Derrick Milnes, who said that the lack of detail given by the preferred contractor of the site has left employees worrying about the immediate future. He was speaking after the Dounreay Stakeholder Group meeting, in Thurso, at which Babcock Dounreay Partnership (BDP) managing director designate, Roger Hardy, said the consortium aimed to complete the decommissioning between 2022 and 2025. It means work could finish up to 17 years quicker than the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority had planned. At the moment, the site is working to a closure date of 2039.
SERIOUS cases, presently heard at Wick Sheriff Court, may be moved to Inverness as part of plans by the Scottish Court Service to reduce its budget. It has been reported that Wick has been chosen as one of 32 potential sheriff courts across Scotland to no longer hear jury trials. Under the proposals, jury trials would be transferred 103 miles south to Inverness. It has also been mooted that sheriff courts at Dornoch and Tain be closed, as they are not busy enough, along with Dingwall where the town is said not to be big enough for a sheriff court. The Caithness Courier understands that Wick Sheriff Court has not been earmarked for closure and, in future, could take in cases from Sutherland.
A CANISBAY single mother has hit out at the “coward” who has left her forking out almost £400 just days before Christmas. Kirsty Shearer (44) is having to dig deep into her pockets after someone smashed into the back of her year-old car... and then drove off without leaving contact details. The mother of 12-year-old Kaitlyn and Erin(9) said it is her children who will unfairly suffer as a result of the other, driver’s actions. She believes the damage was caused while she was attending a parents’ evening at Wick High School. Her insurance excess is £250 and it won’t be worth having her premium “go through the roof” to get the work done under her policy.
INSIDE...having started it all off in his attic over 10 years ago, an entrepreneur has gone on to welcome clients from all over the world to his office in wick. Professor Iain Baikie has turned his one-man operation into a world-renowned company and his specialist products are in Global demand from some of the world’s leading companies and institutions. KP Technology has gone on to win many awards for design and innovation in its field. The company continues to grow and it about to open its second office early next year -in Massachusetts- due to demand in the American market.
HUNDREDS of customers in Caithness have voiced their anger about extra delivery charges when purchasing items online. The Caithness Citizens Advice Bureau said it has been overwhelmed with responses to a survey into surcharges to deliver to remote rural locations and has resassured people that the fight is only beginning. CAB has surveyed people across rural Scotland over the past few weeks, and the findings show that many companies refuse to deliver to the Far North altogether, or charge huge fees for doing so. The survey attracted responses from nearly 900 people across northern Scotland with a large percentage said to be from Caithness.
A BURNT-OUT fan is the likely cause of an early morning alert which saw fire crews from across Caithness, rush to Dounreay. The site’s firefighters were called out at around 2.45am on Saturday after a smoke detector sounded inside the Prototype Fast Reactor complex. Site communications manager, Colin Punler, explained that as the site fire brigade responded, more alarms started going off. He said: “This is one of the buildings where there is still some hazardous material. In the course of the site’s fire brigade responding to that call, another five alarms went off on three different floors of the building.” The firefighters could not find any signs of fire and were stood down about 5.30am and the smoke detectors were reset. Additional monitoring was carried out but no radiation was detected.”
A BID to establish a tidal energy project off the Caithness coast, is expected to move forward in the new year. MeyGen Ltd intends to submit its environmental statement for phase one of the development to the Scottish Government early in 2012. The initial phase would involve up to 86 turbines, each of which would be separately connected to the grid. The company, which is a joint venture between investment bank Morgan Stanley, independent power generator International Power and tidal technology provider Atlantis Resources, is also to apply to Highland Council for permission for three onshore buildings.
SUCCESS for the Scorries at the weekend against Strathspey Thistle has meant a move up the table. Now sitting in 11th position, the top half is a point away and Academy boss David Kirkwood said it’s time for his team to make the move. Speaking ahead of a festive double-header against Brora, he said: “With Brora coming up twice then Rothes at home, we’ve got to capitalise on that. The way we’ve been doing it so far is just scrapping away, especially against Buckie last week. We’ve played everyone now, so we’ve got to turn that corner, look at the teams we’ve not played so well against and just try and bury it and go for maximum points.”