Caithness Courier headlines for March 5

BOMB disposal experts were called yesterday after two divers searching a World War 11 wreck in Wick Bay, found two unexploded bombs. Paul Steven and William Sinclair made the chilling discovery while swimming around the hulk of the Isleford which sank in a storm with the loss of 15 lives.

A CAITHNESS man is "extremely proud" to have been involved in a film which was nominated for an Oscar. James Sutherland from Thurso was asked to do the English language voice-over for the trailer for The Missing Picture. It tells the story of the atrocities carried out by the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia in the 1970s.

A KEISS man is celebrating getting his best price for a dog at Skipton Auction Mart's opening 2014 sale of working sheep dogs. Tommy McPhee sold his 18 months old black and bitch, Gael for 2950 guineas on Friday, at the UK's leading working sheep dogs sales venue which saw another 93 dogs entered on the day.

WATTEN residents will be asked to make their views known on whether they support objections to a wind farm development as a public ballot is to begin tomorrow. Postal forms will be sent to every address in the Watten Community Council area, asking for householders views on a proposed seven-turbine wind farm at Spittal Hill.

A COMMUNITY councillor has hit out at the secrecy surrounding the details of a hearing into a controversial plan for a pharmacy in Castletown. Brenda Herrick who chairs the local community council, is "puzzled" by NHS Highland's decision to keep it in the dark about the arrangements. She was told the date for hearing had been set, but only the applicant, Sanjay Majhu of Apple Pharmacy and "interested parties" had been informed.

SOME staff in the Highlands' remaining public service points could face a pay cut of up to £2000 each, it has been claimed. Confirmation that employees of High Life Highland were facing reduced wages only emerged after a stormy debate last Wednesday when Highland Council controversially axed 23 counters.

SHOULD KW be stamped out? That's the question being asked of community councils in Caithness as a campaign for the north Highlands to get its own postcode prefix, continues. Thurso Community Council is to put the issue forward to representatives from other local CCs when they met at the Association of Caithness Community Councils, meeting in Halkirk last night.

KIERAN Dick-Doyle has spoken of being involved in "every architecture student's dream" after getting the chance to give Wick's Argyle Square a makeover. The 21-year-old Robert Gordon University student said he and his fellow under-graduates throoughly enjoyed the time they spent in the town, in February, surveying the space and meeting residents.

A RECYCLING initiative at Wick High School is making "a huge difference" and helping pupils adopt a more responsible attitude to litter. That was the verdict of depute rector Rebecca Machin when the scheme was officially launched on Friday. The Recycle on the Go bins at the front of the school have been in used for a couple of weeks and were installed at the request of pupils following previously successful anti-litter campaigns.