Caithness Courier headlines for March 9, 2016


CAMPAIGNERS are to write Scottish health minister Shona Robison over fears the maternity service at Caithness General Hospital could be downgraded by stealth. The invite has come from the newly-formed North Action Group which is committed to fight any proposal to alter the consultant-led status of the baby unit.

A NEW group fighting the proposed Golticlay wind farm at Rumster Forest has seen a swell of support following a public meeting. Rumster Anti-Windfarm, launched last year after concerns were raised from some locals about E.ON's plans to erect 22 turbines on Forestry Commission land, four kilometres north of Lybster.

STAGECOACH have been responding to claims that their buses in Caithness are "not fit for purpose" given their appearance and the number of breakdowns which passengers have to endure. Retired teacher Ken Wood, said the company's response to long-term grievances about the condition of its far north fleet was "nibbling away at the edges".

LORRIES and other HGVs working on major power and wind farm schemes in Caithness are not the only cause of the abject state of the county's road network which have suffered from poor maintenance for years. Members of Wick Community Council are now calling on the local roads authority to do more to improve the state of streets in Wick and other parts of the county.

PEOPLE in Caithness have been unable to enjoy public indoor swimming this week after facilities in Wick and Thurso were put out of action. The Thurso pool was closed on Monday for a scheduled seven-month refurbishment as part of the £2.7 million revamp of the leisure complex at Millbank. Meanwhile, the pool at Wick has been closed for the past five days after a power cut disabled its operating system.

A POPULAR Highland-wide drama course run by Eden court theatre in Inverness has become the first victim of newly-imposed Highland Council cuts on the Inverness arts venue. The SVQ National 5 course, scheduled to start after the summer, has been pulled, as a result of the £100,000 drop in the council's grant.

THE BRANDON McPhee trio broke new ground last weekend when they made their Oxbridge debut. The trio went down a storm headlining the Oxford and Cambridge Highland Ball 2016.

FORTY children in Caithness are having to cope with Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Distorder with little or no support. In a bid to improve their lives, volunteers have established a new group which aims to have those diagnosed with the illness, to get together, share their experiences and take part in team building exercises.