Port authority confident as business booms
MULTI-million pound infrastructure investments are now starting to pay off, according to a hugely confident Lerwick Port Authority.
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Climate conference
METEORLOGIST and former BBC Scotland forecaster Heather “the weather” Reid is to attend a small conference on climate change in Shetland next month, organised by Burradale wind farm owners Shetland Aerogenerators.
She will be joined by fellow meteorologist Alex Hill, also a former TV weatherman and now the Met Office’s chief adviser to the Scottish and Northern Irish governments.
They will host a question and answer session in Lerwick’s Mareel on Thursday 6 June, following the free screening of Thin Ice, Simon Lamb’s documentary film about the work of climate scientists around the world. The movie starts at 7pm.
Singing Yell
A SINGING group from Shetland’s north isles is hoping to perform at next year’s St Magnus Festival, in Orkney.
Thanks to a £38,045 grant from the Big Lottery Fund, Global Yell will also be able to expand its Singing Saturday’s projects to allow more young people to get involved.
Coordinator Andy Ross said: “We are delighted to have received recognition for the group.
Walk to help cure diabetes
JUVENILE Diabetes Shetland is planning for a weekend of events to raise awareness of type 1 diabetes in the isles.
The voluntary group was set up five years ago to help fund research to find a cure for disease.
Outboard theft
Police in Shetland are investigating the theft of a Yamaha outboard from the Wethersta industrial estate, near Brae,
Officers said the engine was taken from a wheelhouse which was forced open sometime between 12 and 19 May.
Anyone with information of the theft is asked to call Lerwick police station on 101 or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
i’i shetland on display
LOCAL lifestyle magazine i’i Shetland has been selected by the Professional Publishers Association (PPA) to be a part of the 100 Years of Scottish Magazine Publishing exhibition at the National Library of Scotland.
Thule Bar evacuated
A POPULAR Lerwick pub was evacuated for a short time on Saturday night after a carbon dioxide extinguisher was knocked open by accident.
Emergency services were called to the Thule Bar, on Lerwick’s Esplanade, at just before 9pm.
Fire fighters removed the extinguisher from the premises and vented the building. The emergency was over less than an hour later.
Yell Sound disruption
THE FERRY service on Yell Sound will be reduced to just one ferry on Saturday due to crew shortages.
Some of the crew are taking Dagalien back to Shetland after she has been in drydock in Aberdeen for her regular check-up.
Dialect mascot
Dialect promotion group Shetland ForWirds, launched a new cartoon character and mascot at their sell-out concert in the Garrison Theatre this week.
Called Dratsi, the character takes its name from the old term, one of the tabu words, used at sea for an otter. The six foot tall mascot is based on an original drawing by Peter Shaw.
Regional media awards
CONGRATULATIONS to the digital media team at the Liverpool Post and Echo who has just been named Website of the Year at the regional press awards run by the Society of Editors.
Shetland News was one of five regional websites shortlisted for the prestigious award.
Joint editor of Shetland News, Hans J Marter, said the whole team had felt humbled by having been shortlisted.
Swerved car at girlfriend
A YOUNG construction worker was fined, disqualified and put under supervision at Lerwick Sheriff Court on Thursday morning after admitting swerving his car at his girlfriend during a night out in Mossbank, last month.
The court heard how Jamie Floyd with an address at the Sella Ness accommodation facility had committed the offence on the B9076 Voe to Mossbank on 20 April after drinking with friends and becoming upset with his then partner.
Court round up
A PROFESSIONAL driver lost his license at Lerwick Sheriff Court on Thursday after admitting being twice the legal limit when stopped by police near Sandwick, last week.
Defending himself Stephen Fitzsimmons, of 6 Hammarsgarth, Mossbank, told the court that his behavior had been totally out of character.
He said he had consumed some coffee and a few bottles of beer at the Mareel art venue on 7 May after learning that his brother been taken to hospital.
Mackerel reclassification
THE MARINE Conservation Society (MCS) has upgraded its rating of Scottish and European caught mackerel to ‘yellow’, meaning people can eat it occasionally without endangering the species.
In contrast, Faroese and Icelandic caught mackerel has been classified as red, which means people should avoid eating it.
Review: Masterly handling of watercolour
For those of you who are familiar with Peter Davis’ work this exhibition can be seen as a major development in his painting style.
Eight new jobs as salmon replaces crab
EIGHT new jobs are set to be created in Yell after the local crab processing factory has been taken over by the Meridian Salmon Group.
The company, which has a number of salmon growing sites in Yell and on neighbouring Unst, is in the process of installing modern processing equipment in the Mid-Yell factory.
Meridian acquired the premises from Shetland Norse Preserving Company (SNPC), who have processed locally caught shellfish for many years.
Geese cull in the autumn
A COORDINATED cull of greylag geese is set to take place across Shetland, this autumn.
However, up to 325 of the birds will already be taken out during this summer’s breeding season as 15 licenses to shoot geese have already been issued to farmers and crofters.
Huge interest in boat show
SHETLAND Sailing Centre’s 2013 boat show has attracted as many as 2,000 visitors through the door over the weekend.
Communities vow to fight for their schools
TWO SHETLAND communities are preparing to oppose proposals that would see the closure of their schools by summer of next year.
Shetland Islands Council hopes to save almost £170,000 per annum by closing the 13 pupil Olnafirth primary school, in Voe, as well as the secondary department of the tiny school on the island of Out Skerries.
Davis caused embarrassment and disruption
SHETLAND computer hacker Jake Davis has been sentenced to two years in a young offenders’ institution at Southwark Crown Court for his part in launching a number of high profile cyber attacks.
The 20 year old, who was brought up in Yell, had been bailed to an address in Spalding, Lincolnshire, for the last two years.
He had previously pled guilty to charges of conspiring to bring down the websites of law enforcement authorities in Britain and the US, including the CIA, between February and September 2011.
Young driver banned for four years
A SHETLAND boy racer was banned for four years at Lerwick Sheriff Court on Thursday after admitting crashing his car while one and a half times the legal limit.
Other road users were stunned by the speed Gary Lockyer of 4 Whitelaw Road, Aith, zoomed past them when they were overtaken just outside Lerwick on the afternoon of 22 December.
Procurator fiscal Duncan Mackenzie told the court that they were not surprised when they spotted Lockyer’s car in a ditch at the Laxfirth junction, a few miles further north.
Viking Energy not viable, says chairman
SHETLAND wind farm developer Viking Energy has admitted that their project might not be viable with the current subsidy and transmission charging system in place.
The company, partly owned by the local community through a 45 per cent stake of the Shetland Charitable Trust, welcomed Wednesday’s government report that called for an overhaul of the system.
Drink fuelled row led to assault
SENTENCE on a Polish man who admitted assaulting a drinking companion to her injury has been deferred for reports until next month.
Appearing from custody before Lerwick Sheriff Court on Wednesday morning, Marcin Olejniczak was told that he was likely to regain his liberty in June after having served five months in custody.
The court was all set for a jury trial when 34 year old Olejniczak changed his plea from not guilty to a charge of assault, injury and permanent disfigurement to guilty to the lesser charge of assault to injury.
Missing man traced
A 47 YEAR old man missing overnight from the Northmavine area of Shetland was traced by the crew of the coastguard search and rescue helicopter on Wednesday morning.
Police said the man had been taken to the Gilbert Bain Hospital, in Lerwick, for treatment.
The man had been reported missing at just after 5pm on Tuesday.
Coastguard volunteer teams from Hillswick, Lerwick, Sullom and North Roe were called on Tuesday evening to assist police in the search in the Nibon area.
‘Freeing up the transmission charging logjam’
A RENEWABLE energy report published on Wednesday morning admits that the Scottish islands need a different charging system for transmitting green energy in order to compete with mainland producers.
And it suggests that more than 10,000 jobs could be created by 2030 - 2,900 in Shetland, 4,500 in Orkney and 3,500 in the western isles.
The Scottish Islands Renewables Project was set up by energy secretary Ed Davey in autumn last year after having visited Shetland.
