Police success in tackling vandalism and anti-social behaviour in North Division Northern Constabulary's North Division achieved significant increases in detection rates for vandalism over the past 12 months. Vandalism is frequently raised as a concern for communities.
Harriet Dempster, Director of Social Work Services, The Highland Council, is to retire in the summer after 36 years service in social work and 11 years at the helm in Highland. At its meeting on Thursday, the Council paid tribute to Ms Dempster's contribution to the council and wished her well in her retirement.
Reporter - Noel Donaldson A WOMAN who swindled a town improvements charity out of thousands of pounds while acting as its treasurer was given an ultimatum by a sheriff in Wick on Friday 14th May 2010. Sheriff Ian Cameron warned Karen Spruce at Wick Sheriff Court that she must raise a further repayment of £5000 or face jail.
Highland Council Trading Standard Service is calling on consumers, to be on their guard against rogue itinerant traders calling door to door. Vulnerable consumers such as the elderly appear to be targeted by gangs offering to carry out work on home repairs and maintenance.
A budget blog opened on Monday 10th May 2010 on The Highland Council's web site: www.highland.gov.uk, giving the public the chance to have their say on options for achieving major savings over the next three years. The blog, fronted by the Council's Budget Leader Councillor David Alston, is an important part of the Council's budget consultation which will run until the end of June.
The Highland Council has welcomed the findings of an audit on the Council's performance of its statutory duties on best value and community planning, which concludes the council is improving well and is well placed to deliver future improvement. The Commission found that the council benefits from strong political and managerial leadership.
Highland Council's Outdoor Access Team have secured £585,000 of funding over the next three years to help pave the way for a programme of improvements to the core path network across the Highlands. The new Core Path Improvement Scheme is expected to deliver a minimum of 45 projects over the next 3 years at an average cost per project of £13,000.
A campaign to raise awareness of the problem of seagulls nesting in urban areas in the Highlands has been launched today (Tuesday 11 May) by The Highland Council. Although the Council has no statutory duty to take action against gulls, it recognises the misery that gulls cause many homeowners and businesses throughout the nesting season, which is just about to begin.
Dounreay is being demolished at a rate of 100 sq. ft.
Industry leaders are presenting two days of top tips for Highlands and Islands food and drink businesses who want to break into US and Canadian markets. Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is hosting the two-part event in Inverness on May 14 and June 10, in collaboration with Scotland Food and Drink and Scottish Development International (SDI).
HMIe publish the report 'Joint Inspection of services to protect children and young people in the Highland area' Scottish Government Inspectors had found that the performance of Highland's child protection services is 'very good' and have commended best practice across the authority. A report published today (Tuesday) is part of the second national cycle of child protection inspections in Scotland.
Highland Convener gathers support in Brussels for continued EU funding for Scotland's rural areas The future of the Common Agricultural Policy and its likely impact in Scotland was discussed at the Committee of the Regions (CoR) on Monday 3 May with CoR member Councillor Sandy Park, Convener of The Highland Council, actively participating in the discussion stressing in particular the challenges facing Scotland's farmers and rural communities. Councillor Park, who was attending his second meeting of the CoR's Natural Resources (NAT) Commission following his nomination to the CoR by the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA), said: "The future of CAP post 2013 is an issue which is generating huge interest and a great deal of political debate back home in Scotland.
An Inverness-based social enterprise which helps the most vulnerable people in society has been granted £162,000 from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) towards its expansion plans. New Start Highland (NSH) currently operates from premises in the city's Carsegate and works in the wider Inner Moray Firth area.
'Give it a Grow' is the message being put out by The Highland Council to mark the tenth annual Compost Awareness Week, which runs from 2-8 May 2010. This year Zero Waste Scotland and The Highland Council are encouraging us all to try our hand at new composting activities in order to do our bit for the environment.
Public urged to make their views known on Highland community care consultation Members of the public have eight weeks left to make their voice heard in a consultation on changes to community care services in the Highlands. The deadline for comments on The Highland Council and NHS Highland's plans for changing Community Care is Tuesday 15 June 2010.
Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross Divisional Licensing Board have recognised that The Scottish Cup Final between Ross County and Dundee United on the 15th May 2010 is a special event of local significance. They have decided to allow on-sales premises to remain open until 1am on Sunday 16th provided that the premises licence holder makes an application for extended hours.
Around 1000 volumes of Church of Scotland archives have recently been transferred from the National Archives of Scotland in Edinburgh to the Highland Archive and Registration Centre in Inverness. On a visit by the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland to Inverness this week, the Moderator, Rt Rev Bill Hewitt marked the importance of the return of volumes dating from the 1640s to the 20th century covering parishes in the presbyteries of Inverness, Ross, Sutherland, Lochcarron Skye, and part of Moray.
The estimated population of Scotland was 5,194,000 in mid-2009. This was a rise of 25,500 on the previous year, and the highest population since 1979.
The number of people in the Highlands seeking to vote by post at the General Election has increased again. Across the three parliamentary constituencies, 21,908 voters have registered their interest in voting by post, 9,734 more than at the General Election in May 2005, and 16,224 more than in June 2001.
For the past year Northern Constabulary has been working on a dedicated project to make the Special Constabulary even more special. The forcewide project has been running since June last year.
