Pulteneytown People Pick Up Tools For Prospective Employment In Retail Developments
A new fund aimed at assisting regeneration of the Pulteneytown area of Wick will help see fifteen local people trained over the next three months (October to December) in the 'Principles of Retail'.  A ten week course has been set up by North Highland College with Scottish Executive Community Regeneration Funding, and targeted primarily at unemployed people living in the Pulteneytown area of Wick. Having completed the course, the students will be better equipped to gain work in the new retail developments coming to Wick - Argos, Homebase and Tesco. The course is also being supported by Jobcentre Plus.

Free Flu Jab Campaign For Elderly And At Risk Groups
The Scottish Executive annual winter flu and pneumococcal immunisation campaign is underway with an appeal to everyone aged 65 or over and other vulnerable groups to get vaccinated as a matter of priority.

Halkirk A Team Win Caithness Young Farmers Sheep Dressing Competition
  The Halkirk boys clipped to victory to win this years Caithness District Young Farmers' Sheep Dressing competition. Halkirk A which consisted of Bryan Sinclair and Kenneth Sutherland will now go forward to the National Finals to be held in Perth on 5th November. Joining them will be a team from Bower Yoiung Farmers, brothers James and William Barnetson who were runners-up. In third palce was another team from Halkirk, Alan Macleod and Alistair Budge. The event was held by kind permission of Aberdeen & Northern Marts, at Quoybrae. The sheep were provided by Mr Ian Campbell, Todholes with the official judge, Bill Manson from Skaill.

Kevin Sutherland From Latheronwheel - Number One Young Chef In Scotland
Kevin Sutherland from Latheronwheel has shown he has great skills in the cooking department.  He was placed second in  the UK Young Chef Young Waiter 2005 competition in London.  Kevin has worked in the Balmoral Hotel for the last two years. Kevin's mother, Anne, works in the Portland Arms Hotel in Lybster.

UKAEA SEEKS PLANNING PERMISSION TO ISOLATE DOUNREAY WASTE SHAFT
Shaft Saga Moves To Long Final Phases With New Methods and Technology
 
The Dounreay team and contractors Ritchiie's are pushing the boundaries of engineering and scientific knowledge as they apply for planning permission to surround the Shaft where a variety of contaminated materials were originally disposed of.  The technology is well known in the mining industry but is being put to a new use in the current situation. Once the huge jacket consisting of the surrounding rock filled with grouting materials is completed retrieval of the contents of the shaft will begin.  Test bores are underway with core samples near the shaft area giving essential information on the surrounding rock structure.  Eventually the material will be removed by remotely controlled robots and trolleys.  Local people are being employed in all phases of the work by Ritchie's who won the contract.  The platform construction phase will commence in a few months after planning permission is granted.  The initial phase may take up to three years with possibly several years following to deal with the materials from the shaft.

Knitting Challenge - World's Fastest Knitter
Just in are photos of the world's fastest knitter Hazel Tindall at  John O'Groats on Wednesday and a photos of the the jumper after the Highland Group won the race to knit it from the fleece.