# General > Doanalsin's Diary >  Fit's in 'e Groat 'is week?

## Nwicker60

John O’ Groat Journal  headlines for June 7, 2013

*ANGRY* parents are to hold a meeting in Wick this afternoon to express their concerns about the loss of a bus service used by their children to get home from school.  They are to meet in the Norseman Hotel at 2pm, to discuss the decision by Stagecoach to axe the afternoon service which operates between Staxigoe and Wick.

*A POLICE* investigation into claims that CIA rendition flights landed at Wick was yesterday welcomed by the chair of the airport consultative committee.  Trudy Morris, who is also the chief executive of Caithness Chamber of Commerce, said she is unaware of any such flights landing at Wick John O’ Groats airport.  It is also claimed the flights involved the secret kidnapping, detention and transfer of terror suspects to other countries for interrogation and alleged torture.

*LOCAL* shops would have a better chance of surviving, if Highland Council cut their rates.   That was said by a number of Caithness people responding to news that two well-established town centre shops – Dr Simpson in Wick and Jim Bews in Thurso – closed this week.  But the public also feel the retailers need to move with the times, offering more choice and open at lunch times.   High prices were also blamed for falling trade.

*A NEW* venture is under way to evaluate how flockmasters in a commercial “hard hill” business can benefit from using performance-recorded genetics.  It is the latest move in Quality Meat Scotland’s Better Breeding project and will keep tabs on the offspring of the monitored sheep on a number of hill units on Skye, over the next two years.

*A POTENTIAL* loophole around the “bedroom tax” is to be explored by Highland Council after it emerged more than 400 people have fallen behind with their rent since it became law only two months ago.  The UK government’s controversial welfare shake-up, including the heavily-criticised spare room subsidy, has contributed to a sharp increase in the number of council tenants who have slipped into arrears.

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