STAFF with the Ross and Cromarty Citizens Advice Bureau are trying to pre-empt an anticipated squeeze on their modest finances with a publicity campaign flagging up the work they do.

IN these deeply uncertain times, isn't there something oddly reassuring about the arrival, regular as clockwork every year, of the Black Isle Show?

MANY Ross-shire residents have had to reach for the phone late at night or at weekends to try to get medical help for an unexpected illness.

PUTTING people first during the aftermath of a recession which has left ordinary folk facing redundancy, struggling with debts and fearing the next cut in public services, is a sentiment that many would agree with.

THE rise of Facebook is a modern-day phenomenon with hundreds of millions of us around the world using it as the social networking platform of choice for staying in touch with friends and family.

THE need for elections to community councils in Ross-shire tends to be the exception rather than the rule, with a litany of ready-made excuses trotted out for leaving it to someone else.

PEOPLE of a certain age are sometimes prone to wistful reminiscence about the way things used to be.

THE facts and figures compiled to tie in with Carers Week make for sobering reading set against the backdrop of this week's Emergency Budget.

THE generally unseen work of local mountain rescue teams has been thrown into sharp relief with the account, reported in today's Journal, of a particularly eventful six-day period which saw the Dundonnell team respond to three separate incidents.

WITH the new coalition administration now beginning to address the sorry state of the nation's finances, the extent of likely cuts closer to home is becoming increasingly apparent by the day.

DESPITE an incessant drip feed of publicity, it remains a sobering fact that, in Scotland, only five per cent of us find the time to donate blood.

FOR a country wallowing in debt, there's a certain irony in the announcement that the coalition government is set to scrap the Child Trust Fund.

A STRING of controversial decisions affecting developments in three Ross-shire communities has prompted many to question just how much weight local democracy has in some of the biggest issues affecting people's everyday lives.

TESCO has been given Scottish Government approval for a store in Tain following a public local inquiry.

THE man fingering the keys of 10 Downing Street after the dust settles on a most unusual General Election campaign will surely have more on his mind than the colour of the curtains.

CALLS are mounting for the Scottish Government to get involved in breathing life into plans - which as yet exist only on paper - to revive the Nigg yard and thus help generate business that could be worth £65million-a-year to the local economy.

IN addition to the misery caused to travellers, the fallout from the volcanic ash cloud drifting serenely from Iceland has sparked righteous indignation from those who feel the whole affair has been badly handled.

THERE's only been one topic of conversation in Ross-shire this week - and it's not the General Election.

NO one was greatly surprised by this week's announcement of a date for the General Election and there's little sign of any great excitement over the prospect here in the Highlands.

HEFTY rates rises cause financial headaches and unwanted budget recalculations, but bill hikes smart even more when Government help has been offered to cushion the blow south of the border, but not here.

IT has been an emotionally draining week in Ross-shire with a terrible tragedy somewhat overshadowing Ross County's remarkable achievement on the field of play.

THERE's no doubting the irony of the potential threat hanging over music tuition in Highland schools.

THE welcome signs of spring waiting in the wings to relieve us from what has been a long, hard winter are cold comfort this week for Ross-shire householders feeling hard done by after being effectively left stranded following the latest dump of snow.

GIVEN the protracted stalemate which has held the Nigg yard in a state of virtual paralysis for so long now, developments at the Invergordon Service Base have taken many by surprise.

A GOOD news story for an Easter Ross community has been soured slightly following a funding mix-up which, one suspects, could and should have been avoided.

NICOLA Sturgeon is unlikely to be left in any doubt about the strength of feeling for a cuts-threatened Dingwall unit when she faces determined campaigners later this month.

THE stigma attached to cancer has receded in recent years with the public's desire for a cure to be found for a disease which, after all, affects one in three of us, helping create the momentum for a number of exciting research breakthroughs.

WASTE and what to do with it has become one of the most pressing problems of our time.

MSPs from across the political spectrum have voiced concern over a Scottish Government consultation that could pave the way for public notices carried in newspapers such as this to be relegated online.

THE eventual green light for the controversial Beauly to Denny power line has been hailed by supporters as the key to unlocking a renewable energy revolution in the Highlands.

AN Easter Ross woman living well away from the reasonably well-gritted main routes summed things up well this week when asked about the side roads near her home. "Och well, if you get in the right ruts, you should be okay..."

A STRAW poll of traders on Dingwall's High Street reveals an impressive consensus over phase one of the newly completed streetscape revamp.

REGARDLESS of their political affiliation, there will doubtless be many parents reading this week's contribution by MSP Mary Scanlon and nodding in agreement..

A HOGMANAY hangover that is immune to the strongest aspirin and capable of inflicting pain well into the new year forms the basis of a warning made this week by a hard-pressed local advice agency.

DEVELOPERS behind multimillion-pound plans for a waste-to-energy incineration scheme planned for Invergordon appear unwilling to take 'no' for an answer having, presumably, sunk vast sums of money and a lot of time into working up the proposals in the first place.

IT'S a small world and no mistake.

THE juggling of resources currently under way within Highland Council as it tries to balance the books and deal with the massive 'efficiency savings' it is being asked to deliver is leaving at least one remote Wester Ross community shivering in dread of a long, cold winter ahead.

THE multimillion-pound diet industry can anticipate another boost to its coffers this week as the spotlight is once again thrown on the fact that many of us are overweight.

THAT shoppers in Easter Ross are fairly keen on securing an Asda superstore is, it's safe to say, no secret.

WITH the nights drawing in, the weather getting harsher and Post Office workers striking, it's heartwarming to hear of a pioneering local business venture that will bring a smile to 15 local people's faces.

THE needless waste of three lives in the latest rail crossing tragedy in the Highlands has prompted the usual outpouring of claims, counter-claims and recriminations.

THE deep budget cuts faced across the board by the public sector suggest we'll see many more stories about threats to services such as that provided at Beechwood House over the coming months.

IN two starkly contrasting and contentious planning proposals, people power has ultimately won the day, and schemes recommended for approval by the experts have been kicked into touch.

A REVIEW of community council boundaries, the first of its kind in 30 years, was launched this week.

HERE we go again. Fresh from the attentions of Princess Anne last week, Tain is again back in the spotlight as a pair of heavyweights slug it out for a foothold in the Royal Burgh.

ALONG with journalists and estate agents, solicitors are well used to being the butt of jokes stereotyping them (allegedly) as heartless money-grabbers prepared to exploit the misery of others for their own personal gain.

DESPITE reports of a number of businesses "bucking the trend" and holding their own during the current recession, many households have a very different story to tell — as the low-key publication of an annual report this week reveals.

THE concerted campaign mounted in opposition to private sector plans for a £43million waste to energy incineration plant in Invergordon shows that people power is alive and well.

THE extension of Blythswood's Highland Food Bank scheme to Easter Ross may raise eyebrows amongst those unfamiliar with the service and the way it has evolved since first established almost four years ago.

THE Scottish Government this week unveiled plans designed to ensure the country has a planning system fit for the 21st century.

MOTORISTS driving along fast trunk roads such as the A9 have to be alert to hazards, as they can come up against numerous factors which have the potential to cause accidents.

THE controversy surrounding the induction of an openly gay Church of Scotland minister has the potential to be the most damaging issue to affect the kirk in generations.

MISGIVINGS about the site chosen by Tesco for a supermarket in Tain are set to intensify now that the retailer has confirmed it will appeal to Scottish Ministers against the rejection by Highland Council of its detailed planning application.

INVERGORDON is used to rolling out the red carpet to welcome cruise liner visitors and will be doing so again in the week to come.
However no one could blame locals — just this once — for breaking out the bunting as they see the bug-stricken Marco Polo sailing off into the sunset after what has seemed a very long week.
Any lessons that need to be learned following what turned into something of a soap opera should now be done calmly by the key players involved.

IN a measured and dignified response to what must have been a very distressing incident, the father of a disabled woman "stoned" by youths while she passed through Invergordon voices the hope that, on reflection, they will regret their actions and make amends.

IN any given issue of the Ross-shire Journal, chances are you'll find a story about a young person who has pushed their luck too far once too often and ended up standing in the dock facing a stern-looking sheriff — and a criminal record. This week's edition is no exception.

THE public call for "more bobbies on the beat" has echoed down the years at countless public meetings — and last week's gathering at Tain and Easter Ross ward forum was no exception.

IT'S perhaps time to start sorting fact from fiction in the debate over plans — the detail of which has not yet been disclosed — for an energy from waste plant in Invergordon.

THE litany of revelations surrounding dubious claims made by our elected representatives at Westminster has dominated the news agenda for the past month (though it feels much longer) and seen the level of public distrust of politicians sink to an all-time low.

FOLK who realise they're having a bad day only minutes after getting to work sometimes attribute the false start to getting out of bed on the wrong side.

HISTORY tells us that the drawing of lines on maps for reasons of political expediency can lead to some eye-catching results.

ASKED to reflect on the daily roll call of shame over MPs' expenses, a Ross-shire councillor this week spoke of his sadness about an embedded "culture of greed" that has manifest itself across the board.

RESIDENTS of a Dingwall housing estate are becoming increasingly fed up with parking snarl-ups on their doorsteps and are looking for answers through a community survey.

A ROSS-shire community leader voiced her frustration this week that feuding Cromarty Firth business interests can not get round a table to resolve their differences.

ROSS-shire has been no more immune to the impact of a deepening recession than anywhere else with the chill winds of the downturn being felt in terms of job losses and general belt-tightening.

A TRIO of deaf teenagers attending Dingwall Academy have done the school proud by being selected as the first recipients of a new award given to young people deemed to have gone the extra mile in raising awareness not just of the challenges they face but their ability to overcome them given proper support.

THIS newspaper has always been a great supporter of matters Highland, part of which is our Gaelic culture, but of late it seems that the language of the Gael has become something of a cause celebre, a "must" for those with a penchant for doing what they see as politically correct.

THE old saying has it that charity begins at home.

APRIL is almost upon us and with it the welcome advent of spring. Amidst our usual mish mash of weather (we had a good dump of snow last year at Easter, as many readers will doubtless recall), we've already seen glimpses of the season after what has been a long, cold winter.

IT'S easy to see why the prospect of a plot for the cultivation of home-grown fruit and vegetables should hold such an appeal in these challenging times.

IN some ways, this is the ideal moment for the National Trust for Scotland to reveal the extent of its financial difficulties.

SO, Tesco chiefs have been sent away to think again and will doubtless have been spending quality time with their lawyers plotting out the next move. How unloved they must feel.

AN extraordinary public meeting in Tain this week confirmed local disquiet over the way the supermarket store wars saga has played out in the town and raised a number of important questions.

PEOPLE power appears to be have been just what the doctor ordered when it comes to a remote Wester Ross community's search for a new GP.

WITH national headlines dominated by apologetic bankers, confirmation locally that more jobs are to be shed by one of Ross-shire's leading firms and the spectre of massive "efficiency savings" hanging over the area's biggest employer, Highland Council, gloom merchants are having a field day of it this Friday the 13th.

THE Gaelic language will come under the spotlight at two contrasting meetings in Ross-shire next week.

IN terms of their contribution to the economy, the volunteers staffing the Citizens Advice Bureaux in Ross-shire are worth their weight in gold.

SELDOM can the weight of worldwide expectation have been quite as heavy as that placed this week on the shoulders of the new President of the United States of America, Barack Obama.

POLICE serving Ross-shire began working to a new shift pattern this week in a bid to make the best use of resources and ensure that the "thin blue line" never quite reaches breaking point.

COAXING folk out of the comfort of their cars is a tough task at the best of times, regardless of the wild fluctuations of the price of oil and the chilly chore of scraping frost-encrusted windscreens in winter.

WHEN the going gets tough, the tough get going.

MOST people are probably looking forward to over-indulging this festive season, whether it's with alcohol or food.

THE season to be jolly is anything but for many struggling to make ends meet or facing uncertainty over employment as the knock-on effect of the global economic downturn come ever closer to home.

IS the credit crunch all in the mind? A straw poll carried out online by this paper reveals an interesting response when readers were asked whether the crunch has been over-hyped.

THERE was cold comfort for visitors taking advantage of Dingwall's much-trumpeted free car parking space this week.

IN the wake of concerns about the scrapping of a scheme that allowed health professionals to prescribe exercise rather than medication to people suffering a wide range of complaints, we this week report on a Wester Ross initiative aimed at encouraging young people to become more active.

THE credit crunch isn't far from anyone's lips in these economically depressed times and, on the face of it, it's encouraging that Highland Council is offering to take a sympathetic lead on the issue.

GLOOMY media reports this week suggest that the UK is losing up to 1,000 jobs a day as the economy enters recession and the credit crunch bites.

POLICE routinely come under fire from residents unhappy they don't get an immediate response to call outs.

AS we report this week, an appeal by Muir of Ord Community Council for fresh blood has borne fruit with sufficient numbers coming forward to ensure the body can continue to function.

EVERYBODY knows that times are hard at the moment, with the UK economy heading into recession.

THE discovery of another cannabis "factory" within a house in Ross-shire is further evidence that the area is far from immune from the treacherous tentacles of the illicit drugs industry.

WITH the swimming pool in Inverness currently out of action, now could be the time for householders on the Black Isle to turn their attention to their own doorsteps.

A ROSS-shire waste reduction initiative is being funded for another two-and-a-half years, offering a seal of approval for the work carried out to date and some welcome stability as plans are laid to build on that success.

THERE has been a growing perception over recent years that ever-tightening health and safety rules are over-cautious and squeezing the fun out of pastimes once considered innocent and care-free.

CAMPAIGNERS for more sustainable forms of transport that would help cut through the chronic congestion seen daily on the Kessock Bridge will next week attempt to coax Ross-shire residents out of their cars and on to a bicycle, which they will supply free of charge.

N response to criticism outlined elsewhere in this week's edition, bus operator Stagecoach has promised changes to improve the reliability of its Black Isle service, introduced amidst scenes of chaos towards the end of last month.

MANY of us will have shuddered on hearing news of repeated energy prices hikes over the past few months. Indeed it seems that barely a week goes by without one of the handful of main suppliers announcing yet another mammoth rise with an apologetic "not our fault" shrug of the shoulders.

THERE are times when you simply have to hold up your hands, admit you've made a blunder and say sorry.

ASDA's withdrawal — temporary, we are assured — from the supermarket store wars shaping up in Tain came as a bolt from the blue this week and will be a bitter disappointment to those keen to see greater competition and more choice in Easter Ross.

EVERYONE, it seems, is feeling the pinch from the much-hyped credit crunch which is affecting everything from the price of a loaf of bread to the cost of a mortgage.

PEOPLE outwith the agricultural community are prone to make the withering observation that "you never see a poor farmer" whenever the issue of how food gets to our tables crops up.

THE siting of the Dingwall Rotary Club plinth has clearly ruffled a few feathers locally, as a glance at our letters page over the last few weeks will confirm.

THE Princess Royal this week gave her seal of approval to an exhibition celebrating the role of the drovers from years gone by.

THE latest incarnation of local government was supposed to witness a significant upgrading in the status of community councils as grassroots organisations that would speak for the people they represent. The idea was that they would be able to pass on directly their views to those with the clout to change things for the better.

ANOTHER week, another impending closure in Ross-shire. Yes, the axe is out again to cut another public service, and residents are being called on to rally to fight yet another campaign.

ONCE flourishing small communities across the county seem to be dying a slow death thanks to never-ending cuts in vital services.

THERE were a few furrowed brows in the council chamber at this week's meeting of Highland Council's Ross, Skye and Lochaber planning applications committee in Dingwall as onlookers tried to figure out exactly what was going on.

OUR story highlighting concerns about the illegal use of motorcycles and quad bikes on Forestry Commission land has sparked strong comment from both sides of the debate.

CAMPAIGNERS pressing for safer cycling routes across Ross-shire have faced a battle every bit as challenging as an uphill climb of the Bealach na Ba in a force ten gale.

DINGWALL deserves better. One of our younger correspondents this week puts the litter problem facing the town — and Ross-shire — in a nutshell.

DINGWALL householders concerned about the impact on their homes of a neighbouring property which is gradually falling into disrepair have, understandably, tried to do something to remedy the situation.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS companies are making big bucks on the back of a continuing explosion in mobile phone use.

HEARTIEST congratulations must go out to Hamish Menzies on the richly deserved honour conferred upon him this week.

WHEN it comes to the front line emergency services, the Highlands have always been a bit of a special case.

LOCAL companies are amongst those fearing for the future under a shake-up of local authority procurement procedures, the full details of which have yet to emerge.

PRIMARY pupils from across Ross-shire got a taste of life behind the wheel at an unusual get-together in Inverness last week.

THE debate over safety at level crossings — where road meets rail — was rekindled in the aftermath of concerns voiced by a High Court judge this week relating to the situation at Delny, where two young Easter Ross men lost their lives just over a year ago.

LAST week we launched our Fit for Life series which began with a look at efforts to counter growing problems with obesity across our area.

WHILE the size of our waistlines would seem to be largely a matter of personal choice, the Scottish Government is set to plough millions into programmes designed to tackle what has been described as an obesity time bomb.

RIVALRY between bookies in Dingwall looks set to heat up with the news that there are plans for a third betting shop to open up in the town.

ROSS-SHIRE residents are not being shy about getting out on the streets and making their feelings known on issues that matter.

PROPOSALS have been made to webcast meetings of the Highland Council to allow people interested in local democracy, but who are unable to attend decision-making gatherings, the opportunity to see what their elected representatives are getting up to.

DOG owners who walk away from excrement deposited in public places by their pets should be named, shamed and fined.

COUNCIL officials tend to turn a whiter shade of pale when you start asking questions about common good funds.

WHO can now say, hand on heart, that they believe anything they have said during the six-week consultation period by Post Office Ltd on proposed closures and changes of service is likely to make a jot of difference?

THE knives are out again to carve yet another chunk off what was once the identifiable administrative area of Ross and Cromarty, which ran from outside Tain to the edge of Wester Ross.

A LOCAL MSP is calling for the use of tougher community-based sentences for offenders as an alternative to simply locking them up.

THE uncertainty now facing call centre staff in Alness is symptomatic of an increasingly global service industry in which massive contracts are routinely switched around the world in response to economic drivers.

AN increasing number of businesses in both private and public sectors have in recent years latched on to the fact that Dingwall is a rather pleasant and convenient place in which to locate.

FOLK in and around Dingwall had to show true grit just to stay on their feet during a cold snap last week.

THERE seems to be an air of inevitability over the latest tranche of Post Office closure proposals with some observers even going so far as to say (privately) that the Ross-shire hit list isn't as bad as they had expected.

IT is no surprise that the need for "affordable" housing again looms large at the dawn of a new year.

A QUARTER of a century ago, as we reveal in this week's Ross-shire Journal, concerns were being voiced about the impact the newly-opened Kessock Bridge was having on businesses within Ross-shire.

THE run-up to Christmas tends to bring out the best — and the worst — in us all.

WHILE Dingwall has been accused of lacking community spirit in recent weeks, there's clearly no absence of interest in the future of the High Street.

AS one small, divided Ross-shire community (Garve and District) this week considered how a £5million fund could be put to use should a wind farm be located in its midst, another (Fairburn) steadied itself for the opening next week of full-blooded debate over a proposed scheme on its doorstep.

WHY do we have peak-time queues coming in to Dingwall? Observers have suggested a number of road-related reasons and logic suggests certain obvious improvements that could be made to ease the flow (if, as ever, the money was available to carry them out).

MANY tiny scattered communities throughout Ross-shire have experienced the blow of business and school closures in recent years and are crying out for a multi-million-pound pot of money to dip into to reverse their fortunes.

THE difficulty in getting a doctor's appointment with our GP of choice at a time that suits us has become as common a complaint as the cold in recent times.

IT took guts for Dingwall man Neil MacKenzie to speak out about the attacks he has faced, both in his home town of Dingwall and at his work place in Inverness, simply on the basis of his sexuality.

A HIGHLAND history teacher recently voiced his shock on discovering well-educated senior pupils who had no idea of the existence — far less the chilling significance — of the Auschwitz death camp.

THE cut and thrust of party politics clearly sits uneasily with many of our elected representatives on Highland Council.

THE suspension of a Ross-shire service described by its beneficiaries as "a lifeline" is a matter of great regret and efforts should now be made to sort things out.

HIGH-PROFILE raids on Indian restaurants certainly give the appearance of a no-nonsense stance on illegal immigrants and the businesses which allegedly give them employment.

WHO would be a football manager? It is with a feeling of déjà vu that we write those words today.

GIVEN the amount of work now done in this country by volunteers and the ever-increasing size of the charity sector, we should perhaps not be surprised to learn of a staffing crisis in Ross-shire.

THERE'S a lot to be said for the very straightforward "adopt-a-street" campaign now being spearheaded by Dingwall Community Council.

A HIGHLAND MSP has set in motion the wheels of a campaign to try and reduce the drink-drive limit.

AS well as endearing herself to many of the locals who turned out to see her in Invergordon and Alness this week, Princess Anne appears to have made an unwitting contribution to the area's tourist trade.

CLAIMS this week that people are becoming disillusioned by police responses to calls to incidents in some of our more remote areas, and in some cases have even stopped calling in to report matters, are a real cause for concern.

WITH so many of us sitting in front of computer terminals on a daily basis at both home and work, the importance of fast broadband connections is obvious.

QUESTIONS must surely be asked about Scottish Water's handling of the current water situation in the Wester Ross community of Ullapool, where a health scare has now run into its third week.

MORE than two years have lapsed since a tragic accident occurred on the A835 Maryburgh to Tore road when a cyclist going about his daily business was struck and killed by a delivery lorry.

ROSS-shire veteran Johnny Matheson, along with many like him, did his bit for king and country when duty called.

HEARTIEST congratulations to Kiltearn Fèis Rois Fiddlers and friends who have once again proved admirable ambassadors for Ross-shire in far off places.

COULD invisible ink hold the key to exposing the thoughtless idiots who act as a proxy in buying booze for underage kids?

MUSSEL shell artist Blott Kerr-Wilson has left Tain locals with plenty to chew on with her highly distinctive mural work and forthright comments on recycling.

THE concept of the antisocial behaviour order, or ASBO as it is more commonly known, has entered our everyday language and is, sadly, an increasingly familiar problem for many.

THE old refrain about kids having nothing to do doesn't wash with Ross-shire's leading police officer and it doesn't wash with us either.

CONVENTIONAL wisdom tells us that the 'Chip and PIN' revolution is the way to go when it comes to paying for our supermarket shopping — and it's likely that 99 per cent of us now comply meekly when prompted to 'check the amount and pop in your PIN number' at the checkout.

ON the face of it, the deal struck over a portion of the Nigg fabrication yard brings the potential revival of the site as a major employer a step closer.

WITH increasing numbers of us now online and comfortable with the wonders of the worldwide web, our story this week about the basic blunders in Wikipedia's Dingwall Academy entry provides food for thought.

AS one Easter Ross residents association this week picks up a well-deserved national award, another a couple of miles away warns that without fresh blood it will be forced to disband.

ROSS police are to be offered language lessons in a change of tack towards the area's growing migrant population.

THE late John Lennon once observed that life is what happens while you're busy making other plans.

ONE of the election campaign's more colourful characters, Gordon Campbell, this week described the handling of last week's election as "a farce, a flop and a fiasco".

CHANCES are that a lot of us in Ross-shire won't be entirely sure who to turn to as we seek assistance with our everyday council-related gripes.

THERE will be no place for faint hearts or jittery nerves at Victoria Park this weekend as Ross County face the ultimate test of a season that has taken more twists and turns than a snake in a maze.

AN ELECTION campaign can be declared well and truly underway by the time the first allegations of "dirty tricks" surface.

CANDIDATES seeking mandates to make decisions on our behalf at Holyrood and Highland Council have now declared themselves and the race is well and truly on.

SURELY only an old cynic would question the timing of the Scottish Executive's announcement yesterday over cash relief following last October's flooding?

CONVENER Carolyn Wilson couldn't have got it more right this week when she said no one wants to see a repeat of the emotional damaged caused during last October's unforgettable floods.

OUR report this week of a Kildary heroin addict’s plea to be sent to prison to receive intensive drugs treatment is a sad reflection on the increasing number of people in the Highlands tempted to indulge in addictive substances and on the scarcity of treatment facilities available.

THE eventual admission that a lack of local knowledge amongst council staff contributed to the scale of problems created by last October’s unforgettable flooding in Dingwall is welcome, if somewhat tardy, in terms of a warts and all appraisal of the lessons that must now be learned.

THERE have already been recriminations about the timing and scope of today’s community-run ballot to determine local feeling about the proposed Lochluichart wind farm proposal.

ONE train of thought has it that as long as bins are emptied on time and council tax demands aren’t too outrageous, the (wo)man in the street couldn’t really care less about local politics.

THE sentences handed down to the men put behind bars for dealing heroin on the Black Isle are a welcome warning to those tempted to fill their shoes.

THE call from Highland Council for a review of safety at level crossings across the region is a step in the right direction following the Delny tragedy on February 2.

ALMOST exactly a month ago, we argued that the case for a full and transparent review of safety at level crossings in Ross-shire was “overwhelming”.

BACK in November we highlighted the concerns raised by a number of residents troubled by the peaty smoke — though the company terms it “vapour” — coming from the Glen Ord Maltings and into their homes.

THE jail sentence handed down to an Ullapool man who maliciously and falsely accused the police officer who arrested him of punching him in the face was widely welcomed this week as a warning shot to anyone who might be tempted to follow suit.

IT’S all go in Tain! With Asda and Lidl hoping for the go-ahead within weeks to progress their respective plans to gain a foothold in the Easter Ross town, Tesco now appears to be waiting in the wings to make its own grand entrance.

THE case for a full and transparent review of safety issues surrounding level crossings in Ross-shire in general and Dingwall in particular is surely overwhelming.

WITH many of us coughing and spluttering our way into 2007 and calls to NHS 24 breaking all records for the time of year, the issue of out of hours cover has again been thrust into the spotlight.