Prison for social welfare fraud

Fri, Sep 23, 2011

A Polish man who works as a chef in Castlebar, who signed on for social welfare benefits of a friend of his who had returned to Poland, was sentenced to six months in prison at Claremorris District Court this week.

Krzsztof Ozimkowski, Tucker Street, Castlebar, pleaded guilty to four counts of the fraud which saw a total of €1,599.40 being paid out to him fraudulently at Knock post office. Sgt Eric Godfrey told the court that he arrested Ozimkowski at Knock Post Office on March 5 at 10.15am following a surveillance operation after the suspicions of the social welfare inspector had been raised in the weeks previously.

Shooting the Breeze with Gay Mitchell

Fri, Sep 23, 2011

The nomination process for the upcoming presidential election has got as much coverage in the papers and the airwaves as most of the candidates over the past few months. One of the first to set his stall out and get into the race is the Fine Gael nominee Gay Mitchell. The former minister of state and current MEP for Dublin threw his hat in the ring early in the summer and has been on the campaign trail since. It has been a different kind of campaign for the Dubliner who has been more used to the metropolitan hustings than the more rural agricultural type of campaigning that the national contest had in store for him.

Kelly says ‘some people were in the know’ before traffic U-turn announced

Fri, Sep 23, 2011

Independent Ballina town councillor Mary Kelly this week hit out at “lobbyists having private meetings with council executives”, in the lead into the reversal of phase two of the Ballina traffic management plan.

Which way to Ballina?

Fri, Sep 23, 2011

How do you get to Ballina? It is a pretty simple thing for people who live in Mayo to direct you. But if you are a visitor travelling along the N17 into Claremorris along the main Galway to Sligo road, finding Ballina may not be that simple, it emerged this week. At the September meeting of Ballina Town Council, Fianna Fáil councillor Johnny O’Malley raised the issue of three signs for Ballina on the N17 which had disappeared, two of which have been replaced by directions to tourist attractions, The Museum of Country Life, Turlough House, and Ballintubber Abbey.

‘In town without my car’ - alternative transport options available in Mayo

Fri, Sep 23, 2011

A new booklet published by Iompar Mhaigh Eo In town without my car is being launched today (Friday) by Mayo senior football manager James Horan.

Ballina councillors to tidy up anti-social behaviour strategy

Fri, Sep 23, 2011

The members of Ballina Town Council have deferred the adoption of a draft anti-social behaviour strategy for another month to strengthen some of the items included in the plan.

Get involved in the ‘national drive to save lives’

Fri, Sep 23, 2011

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) is urging people nationwide to continue their life-saving behaviour and get involved in the national and local efforts to reduce road deaths. This plea comes as the RSA announced details of its annual ‘drive to save lives’ during Irish Road Safety Week which takes place nationwide from Monday October 10 to Sunday October 16.

Entrepreneurs are the innovators who create jobs

Fri, Sep 23, 2011

According to presidential candidate Seán Gallagher entrepreneurs are the innovators who create jobs and keep our communities alive and together.

Castlebar Town Council

Fri, Sep 23, 2011

Taxi rank changes in county town
Castlebar Town Council last week approved a number of changes to the positioning of taxi ranks in the town. There had been a proposal from Cllr Michael Kilcoyne at the request of Cllr Frank Durcan, who was unable to attend the meeting, to postpone the decision on the issue until the next meeting of the council. This was backed by Cllr Brendan Henaghan, but the other members voted against the postponement. The new measures will see only three taxi spaces at the top of Main Street on the left hand in operation during the day, down from seven at present. A 16-space night time rank will come into operation on the right hand side of the street stretching from outside the Upper Crust to the Costcutters shop on the street. There will also be two 10-minute parking spaces put in on Bridge Street outside XtraVision where there is currently a taxi rank coming into being. It is hoped this will stop the build up of taxis in this area which stretched around onto Linenhall Street during busy times. There will also be additional taxi spaces put in on Hopkins Road outside Dunne’s Stores and more put in the Market Square car park.

Ballinrobe family receives State apology twenty two years after soldier was killed

Fri, Sep 23, 2011

The State has issued an apology to the relatives of three victims who were killed by a landmine explosion in the Lebanon 22 years ago.

DAS scheme offering a lifeline to stretched farmers - Mulherin

Fri, Sep 23, 2011

Mayo Fine Gael TD, Michelle Mulherin, has welcomed the announcement by Minister for Agriculture, Simon Coveney, of payments worth around €220 million to farmers under the 2011 Disadvantaged Areas Scheme. This includes €17,059,463.20 to 8,184 farmers in Mayo.

Local councillor backs McGuinness

Fri, Sep 23, 2011

Speaking after the Sinn Féin Ard Chomhairle meeting in Dublin, Councillor Thérèse Ruane welcomed the ratification of Martin McGuinness to contest the presidential election.

E-paper

Read this weeks E-paper. Past editions also available from within this weeks digital copy.