Fresh row over €12m. emergency centre
Disputes between management and staff at the Western Health Board are delaying the opening of a multi-million euro emergency service. Deputy Beverly Cooper-Flynn said that she was dissatisfied over the length of time it was taking the high tech fire and ambulance communications centre to be up and running. The Western Health Board say it should be running in the autumn but for now it is lying idle at the fire station in Castlebar.

Drink, drugs and sexual diseases - the full story
Parents from Davitt College, St. Gerald's and St. Joseph's secondary schools gathered at the GMIT Castlebar campus last Thursday for a talk on Drink, Drugs and STDs. Ms. Orla Nugent spoke on the dangers of STDs saying that the number of people who have tested positive for STDs has doubled since 1997 and the occurrences in the heterosexual community has exceeded the number of occurrences in the gay and drug communities. D/Sgt. Clarke spoke on the dangers of drugs such as cannabis, heroin, cocaine and E and how to recognise the symptoms of a person taking these drugs. Garda Fahey spoke to the parents about underage drinking and how they might prevent their teenagers from consuming alcohol.

Chamber seek urgent talks with Justice Minister
Castlebar Chamber of Commerce President, Mr. Oliver Kelleher, has invited the Justice Minister to discuss the breakdown in law and order in the town over the past while. The town has been subject to late-night vandalism, assault and other rowdy acts, and the businesses in the town have had enough and wish something to be done about the breakdown.