Letterkenny Councillor Jim Lynch says more must be done to give information to visitors about sights and services in the town.

He says on numerous occasions over the summer, he found himself helping tourists and visitors, and giving them information that should have been provided by the tourist authorities and the council.

He says there’s a need for more signage around the cathedral and Sentry Hill, and he wants the town’s Development Officer to look into how better information can be provided:

It has been confirmed that building work on the long awaited Glenties Primary Care Centre will begin before the end of the year.

Just last April the local parish council made the issue its number one priority claiming that promise after promise had been broken, expressing fears that the funding for the project had disappeared.

Now, a preferred contract for the 1.6 million euro project has been identified and is expected to be awarded the contract so building work can begin in the coming months.

Pat the Cope Gallagher MEP says he has been assured that the funding is there for the project:

A Ballybofey soft-drinks manufacturer was fined €1,250 plus €2,500 costs  after pleading guilty to a number of charges under the water pollution act.

Mulrines were sued by Donegal County Council at yesterday’s sitting of Letterkenny District Court for discharging up to eight times the amount permitted under their waste licence on five separate occasions in 2009.

Almost a further 40 charges against the company were struck out following an agreement reached with the council’s solicitor, Mr Paddy McMullin.

A District judge has told a Rathmullan man who used foul language to a member of the Garda that he has a month to travel to Co Mayo and make the pilgrimage to the top of Croagh Patrick.

At Milford District Court in Letterkenny this week Judge Séamus Hughes told 38-year-old Joseph McElwee  he was to do the four stations of the famous Mayo pilgrimage as a mark of respect for his fellow Irish people, especially those in the line of duty.

Garda Nicholas Freyne told the court that while they were on duty in Rathmullan, they saw a large crowd gathered outside a public house and three individuals approached them and started verbally abusing them.

The court heard that the defendant told Garda Freyne to “f - off home to Mayo” continuing his abuse for 10 minutes according to the garda’s evidence.

The judge asked the defendant whether he had ever been to his native Co Mayo and climbed Croagh Patrick.

Mr O’Gorman asked the judge how his client would be able to prove that he climbed Croagh Patrick, to which Judge Hughes replied that he will have questions prepared

It’s being claimed that longer terms of office are needed for Garda Superintendants appointed in Inishowen.

A fourth Garda Superintendant was appointed in the area recently, the fourth there in the past three and a half years.

The Inishowen Electoral Area Committee is to write to the Garda Commissioner seeking a policy of encouraging longer terms of office for Garda Superintendants.

Councillor Charlie McConlogue says that such a fast turn over indicates that Inishowen is being treated as a poor relation:

A Strabane man has been given 48 hours to leave the town by a republican vigilante group, a matter of days after he was targeted in a pipe bomb attack claimed by the same organisation.

24-year-old Matt McDermott was informed by the Police that Republican Action Against Drugs (RAAD) had issued the threat, he has since left the town.

His father, who is also called Matt McDermott, has said his son “doesn’t understand” why he has been targeted.

And Mr McDermott categorically denied his son was involved with drugs:

The North’s Deputy First Minister Martin Mc Guinness is launching a major regeneration plan in Derry this afternoon.

Foyle MLA Martina Anderson says the publication of the plan is a major event not just for Derry, but for the whole North West region, and as the regeneration company Ilex begins 12 week consultation gets underway, she’s urging people in Donegal and the wider region to take an interest.

On the jobs issue, she says a recent regeneration programme in South Belfast created very few jobs for local people, and that can’t be allowed happen in Derry.

She says the important thing now is there is one plan for the city and for the region……..

Letterkenny Town Council is urging officials to complete the register of derelict sites in the town as quickly as possible.

The issue was raised by Cllr Jimmy Kavanagh, who says the council and the community will benefit if action is taken on derelict sites. However, that can only be done if there is a proper register in place.

He raised motions in the chamber this week calling on the council to act on the derelict houses issue, and also on the number of vacant houses and ghost estates in the town.

On the derelict buildings issue, Cllr Kavanagh says he’s not the first member to raise the issue, and won’t be the last. However, he’s stressing the starting point must be the publication of a register…..

Donegal County Council will this week launch a reporting scheme which allow victims or witnesses of racist or sectarian incidents in the county to report them via text, phone or online.

The Independent and confidential reporting scheme will be officially launched by the County’s Mayor Cora Harvey tomorrow.

The information gathered will be used to improve council policy to address racism and sectarianism.

Francis Conaghan is the Council’s Good Relations officer – He says where appropriate, reports received will also be forwarded on the gardai….

Tanaiste and Education Minister Mary Coughlan is being urged to intervene in what’s being described as another grants crisis in County Donegal.

Figures obtained by Senator Pearse Doherty show that Donegal County Council has yet to process the majority of new grant applications it has recived, and he wants the Tanaiste to take action.

Most of the 650 new grant applicants received by Donegal County Council have not yet been processed, and Senator Doherty says with the council almost 6 weeks behind in processing applications.

With registration already underway, students who are not entitled to a grant have to pay a €1,500 fee for registration. Without the letter of offer showing that they are entitled to a grant, the fear is that grant applicants will be faced with two options: pay up or drop out.

Senator Doherty wants Ms Coughlan to issue a directive to all third level institutions ordering temporary registrations of all grant applicants, in order to allow them to participate fully in their courses