NEWS

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Alderman Thomas Gordon is pictured with Anna Tait, owner of Ahoghill based business EJs Country Kitchen who had secured grant funding from an earlier round of the Rural Business Development Grant Scheme. An Ahoghill family-run food business that expanded its kitchen and introduced new dining experiences with the help of a rural development grant is being highlighted as more local businesses are encouraged to apply for funding of up to £7,500. EJs

One of Northern Ireland’s best-known celebrations of heritage, machinery and country life returns to Ballymena this week as the Ballymena Steam Rally gets under way with three days of steam engines, vintage vehicles, road runs and family attractions. The Ballymena Steam Rally runs from Thursday 23 July to Saturday 25 July at Ballymena Livestock Market, bringing together historic machinery, classic vehicles, traditional crafts and family entertainment before culminating in Sat

The red SEAT vehicle that was brought to a halt on the A26 A driver is due to appear in court after a police pursuit on the A26 near Ballymena ended with a car stranded on four burst tyres and two men attempting to flee across nearby fields. The incident happened on the A26 Lisnevenagh Road when Road Policing Interceptors on a routine patrol spotted a red SEAT. Police said the driver accelerated after noticing the patrol vehicle, prompting officers to signal for the car to st

Ballymena Magistrates’ Court Two men have been charged following an armed fight in a Ballymena housing development that unfolded while children were playing nearby. The charges relate to an incident in the St Patrick’s Place area on Thursday, July 16, when police were called to reports of a fight. Witnesses at the time reported seeing weapons including what appeared to be a knife, a sword and a shovel during the disorder. Two to appear in court A man in his 50s has been charg

CGI showing overview of proposals for Ballee Playing Fields, Ballymena A £15 million proposal that would transform the former Ballee Playing Fields into a major mixed-use development featuring sports facilities, a community hub, healthcare provision and commercial investment has formally been submitted to Mid and East Antrim Borough Council. The long-awaited planning application would redevelop one of Ballymena’s most prominent gateway sites, bringing a floodlit football faci

Inset: UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham Households in Northern Ireland are set to receive financial support with electricity costs this winter after the UK Government announced plans to remove VAT from domestic electricity bills across Great Britain from 1 October. Because of post-Brexit VAT arrangements, the tax change cannot automatically apply in Northern Ireland, meaning the Northern Ireland Executive will instead receive comparable funding to ensure local households benefi

Natasha Gove A woman who died following a single-vehicle collision in the Glenariffe area on Saturday evening has been named as Natasha Gove. Ms Gove, 31, was from the Ballyclare area. She died after the silver Ford Transit Custom van in which she was travelling was involved in a collision on the Glenariffe Road shortly before 9.10pm on Saturday, 18 July. The other occupant of the van, a 41-year-old man, also died at the scene. Investigation continues Officers from the Police

Two people have died following a single-vehicle road traffic collision in the Glenariffe area on Saturday evening. The victims, a 41-year-old man and a 31-year-old woman, were pronounced dead at the scene after the crash involving a silver Ford Transit Custom on the Glenariffe Road. Emergency services attended The Police Service of Northern Ireland said officers were called to the collision shortly before 9.10pm on Saturday, 18 July. Colleagues from the Northern Ireland Ambul

Close racing between Michael Sweeney and Conor Cummins during the Race of Legends at Armoy in 2025. (Photo by Rod Neill/Pacemaker Press) The Armoy Road Races will welcome some of the biggest names in international road racing this weekend, with organisers confirming a star-studded rider line-up ahead of two days of action on County Antrim’s famous circuit. Racing takes place on Friday 24 and Saturday 25 July, with competitors from across Northern Ireland, the Republic of Irel

The Armoy Motorcycle Road Racing Club (AMRRC) has announced an agreement with King of the Roads that will see this year’s Armoy Road Races broadcast live to road racing fans around the world. Road racing fans across the world will be able to watch this year’s Armoy Road Races live for the first time after organisers secured a new broadcasting agreement with King of the Roads. The deal means the County Antrim event, taking place on Friday 24 and Saturday 25 July, will reach an

North Antrim MLA Jon Burrows, with party colleague, Bannside councillor Jackson Minford during a visit to the scene of a murder-suicide in Ballymena The leader of the Ulster Unionist Party has visited the scene of last week’s family tragedy in Ballymena, where he laid flowers and urged society never to become desensitised to domestic abuse. North Antrim MLA Jon Burrows visited the home on the Old Cullybackey Road on Saturday, where a 39-year-old woman and her eight-year-old d

Football clubs and other users of Knockan Road Playing Fields in Ballymena are continuing to face problems with ageing facilities and maintenance issues, according to a local councillor who says action is needed to improve the site. Ulster Unionist Party Braid councillor Alan Barr has highlighted a series of concerns affecting the popular playing fields, including the continued use of shipping containers as changing rooms and toilets, alongside a list of maintenance defects h

Psychological thrillers, summer fiction and fantasy continue to dominate the shelves at Waterstone’s Ballymena, with this week’s Top 10 bestseller chart reflecting readers’ appetite for page-turning suspense, heartfelt storytelling and bestselling new releases. The latest update from the Ballymena bookshop also highlights half-price offers, the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize, an exclusive Game of the Month, a major Rebecca Yarros pre-order, family storytime and three welcomi

Inset: North Antrim MLA Jon Burrows Many people in Northern Ireland are unaware they can ask police whether a current or former partner has a history of domestic abuse – something Ulster Unionist Party Leader Jon Burrows MLA says must change. Burrows has written to the First Minister, deputy First Minister and Justice Minister Naomi Long calling for a major public awareness campaign promoting Clare’s Law – officially known as the Domestic Violence and Abuse Disclosure Scheme

26-year-old Jamie Fleming A 26-year-old motorcyclist who died following a road traffic collision in Doagh on Friday afternoon has been named by police as Jamie Fleming, from the Ballyclare area. The collision happened shortly before 1.40pm on Friday, 17 July, at the junction of Ballymena Road and Deer Park Road, involving a blue Yamaha motorcycle and a blue Skoda Enyaq. Emergency services, including officers from the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland

Summer camps across Northern Ireland have the chance to claim free ice lollies this summer as Iceland Foods launches a limited giveaway aimed at helping community groups keep young people cool during the school holidays. The supermarket chain is giving away 160 rocket ice lollies to each of 10 successful camps, with sports camps, school clubs and community-led summer schemes all eligible to apply. How to apply Camp organisers who would like to take part should email...

The scenes on Thursday when a fight broke out among a number of men in a Ballymena housing estate. A street fight involving weapons in one of Ballymena’s newest housing developments has led to three arrests, after an incident that unfolded while children were playing nearby prompted renewed concern from local residents about ongoing antisocial behaviour in the area. Witnesses described seeing a number of men involved in a violent confrontation in St Patrick’s Place at around

The scene on Monday, July 13, when the tragic incident was discovered at a home on the Cullybackey Road, Ballymena. (Image: Steven McAuley, McAuley Multimedia) Detectives investigating the deaths of three family members in Ballymena have renewed their appeal for information as inquiries into the tragedy continue. A 39-year-old woman and her eight-year-old daughter were found dead alongside a 41-year-old man at a home in the Cullybackey Road area on Monday, 13 July. Police pre

Alderman Stewart McDonald thanks council workers for responding to local residents concerns over an overgrown hedge Residents in the Mount Hilary area of Ballymena have seen an overgrown hedge cut back after concerns about its condition were raised with Mid and East Antrim Borough Council. The work was carried out after local residents contacted TUV Bannside Alderman Stewart McDonald, who then brought the issue to council officials. Residents’ concerns addressed Following com

Families, vintage vehicle enthusiasts and movie lovers are being invited to Portglenone later this month as the popular Big Splash Festival returns with three days of community events fromThursday 23 July to Saturday 25 July. The annual FREE festival promises something for all ages, with organisers planning a programme that includes a vintage vehicle rally, outdoor movie screenings and a free family fun day centred around Portglenone Marina. The celebrations have already begu