NEWS

Chamber President Mark Wiggins with Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council Councillor Jackson Minford with representatives of local businesses sponsoring the 2025 Ballymena Business Excellence Awards The names of the finalists for the 2025 Ballymena Business Excellence Awards have been announced, celebrating the innovation, resilience, and community spirit of local businesses across the Ballymena area. Organised annually by the Ballymena Area Chamber of Commerce and Ind

High Street, Ballymena A young mother who moved to Ballymena to rebuild her life has spoken of her terror after a burglar broke into her home while she slept — just metres away from her bed. The woman, who lives in the High Street area of Ballymena, said the incident happened in the early hours of Monday, 13th October, and has left her frightened to return home with her five-year-old daughter. She had moved to the town only recently, hoping to give her child a safe and stable

Three people were taken to hospital on Friday evening after carbon monoxide was detected at a property in Kilrea, County Londonderry. The Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) said it received a call at 7.24pm on Friday, 17 October 2025, following reports of people feeling unwell at a house on Kurin Road. A NIFRS spokesperson said: “Following an initial call at 1924hrs on Friday 17th October 2025, Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service attended reports of persons fe

North Antrim UUP MLA Jon Burrows North Antrim MLA Jon Burrows has expressed “serious concern” after a local drummer was issued with a Noise Abatement Notice by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council for practising the traditional Lambeg drum. The Ulster Unionist representative said the situation highlighted a worrying trend of councils using environmental enforcement powers in ways that could, in his view, restrict cultural expression and heritage traditions. Mr Burrows explain

Jon Burrows MLA and Neil McCullough Principal of Harryville Primary School More than 20 children were initially reported missing from a primary school in Ballymena, prompting an urgent effort by education officials to trace their whereabouts. The Education Authority (EA) distributed a list of more than 50 missing pupils from various schools to principals across Northern Ireland earlier this term, seeking help to identify children who had stopped attending school without expla

Officers conducting a vehicle checkpoint during this week's dedicated policing operation. Police have arrested 32 people during a coordinated operation aimed at tackling violence against women and girls and bringing offenders to justice across Northern Ireland. The proactive policing initiative, carried out on Thursday 16th October, was led by Superintendent Sinead McIldowney and involved collaboration across Neighbourhood Policing Teams, Local Policing Teams and District Sup

Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) MLA Jon Burrows (right) and Independent Councillor Rodney Quigley . Streetlights in a residential area of Ballymena have been restored following local action by Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) MLA Jon Burrows and Independent Councillor Rodney Quigley. Mr Burrows took joint action with Ballymena Independent councillor, Rodney Quigley, after becoming aware of the removal of street lighting in several communities across Northern Ireland, often with no imm

Remembering Maggie The Coast Road Darts Team in Glenarm have once again shown their community spirit by raising an impressive £5,100 for Air Ambulance NI, in memory of Maggie Black, who tragically passed away almost four years ago from undiagnosed Addison’s Disease. The team gathered at the Coast Road Inn, which kindly hosted the fundraising event, for the official cheque presentation. Representatives from Air Ambulance NI, including charity staff member Kerry Anderson, atten

Police in Mid Ulster have issued a warning to residents after reports of potential rogue traders cold-calling at homes and offering services. In a statement, officers said they had been made aware of individuals approaching properties in the Ballyronan area and urged members of the public to remain cautious. A spokesperson for the Police Service of Northern Ireland said: “Police have been made aware of potential Rogue Traders, who have been cold calling at addresses offering

Julie Patterson, Assistant Director for Corporate Parenting in the Northern Trust, Nikki Gregg, Assistant Director of The Fostering Network NI, Shauna and Christopher Rocks, winners of the excellence in kinship care award, and Julie Bell, Head of Service for Fostering in the Northern Trust. Foster carers from across Northern Ireland have been celebrated at the Northern Ireland Foster Care Awards, hosted by The Fostering Network in partnership with HSC NI Foster Care. Now in t

A Ballymena homeowner has urged residents in the Fisherwick and Broughshane Road areas to stay vigilant after confronting an intruder who entered their home through an unlocked door on Wednesday evening. The incident occurred shortly after 9pm when the homeowner discovered a man had entered the property through the open front door. Issuing a warning to neighbours, the resident said: “Last night we had an intruder in the house after 9pm, our front door was open and he came ri

As Northern Ireland prepares for another challenging winter, the Department of Health has published its 2025–26 Winter Preparedness Plan, setting out a comprehensive strategy to protect vital health and social care services and support staff across the system. The plan, described as “an overarching framework for regional and local action,” identifies ten priority areas designed to maintain patient safety, improve hospital flow, and strengthen workforce resilience through the

Pupils of Ballykeel Primary School enjoying time in the Mayoral Parlour at The Braid, with Mayor of Mid & East Antrim, UUP Councillor Jackson Minford Pupils from Ballykeel Primary School enjoyed a lively morning at The Braid in Ballymena as they put local elected representatives on the spot with a series of challenging questions about life in local government. The Year 6 (P6) class met with Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, Councillor Jackson Minford, and Independ

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has hailed “real and meaningful change” across Northern Ireland’s health service, as new figures show major progress in cutting some of the longest waiting times for care under the Department of Health’s Reset Plan. Since April 2025, more than 100,000 red flag or time-critical patients have been seen, diagnosed, or treated across Health and Social Care Trusts (HSC), including through partnerships with the independent sector. The Department expect

(L-R) Rab McAuley, from Galgorm, who was crowned Ulster Supersport Cup Champion for 2025, GP Dr Louise Beck, of Victoria Surgery, who has been named GP of the Year 2025, and Slemish College student Emilee Leacock, who has been called up for the Northern Ireland Under-17 Women’s Football Squad Mid and East Antrim Mayor, Councillor Jackson Minford, has congratulated Larne-based GP Dr Louise Beck, of Victoria Surgery , who has been named GP of the Year 2025 by the Royal College

Participants Imogene Jones, Siobhan Davidson, Libbie Barnett, Courtney Shields, Lorna Ramsey, Clare Moore, Kris Steele, and Simon Anderson, pictured with trainer Laura McAuley Ballymena BID has joined forces with local company Knockdene Healthcare to deliver vital defibrillator and first aid training to town centre businesses, reinforcing Ballymena’s commitment to safety and community wellbeing. Staff from Wallaces, Front Page Bar, Camerons , and Ballymena BID took part in t

Brendan and Charlotte Rodgers with some members of the Stoneyhill Committee, who oversee and administer the Maltina Park project . Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers and his wife Charlotte made a special visit to Maltina Park in Carnlough on Saturday (11 October) to view the impressive progress of a new cross community sports complex being developed on the Antrim coast. The facility — a collaboration between St John’s Camogie Club and Carnlough Swifts FC — has been named Maltina

Emily, aged 11, from Ahoghill, was one of eight young artists selected from over 1,000 entries across Northern Ireland for Translink’s Climate Action ‘Brand A Bus’ competition. A young artist from Ahoghill has seen her creative vision come to life in spectacular fashion — on the side of a Translink double-decker bus. 11-year-old Emily is one of eight talented young artists from across Northern Ireland whose artwork was selected from more than 1,000 entries in Translink’s inau

Pictured: High-risk missing person Jamie Devlin Police are becoming increasingly concerned for the welfare of high-risk missing person...

Pictured are, from left, Dr Norman Apsley OBE, LEDCOM Chairman, Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Councillor Leah Kirkpatrick and Ken...