NEWS

Aaron Carey, Preservoir; Peter Gilleece, Vikela; Gabi Burnside; Entrepreneur Acceleration Manager, Ulster Bank; Sarah McKegney, Percy & Pop and Cormac Venney, HIP Psychology. A Loughguile entrepreneur is within touching distance of a £50,000 investment after securing a place in the final of the Ulster Bank Accelerator Pitch 2026. Aaron Carey, founder of fintech cash-management platform Preservoir , impressed judges at a highly competitive semi-final this week, earning a covet

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons pictured with Julia Cleeland, Operations Director, Mid & East Antrim Community Advice Service, and Paul Frew MLA at a recent visit to Mid & East Antrim Community Advice Service. A major programme designed to help people access debt advice earlier and more easily will continue into the next financial year after strong early results across Northern Ireland. Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has confirmed that the Integrated Advice Partnership F

North Antrim MP Jim Allister and Health Minister Mike Nesbitt Men in Northern Ireland with prostate cancer are being denied access to a life-extending drug already available to patients across the rest of the UK — prompting warnings of a “postcode lottery” that could cost lives. The drug, abiraterone, is prescribed across the UK for men with advanced prostate cancer that has spread. But while patients in England, Scotland and Wales can now also receive it for certain high-ri

A 58-year-old man has been charged with stalking and child abduction following a report of a man approaching a child in Whitehead earlier this week. Police confirmed the charges relate to an incident reported in the Belfast Road area of Whitehead on Tuesday, March 10. The man is due to appear before Belfast Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, March 12. Court appearance scheduled The charges were brought following a police investigation into the reported approach involving a child

North Antrim Alliance MLA Sian Mulholland Families across North Antrim could face deeper hardship if welfare spending is reduced to boost defence funding, according to Alliance MLA Sian Mulholland. The party’s poverty spokesperson said calls from senior DUP figures to divert money away from welfare budgets were “catastrophically out of touch” with the pressures facing households during the ongoing energy crisis. Her comments follow remarks from DUP leaders Arlene Foster and

Motorists and commuters across Northern Ireland are being urged to prepare for difficult travel conditions on Thursday morning as strong winds and heavy rain sweep across the region. A yellow weather warning has been issued covering the period from 6:00am to 12:00pm on Thursday, 12 March 2026 , with forecasters warning that gusty winds combined with heavy rain could disrupt morning journeys. Gusts of up to 60mph possible Southwesterly winds are expected to strengthen during t

Inset: North Antrim MLA Paul Frew Concerns raised by new mothers in the Ballymena area about postnatal care arrangements have prompted intervention from North Antrim MLA Paul Frew , who sought urgent clarification from health officials after reports that women were being asked to attend clinic appointments just days after giving birth. Mr Frew said he had been contacted by constituents worried about a move towards centralised postnatal appointments within the Northern Health

North Antrim MLA Timothy Gaston North Antrim MLA Timothy Gaston has warned that proposed changes to special educational needs (SEN) support could place classroom assistant jobs at risk and increase pressure inside classrooms. Speaking in the Northern Ireland Assembly on Monday, Gaston paid tribute to the “vital role classroom assistants play” in supporting pupils but said staff and families are increasingly worried about how the proposed reforms may work in practice. The Tr

Ballymena Police Station (Pic: Love Ballymena) Detectives in Ballymena are investigating after a house in the Glenhugh Park area of Ahoghill was broken into on Tuesday evening. Police say entry was forced through the rear patio doors of the unoccupied property sometime between 5pm and 9pm. A search was carried out throughout the house, but it remains unclear if any items were taken. Officers are appealing for anyone who witnessed suspicious activity in the area, or who may ha

CGI image of the proposed new Lidl store at St Patrick’s Link Road / Broughshane Road, Ballymena Why would a global supermarket chain choose a specific piece of land in Ballymena for what could become one of its largest stores in Northern Ireland? Planning documents submitted for the proposed Lidl development at St Patrick’s Link Road provide a detailed answer — pointing to soaring local demand, strategic transport links and a wider £500 million expansion across Northern Irel

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons pictured with Head Boy, Jake Quigley, Head Girl, Emma-Louise White and Richard Williams, Chief Executive of Northern Ireland Screen at his recent visit to Antrim Grammar School to see Northern Ireland Screen’s creative education and careers pipeline. Young people in Northern Ireland could find their future careers in the rapidly growing screen and creative industries, Communities Minister Gordon Lyons  said during a visit to Antrim Grammar Sc

South Antrim MP Robin Swann outside Parliament A looming funding crisis threatening vital community services across Northern Ireland has prompted South Antrim MP Robin Swann to challenge the Prime Minister to intervene directly. In a letter sent to 10 Downing Street, Mr Swann warned that thousands of vulnerable people could lose critical support unless changes are made to the UK Government’s new Local Growth Fund, which will replace the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The MP said

PSNI PD Jess A remarkable police dog who helped take more than £1 million worth of drugs, cash and firearms off the streets has retired after an eight-year career with the Police Service of Northern Ireland. Retired police dog Jess, a nine-year-old Labrador, joined the PSNI as a search and detection dog in 2018 and worked alongside her handler Sarah throughout a distinguished career that saw her repeatedly uncover hidden criminal caches. Now, after hanging up her harness at t

Managing director William John O’Donnell at WJ O’Donnell & Sons, and Elaine Brannigan from Cruse Bereavement Support Northern Ireland A special Christmas remembrance evening in Ballymena has raised £2,510 for Cruse Bereavement Support Northern Ireland, thanks to the generosity of local residents and businesses. The “True Meaning of Christmas – Special Community Gathering Night”, hosted by WJ O’Donnell & Sons Funeral Directors, took place on Sunday 7th December at the family-r

Percy Pig celebrates M&S Food Outlet launching at Applegreen Ballymena Shoppers in Ballymena can now pick up their favourite Marks & Spencer treats on the go after a new M&S Food outlet opened today at the town’s Applegreen site. The new store introduces the popular “shop within a shop” concept to Ballymena, bringing more than 400 M&S Food products to the location and marking the fourth partnership site between M&S and Applegreen in Northern Ireland. From fresh fruit and sala

Antrim Area Hospital car park Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has tabled draft legislation to defer the abolition of hospital parking charges, citing financial pressures on the health system. The draft Hospital Parking Charges Bill was introduced to the Northern Ireland Assembly this week. If passed, it will delay the full implementation of the Hospital Parking Charges (NI) Act 2022, which provides for a ban on charging vehicles in hospital car parks. Delay driven by funding pr

Mark McKane (middle) after scooping the club lifted Ulster Squash Club of the Year 2025, with Ben and Daniel McKane, representing Ballymena Squash Club at Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club. A squash club formed just two years ago is already reshaping the sport locally — with Ballymena Squash Club crowned Ulster Squash Club of the Year 2025 and its driving force Mark McKane recognised nationally as Squash Ireland Volunteer of the Year . The double recognition marks a significant m

Pictured launching a new initiative aimed at stamping out smoking on hospital sites are Northern Trust Medical Director, Dr George Gardiner; Round Tower Integrated Primary School and Nursery Unit Principal, Mrs Monica Turner with pupils from P2 and P5 Local schoolchildren are being invited to lend their voices to a new campaign aimed at discouraging smoking outside hospital entrances — with the hope that hearing a child’s message could make smokers pause, reflect, and even co

Pictured Ulster Unionist Party leader Jon Burrows MLA, Irish Foreign Minister Helen McEntee TD and Dr Steve Aiken OBE MLA A meeting between Ulster Unionist Party leaders and Ireland’s Foreign Minister has placed legacy issues from the Troubles and regional security firmly back on the political agenda. Party Leader Jon Burrows MLA , accompanied by Dr Steve Aiken OBE MLA , met Irish Foreign Minister Helen McEntee TD on Monday (February 9) in what he described as a “constructiv

Gary Hegarty, owner of Mindful Gardens reflects on the benefits of changing his career and returning to education by studying Horticulture at CAFRE Greenmount Campus.  After nearly two decades designing sports pages for a national newspaper, Gary Hegarty found himself facing a turning point — one shaped by rapid technological change and a growing desire to work closer to the natural world. Today, he runs his own garden design business, Mindful Gardens. But the path from newsr