NEWS

3D Aerial views of proposed new campus for Cullybackey College, outside Ballymena Cullybackey could be set for one of its biggest education and infrastructure transformations in decades under ambitious plans for a brand-new 700-pupil college campus, major new sports facilities and sweeping road upgrades aimed at tackling long-standing traffic problems around the village. The multi-million-pound proposals for Cullybackey College have now officially entered public consultation,

Murdered: Nicky Gordon Two men have now been charged with murder following the death of 51-year-old Nicholas “Nicky” Gordon after a violent assault in east Belfast earlier this month. The charges mark the latest major development in the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s murder investigation into the fatal attack in the Holywood Road area, which left Mr Gordon critically injured before he later died in hospital. Detectives from the PSNI’s Major Investigation Team confirmed

Arthur Cottage in Cullybackey, Ballymena. Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has agreed to scrap admission charges at one of its historic tourist attractions for a 12-month trial period — despite concerns from some councillors over falling income and ongoing financial pressures. Members of the council’s Neighbourhoods and Communities Committee backed the proposal for free entry at President Arthur Homestead in Cullybackey during a meeting at The Braid in Ballymena on Tuesday

Families across Northern Ireland are set to see the cost of summer outings, meals and travel eased after Chancellor Rachel Reeves unveiled a major package of cost-of-living measures amid growing fears over the economic fallout from the conflict in the Middle East. In a Commons statement on Thursday (21 May), the Chancellor warned that instability linked to the war in Iran posed “a significant challenge to the world economy”, with rising oil and gas prices threatening to put f

Unionist representatives Sam Patton and Councillor Alan Barr raised the ongoing issues of electric scooters following contact from local residents Police have confirmed privately owned e-scooters cannot legally be used on public roads, footpaths, cycle lanes or other public spaces in Northern Ireland, following concerns over their misuse in Kells and Broughshane. The clarification was issued by Sergeant Stevie Allen, from the Mid and East Antrim Local Policing Team, in respon

Colman Byrne, Laura Murray and Michael Graham invite you to Discover CAFRE during Open Farm Weekend at Greenmount Campus, Antrim and Enniskillen Campus. Families across Northern Ireland are being invited to step behind the scenes of rural life next month as CAFRE opens two of its major campuses to the public for a free weekend packed with hands-on activities, food experiences and live farming demonstrations. From sheep shearing and tractor simulators in Antrim to equestrian d

Justice Minister Naomi Long addressing the Police Federation for Northern Ireland annual conference Police officers who responded to recent dissident bomb attacks in Lurgan and Dunmurry have been praised for their “visible competence and bravery” as Northern Ireland’s Justice Minister warned the PSNI is now facing the bleakest financial crisis she has ever seen. Addressing the Police Federation for Northern Ireland annual conference, Naomi Long delivered a stark assessment of

Pictured during the Fostering 400 Bike Tour, left – right, are Shauna Garvin (Northern Trust), Councillor Jackson Minford, Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, Marie McTaggart (Northern Trust) and foster carer Gareth Irvine, who led the Foster 400 bike tour. Hundreds of children across Northern Ireland are facing uncertainty as foster care services urgently appeal for at least 400 additional foster carers — with Ballymena becoming one of the key stops in a major awar

Robin Swann MP with Randalstown and District Beekeepers Association South Antrim MP Robin Swann has marked World Bee Day by highlighting the critical role pollinators play in Northern Ireland’s food production, farming industry and countryside biodiversity. The former Stormont Health Minister used the international awareness day to praise the work of local volunteer beekeepers, warning that protecting pollinators remains essential for both the environment and the local econom

Seven Towers Leisure Centre, Ballymena A review of leisure centre opening hours is set to be carried out by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council after councillors called for a rethink on bank holiday closures. Speaking at last week’s council meeting at The Braid in Ballymena, Larne Lough Alliance Councillor Maeve Donnelly proposed a motion calling for leisure facilities to open during bank holidays. Cllr Donnelly said: “For many of us, bank holidays are a welcome opportunity t

Police in Ballymena arrested a 19-year-old man after reports circulated online alleging a migrant male had produced what witnesses described as a “machete” during an incident near Braidwater Retail Park at the weekend. The incident sparked widespread discussion on social media locally after claims emerged that the man had allegedly behaved inappropriately outside KFC, on the Larne Road Link, before being confronted by members of the public. The individual is understood to hav

22-year-old Cameron Mullen from Kilrea A 22-year-old man from Kilrea has been sentenced to more than two years in prison after police uncovered a series of online child sexual offences involving young teenage boys contacted through Instagram. Cameron Mullen was sentenced at Dungannon Crown Court on Wednesday, May 20, after pleading guilty to seven offences including sexual communication with a child and inciting children to engage in sexual activity online. The case emerged a

Almost 2,500 teachers and classroom assistants across Northern Ireland were injured or assaulted by pupils in the space of a single year, according to figures released by the Education Authority. The scale of the violence was laid bare after Ulster Unionist Party Leader Jon Burrows raised the issue in the Assembly, warning that attacks on school staff have become a “taboo issue” that too many people are unwilling to confront. Newly released figures show 598 teachers and 1,974

A major new international deal has handed Ballymena bus manufacturer Wrightbus another boost in the global race for zero-emission transport, with the company securing a £7 million order from Hong Kong for its next-generation electric double-deck buses. The landmark agreement will see 20 of Wrightbus’s newly developed 6x2 StreetDeck Electroliner buses supplied to Hong Kong operator Citybus, marking the first global order for the new triple-axle model and strengthening the comp

A major new sports bar and restaurant promising live sport, late-night entertainment and a “true taste of the Causeway Coast” has officially opened inside The Portrush Atlantic Hotel. The venue, called Another Round, replaces the hotel’s former Atlantic Bar and forms part of a wider refurbishment programme at the landmark Portrush seafront hotel. Designed as a new social hub in the centre of the seaside town, the concept combines live sports coverage, food, drinks and enterta

A care home provider has revealed staff were dismissed and others referred to professional bodies following the death of an 85-year-old resident at a Lisburn nursing home that later led to a criminal prosecution and £10,000 court fine. Healthcare Ireland, which also runs Slemish Care Home and Braefield Care Home in Ballymena, issued the statement after Healthcare Ireland (no.2) Limited appeared before Lisburn Magistrates Court over failings linked to the death of William Moor

Murdock Builders Merchants team members Connor Gough, Stephen Patterson and Drew Fowler pictured ahead of the Murdock 110k fundraising challenge Four members of the Murdock team are preparing to push themselves through an extraordinary 24-hour endurance challenge that will see them collectively run a staggering 440 kilometres across Northern Ireland in aid of three charities with deep personal meaning to those taking part. The challenge, titled ‘Murdock 110KM’, will begin at

The Israeli flag at a car park on Knockan Road in Broughshane A complaint made to police over an Israeli flag being flown in a public area in Broughshane has resulted in no further action after the PSNI determined that no offence had been committed. Police confirmed officers attended the Knockan Road area on Saturday, 16th May, after receiving a report regarding the flag, which had been erected in the car park area. The incident has since prompted political reaction locally,

Braid Ulster Unionist representatives Sam Patton and Councillor Alan Barr Residents in Kells and Broughshane have warned that it is “only a matter of time” before someone is seriously injured amid growing concerns over the dangerous misuse of e-scooters by children and young people across the area. Braid Ulster Unionist representatives Sam Patton and Councillor Alan Barr say they have been contacted by multiple worried residents who claim e-scooters are being driven recklessl

Ballymena is preparing for one of its biggest annual public events as thousands of spectators, bandsmen, lodge members and families are expected to gather across the town for the 2026 District Twelfth demonstration. The traditional Twelfth of July parade will take place on Monday, 13 July, bringing together 30 local lodges, 17 bands and the unmistakable sound of the Lambeg drum as the procession makes its way through the town centre before heading to the main demonstration fi