NEWS

Maeve Owens while studying at MSU took the opportunity to travel to Chicago A student from Magherafelt has described her four-month study experience in the United States as “the best thing I’ve ever done” after returning home from a life-changing exchange programme at one of America’s biggest universities. Maeve Owens, who studies BSc (Hons) Food Business Management at the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE), recently completed a semester abroad at Michi

Inset: Interim chief executive of the Northern Health and Social Care Trust The interim chief executive of the Northern Health and Social Care Trust has acknowledged the publication of the Northern Ireland Audit Office report on the use of temporary nursing staff across Northern Ireland. Speaking at a meeting of the Trust board at Causeway Hospital, Coleraine, on Thursday morning, Suzanne Pullins said the report “sends out a very important message about reliance on temporary

Dr Martin Hanna, Consultant Paediatrician; Lesley Kennedy, Paediatric Asthma & Allergy Nurse Specialist and Anne Marie Campbell, Allergy Dietitian. Children waiting for specialist allergy care in the Northern Trust area are being seen faster after a series of additional evening clinics helped tackle lengthy paediatric waiting lists at Antrim Area Hospital. The extra clinics, funded by the Department of Health, were introduced specifically to reduce delays for children needing

A major fire involving a car showroom, multiple vehicles and café premises in Garvagh prompted a large-scale emergency response in the early hours of Wednesday morning, with 55 firefighters deployed to tackle the blaze. Emergency crews were called to the incident on the Carhill Road at approximately 4.30am on Wednesday 13 May after reports of a building fire. Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service said firefighters arriving at the scene were met by a “developed fire” involvin

Members of the Northern Trust’s Palliative Care and Learning Disability Working Group pictured at an event to mark the launch of the bereavement information for adults with a learning disability. Talking about death remains one of life’s most avoided conversations—but a major regional campaign this week is aiming to change that, with new support, resources, and community events rolled out across the Northern Trust area to help people face it with greater confidence and compas

A major organised crime investigation has led to the arrest of a 30-year-old man and the seizure of suspected cocaine worth an estimated £1 million, after detectives uncovered evidence of drug supply, illicit cash movement and indecent images of children on mobile devices. The man was arrested on Friday, 1 May, in the Cookstown area by detectives from the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Organised Crime Unit. He is being held on suspicion of offences relating to drug supp

David Harkin, Franchisee Performance Manager at Subway UK and Ireland, is pictured with a group of finalists from across the competing clubs ahead of the NIYFA Subway Cup Finals Day at the Mid Ulster Sports Arena, Cookstown, where Northern Ireland’s top youth teams will compete for national honours. Northern Ireland’s most promising young footballers are set to take centre stage as 34 of the country’s leading youth teams prepare to compete for national honours at the NIYFA Su

Emmet Potter who was tragically died as a result of the road traffic collision A 38-year-old man has been charged in connection with a fatal road traffic collision in Caledon which claimed the life of Emmet Potter, with police confirming he is due to appear in court today. The charge follows the single-vehicle collision on Derrycourtney Road on Saturday, 25 April, which resulted in Mr Potter’s death and sparked an investigation by the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Coll

Noah and Grace have been confirmed as the most popular baby names given to children registered in Northern Ireland in 2025, with fresh figures showing long-standing favourites holding firm while a wave of new and unusual names continues to emerge. The latest Baby Names 2025 statistics, published today by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) , reveal that Grace has retained the number one spot for girls, while Noah has climbed back to the top of the boy

A woman has been taken to hospital following a three-vehicle road traffic collision in Bellaghy on Sunday evening, with police now appealing for witnesses and motorists with dashcam footage to come forward. The crash happened in the Ballymacombs Road area of Bellaghy shortly after 6.30pm on Sunday, April 12, prompting an emergency response and the temporary closure of the road. Police said the woman’s injuries are not believed to be serious at this time. The road remained clo

Cancer services in Northern Ireland remained under intense strain at the end of 2025, with the latest Department of Health figures showing that almost all key waiting time targets continued to be missed despite an increase in the number of patients beginning treatment and a sharp rise in breast cancer assessments. The newly published Accredited Official Statistics cover the quarter ending December 2025 and set out waiting times for patients accessing cancer services at hospit

An action plan is set to be implemented by the Northern Health and Social Care Trust at Whiteabbey Hospital by the end of next month in a bid to improve theatre efficiency. Trust board members were presented with a report on theatre performance at the end of February, which showed that performance in the Trust’s “peripheral” hospitals — Whiteabbey and Mid Ulster — is below target in terms of both operating and run times. Operating times refer to the time spent on each patient

The Northern Health and Social Care Trust board has approved a business case for the purchase of nine new ultrasound scanners at a cost of almost £700,000. A report presented to the Trust board at its most recent meeting in January said: “This proposal aims to replace nine ultrasound scanners within radiology across the Trust. “The service covers a wide range of routine, planned, red flag and urgent examinations for both inpatients and outpatients, as well as unscheduled car

A man has been arrested after a suspected deliberate house fire in Moneymore left one man injured and forced neighbouring residents from their homes. Emergency services were called to the incident in the Rockview Park area shortly before 2pm on Thursday, March 12, after reports that a property had caught fire while people were inside. Police say a man and a child were inside the house at the time the blaze broke out. The child escaped unharmed, while the man was taken to hosp

Drugs seized by police in Mid Ulster Police in Mid Ulster have seized drugs valued at over £80,000 in a major operation targeting local drug supply. During a coordinated Day of Action on Friday 20 February, officers recovered Class A and B substances, including suspected cocaine, ketamine, and cannabis. The proactive searches were carried out across multiple properties in the Cookstown and Stewartstown areas. Local District Support Team (DST) officers led the operation, with

A viable device has been discovered in a residential area of Upperlands, prompting a significant police response and an urgent public appeal for information. Detectives are investigating the security alert in the Oakvale Terrace area, which unfolded on Saturday, February 21. The incident led to the establishment of multiple cordons as specialist officers attended the scene. Detective Inspector Keon confirmed the seriousness of the find. He said: “Following a report to police

Hollybank staff members Darren Mitchell and Kellie Grant. Hollybank Supported Living in Magherafelt is recruiting additional Band 3 support workers, as the Northern Health and Social Care Trust encourages people to consider a career in social care supporting adults with learning disabilities. Recruitment open days will take place in March, with applications now open online. The Trust is seeking staff to work across supported living and short breaks services at Hollybank, offe

Anna Short secured a scholarship through CAFRE’s Industry Support Programme in conjunction with Pilgrim’s Europe. A paid placement year through the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) Industry Support Programme has helped a Greenmount Campus student gain hands-on experience across the poultry sector and clarify her future career ambitions. Anna Short, a BSc (Hons) Sustainable Agriculture student at CAFRE’s Greenmount Campus , secured a scholarship placem

Inset: SDLP Councillor Malachy Quinn SDLP Councillor Malachy Quinn has expressed delight that his campaign for the introduction of Caoimhé’s Law is continuing to gather momentum, with the Justice Minister and two Northern Ireland local authorities now pledging their support. In October 2025, the Torrent DEA representative tabled a motion calling for legal restrictions on the sharing on social media of images and videos taken at the scenes of serious road traffic collisions.

Two men have been arrested following an arson attack on a residential flat in Cookstown that caused significant damage and forced the evacuation of neighbouring residents. Police confirmed they received a report of a fire at an upstairs flat in the Sullenboy Park area at approximately 7.10pm on Saturday, 31 January. A PSNI spokesperson said: “We received a report at approximately 7.10pm on Saturday, 31st January of a flat fire in the Sullenboy Park area. “Upon officers’ arriv