NEWS

Buyers and suppliers (L-R) – The judges: Jonathan Mitchell (Our Brewery’s co-founder), Esther Paul, (Business Development Manager at Armagh Cider Company), Chelsea McCullagh (Marketing Manager at Heaney Brewery), Michael Crealey ( Lead Packaged Buying Manager at Tesco NI), Karen O’Neill (Sales Manager at Anzac Drinks/ Farmageddon Brewing Co), Bernard Sloan (Managing Director at Whitewater Brewery) and Peter McKeever (Production Manager at Longmeadow Cider). A Randalstown-base

Mid and East Antrim Deputy Mayor, Councillor Tyler Hoey, pictured with author and illustrator Kelsey Carroll and children who took part in the workshop A new children’s storybook celebrating Ballymena 400 has been officially launched at Mid-Antrim Museum in the Braid, offering young readers an engaging introduction to the town’s history. The launch event took place on Saturday 7 February as part of the Playful Museums Festival, supported by the Northern Ireland Museums Counci

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt Northern Ireland’s Health Minister Mike Nesbitt has reaffirmed his commitment to delivering a 3.3% consolidated pay uplift for NHS staff from 1 April 2026, following the latest recommendation from the NHS Pay Review Body (NHSPRB). The proposed pay rise would apply to all Agenda for Change (AfC) pay points across Health and Social Care (HSC), impacting thousands of frontline staff including nurses, paramedics, healthcare assistants and administrati

The Northern Ireland Executive has agreed the Regional Rate for 2026/27, confirming a 5.0% increase for domestic properties and a 3.0% increase for non-domestic properties. The decision means the domestic regional rate element of the average household bill will rise by 63p per week. The regional rate forms part of the overall rates bill and is used to fund public services across Northern Ireland. The Executive confirmed it has taken the same approach as 2025/26 in setting the

L-R John Megaughin, Managing Director at Clearbox, Chris Selwood, Ballymena United Chairman and Neil Coleman, Client Director at Clearbox Ballymena United, one of the leading clubs in the Sports Direct Premiership, has appointed communications consultancy Clearbox to support the club’s marketing and communications campaigns as it looks to strengthen its brand and increase match ticket sales. The NIFL Premiership club confirmed that Clearbox will lead the development and imple

The scene of the collision in Ballymena on Wednesday evening. Police are appealing for information following a two-vehicle collision in Ballymena on Wednesday, 11 February, which resulted in three people being taken to hospital. The crash occurred at approximately 7pm at the junction of Larne Road Link and St Patrick’s Link Road, involving a black BMW X3 and a red Vauxhall Grandland. Emergency services attended the scene. Emergency services attend Ballymena crash Sergeant Mc

Rhonda Geary, RUAS Group Operations Director and Cormac McKervey, Senior Agriculture Manager, Ulster Bank, kick off the countdown to the 2026 Balmoral Show in partnership with Ulster Bank. The pair are joined by county Antrim farmer, John Cross, who received the award for Champion Clydesdale at the 2025 event. The countdown to Balmoral Show 2026 has officially begun, with the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society (RUAS) announcing that Ulster Bank will return as principal sponsor

Antrim-based Kinexc Energy raised more than £10,500 for Community Rescue Service – the company’s Charity of the Year for 2025 Five-figure donation supports suicide prevention and missing persons searches across Northern Ireland Antrim-based gas network operator Kinecx Energy has raised more than £10,500 for Community Rescue Service (CRS), providing a significant boost to the charity’s life-saving operations across Northern Ireland. A series of co-ordinated fundraising events

More than £866,000 has been lost to romance fraud in Northern Ireland in the past 10 months, according to figures released by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), as officers issue a warning ahead of Valentine’s Day. The PSNI confirmed that between April 2025 and the start of February this year, around 100 reports of romance fraud were made to police, with total financial losses amounting to £866,700. Around 100 reports made to PSNI Chief Inspector Boyd, from the Po

Inset: Independent Councillor Lawrie Philpott Independent Councillor Lawrie Philpott has explained why he voted against Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s decision to strike the district rate for 2026/27 at a special council meeting, citing concerns over City Deal costs, long-term financial pressures and potential alternative savings for residents. On Monday night at a meeting of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council in The Braid, Ballymena, elected members voted 19 to 17 in

Ann Marshall who sadly died in a road traffic collision in Cookstown . A woman has died following a road traffic collision in the Cookstown area on Wednesday 11 February, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has confirmed. The fatal crash occurred on the Moneymore Road and involved a single vehicle. The deceased has been named as Ann Marshall from the Moneymore area. Emergency services attend Moneymore Road crash Detective Inspector Stewart from the PSNI’s Collision

McKillen’s on Church Street, Ballymena launches its closing down sale on Wednesday morning as customers queue up looking for a bargain and taking one last opportunity to visit the much-loved local business Ballymena BID has said it is “deeply saddened” by news regarding McKillen’s of Ballymena, as the long-established Church Street retailer reaches its 100th year at the heart of the town centre. The Business Improvement District has urged the community to support the business

Elected members of the DUP party group on Mid and East Antrim Borough Council Party says below-inflation rise safeguards services and delivers long-term investment The DUP has defended its decision to vote in favour of a 2.95% rates increase at Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, arguing the move was necessary to protect frontline services while enabling significant long-term investment across Ballymena, Carrickfergus and Larne. The DUP party group includes elected members R

21-year-old Chloe Mitchell who was murdered in June 2023 in Ballymena North Antrim elected representatives have called on the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) to grant a dispensation in its ongoing strike action to allow the trial of the individual charged with the murder of Chloe Mitchell to proceed as planned. The appeal comes as a deadline to prevent further delays in the Chloe Mitchell trial is fast approaching. Six representatives — Sian Mullholland MLA, Timothy Gaston MLA

Visual mockup of the Reception at The Bedford Hotel, Belfast A landmark Belfast building has been brought back into use following a multi-million-pound private investment, with The Bedford Hotel now open for bookings from May 2026, creating more than 100 jobs and strengthening confidence in the city’s hospitality and tourism sectors. The hotel is located within the Grade B1 listed Scottish Mutual Building at Donegall Square, a Scottish Baronial-style property dating back to 1

The proposed site for the new Home Bargains store in Antrim, and inset, the newly built Home Bargains store in Ballymena which opened in 2025 Plans for a major new Home Bargains store in Antrim have moved forward after Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council approved a Proposal of Application Notice (PAN) submitted by TJ Morris Ltd. The approval marks the first formal stage in the planning process and paves the way for public consultation on proposals to develop a new discoun

The Farmers’ Choir Northern Ireland Committee Members The Farmers’ Choir Northern Ireland has marked a year of continued growth, strong community engagement and musical success at its fourth Annual General Meeting, held recently at Ballymena Academy. Members gathered to reflect on a busy and productive year for the choir, which has continued to expand its audience reach while strengthening its role as a social and cultural outlet for people from rural and farming backgrounds

South Antrim MP Robin Swann   South Antrim MP Robin Swann has called on the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) to make urgent investment in the deteriorating road network surrounding Belfast International Airport and the M2 motorway, warning that the current condition poses safety risks and damages vehicles on one of Northern Ireland’s most important transport corridors. Highlighting the scale of the problem, Mr Swann said the state of the roads serving the airport and M2 w

TUV North Antrim MLA Timothy Gaston TUV MLA Timothy Gaston has returned to the Northern Ireland Assembly after serving a two-day suspension, using his first day back in the Stormont chamber to defend his conduct and challenge the handling of the so-called ‘breathegate’ controversy. Speaking during Assembly business, Mr Gaston said the sanction imposed on him had now been “served” and set out a detailed response to the circumstances surrounding his removal from the Chamber.

Elected members of the TUV party group serving on Mid and East Antrim Borough Council The Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) group on Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has confirmed it opposed the district rate increase approved at Monday night’s council meeting, arguing that greater steps could and should have been taken to reduce the financial burden on households and businesses across the borough. The TUV group includes Councillor Matthew Armstrong (Ballymena), Councillo