NEWS

Centra Frosses Road – Exceptional Performance in Food Safety (L-R) Catherine and Oran McCloskey, owners of Centra Frosses Road with store manager Cathie Carton, Joanne Bertenshaw Musgrave NI Food Safety & Quality Retail Co-ordinator, and host Pete Snodden. Retailers in Cloughmills, Kells, Ballymoney, Toomebridge and Larne have been placed firmly at the centre of this year’s Musgrave Northern Ireland ‘Store of the Year’ Awards, as nine County Antrim stores were recognised for

The future of non-statutory pre-school provision in North Antrim has been thrust back into the spotlight after TUV MLA Timothy Gaston warned in the Northern Ireland Assembly that community playgroups could be forced to close their doors by September without urgent intervention from the Education Minister. Speaking on Monday (13 April) at Stormont, the North Antrim representative said the long-running issue surrounding pupil allocation numbers (PAN) for non-statutory settings

Motorists across Northern Ireland faced widespread disruption on Tuesday after a series of protests involving slow-moving vehicles affected several of the region’s key transport routes, with police issuing Fixed Penalty Notices and public order cautions during a coordinated response operation. The protests took place on Tuesday 14 April, impacting major arterial roads including the Sydenham Bypass, Westlink, M2, A1, A4 and A5, while the A6 at Toome was also blocked for a peri

Uform in Toomebridge Uform has announced the acquisition of TKC in a landmark deal set to reshape the kitchen, bedroom and living space supply market across the UK and Ireland, marking a significant expansion for one of Northern Ireland’s best-known manufacturing and distribution businesses. The move sees the Mid Ulster-based group significantly broaden its reach across key trade channels while establishing a stronger physical presence in Great Britain, creating what the comp

Students from St Oliver Plunkett Primary School Toome are pictured on their recent tour of NI Water’s Moyola Water Treatment Works. With World Health Day fast approaching on Monday, 7 April, NI Water is once again opening the doors of its water treatment works to schools across Northern Ireland, offering pupils a rare opportunity to see first-hand the science and expertise that keeps the region’s drinking water safe. The initiative comes as this year’s global World Health Day

L-R: Declan McAleer MLA, Deputy Chair of the AERA Committee; Robbie Butler, MLA, Chair of the AERA Committee; Kathleen McBride, CEO of Lough Neagh Fishermen’s Co‑Operative Society; Michelle McIlveen MLA, AERA Committee member and Dr Janice Thompson, Committee Clerk. The scale of the crisis engulfing Lough Neagh was laid bare this week as Stormont committee members heard stark warnings from local fishers who say their industry is “dying” amid environmental decline, collapsing

Ross Lorimer of Lakeland Dairies presents a scholarship award to Ballymena student Megan Ross at the CAFRE Industry Support event. Students from Ballymena, Portglenone and Toomebridge have been recognised among the next generation of agri-food talent, securing bursaries and scholarships at a major industry-backed awards event in Cookstown. The presentation, hosted at CAFRE’s Loughry Campus, saw significant financial backing from leading agri-food businesses awarded to student

Cotter’s Park glamping site near Randalstown An annual indoor entertainment licence application for a glamping site outside Randalstown has been deferred following discussion at a meeting of Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council’s Operations Committee at Antrim Civic Centre on Monday evening. The application relates to dancing, singing and music – entertainment of a “like kind” – at Cotters Park on Clonkeen Road, operating Thursday to Sunday from 2.00pm until 1.00am, for

A routine patrol in Toomebridge turned into a major police response on Sunday evening after officers were alerted to reports of a man carrying a gun in a residential area. Two men were arrested following the incident in the Red Row area at around 7pm on Sunday, 22nd February. Armed officers attended the scene and suspected Class A drugs were also seized during follow-up searches. Inspector McCallion outlined how events unfolded. “Officers were on mobile patrol in the Red Row

Tobermore Concrete, County Londonderry A County Londonderry concrete products manufacturer has been fined £160,000 following the death of an employee at its Tobermore production site. Tobermore Concrete Products Limited was sentenced at Londonderry Crown Court on 19 February 2026 after pleading guilty to a single health and safety offence, following an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI). The prosecution followed the death of Mr Colin

A recovery plan has been agreed between Bryson Recycling and Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council in a bid to address missed bin collections across the borough. Bryson Recycling reported a “positive meeting” with the council’s chief executive, Richard Baker, earlier this week to discuss ongoing problems with the collection service. A spokesperson for Bryson Recycling said: “We discussed the issues being raised and also the actions required to get our service back to a st

Mayor of Antrim & Newtownabbey Borough Council, Councillor Leah Kirkpatrick with representatives from Antrim & Newtownabbey Council Labour Market Partnership. A new employment-focused Medical Administration Training Academy is set to launch in Antrim and Newtownabbey in January 2026, offering local residents a direct pathway into administrative roles within GP practices. Following the success of two earlier academies delivered in other council areas, the Northern GP Federatio

Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council has entered into a debate over which household recycling system works best, after the issue was raised at a meeting of a neighbouring council. Speaking in the council chamber at Mossley Mill on Monday evening, Antrim DUP councillor Paul Dunlop highlighted the differing approaches taken by local authorities. Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council has recently completed the roll-out of a triple-stacked wheelie box system to 25,000 house

South Antrim MP Robin Swann during his Doagh constituency event. South Antrim MP Robin Swann has rounded off a busy week of constituency...

Moyola Angling Association will set up a laptop loan scheme. Pictured [L-R] : Philip Maguire, Andrew Rainey, John McCombe, Tommy McGrath....

One of the house designs proposed for a new development south of Loughview Drive, Toomebridge Almost 60 new homes are being planned in...

Nurse, Ester Ali; Director, Patricia Casement (centre), both of Bridgeview Private Nursing Home in Toomebridge, pictured with Dr. Carla...

Detectives investigating recent criminal damage caused to a house in Toome, have made two arrests. Detective Inspector Crothers said: “It...

Pictured with Tiny Tots Nursery School pupils is teacher Sarah McMullan and Energia representative Paul Russell. Staff working at a...

Current view to site from Main Street, Toome, and (inset) proposed elevations with arched entrance to development. A planning application...