TRIBUTES have been paid to former Highland councillor Rita Finlayson of Helmsdale who died on Sunday after a three-year fight against cancer.

A YOUNG local man had to be airlifted to safety after getting stuck on rocks at Farr Bay, Bettyhill.

PLANS for a 150kw micro-hydro scheme at the Big Burn in Golspie, which could generate thousands of pounds a year for the community, have been revealed to the Northern Times this week.

A new charitable company, Golspie Community Power, has recently been formed to push forward the £450,000 scheme.

A ROGART woman accused of driving at excessive speed at her neighbour who was leading a group of horses along a single-track Sutherland road has been cleared at court.

NORTHERN Constabulary are anxious to speak to anyone who may have seen, or been in contact with, Dornoch businessman Barry Turner over the two days prior to him being reported missing on Thursday evening.

SSE Renewables is this week starting initial construction work on its 71.75MW Gordonbush wind farm near Brora.

A STARK warning on the impact of the financial crisis on health services in Caithness and Sutherland has been sounded.

Colin Punler, chair of the North Highland Community Health Partnership (CHP), announced this week that services would have to be radically "re-designed" in order to balance the books.

SHERIFF David Sutherland's patience finally wore out this week as he jailed persistent offender, Brian Steele.

NT readers are being given the chance to discuss and debate Scotland's future with senior Government Ministers when they visit Dornoch later this month.

POLICE remind those heading to the Rod Stewart concert in Inverness tomorrow (Saturday) that there will be no, or limited, parking (VIP and disabled only) at the venue, the Inverness Caledonian Thistle stadium.

OPPONENTS have protested long and hard about the use of the A9 through Golspie and Brora to transport heavy turbine parts for the Gordonbush wind farm. They have even threatened "civil disobedience" with warnings that they would do whatever it took to halt the traffic.

There were hints that they might consider lying down on the road in the path of the HGVs or continually pressing the button to stop traffic at the crossing in Golspie.

NORTH West Sutherland crofting activist David Forbes has accused Scottish Environment Minister Roseanna Cunningham of undue haste in pushing through the controversial Crofting Reform Bill which was unanimously passed in Parliament last week.

GOLFERS WHO took advantage of Royal Dornoch's "twilight golf offer" on Thursday 1st July had the added bonus of a spectacular sunset from the Championship Course.

COVERING 1500 square miles, the Flow Country of Caithness and Sutherland is the largest expanse of blanket bog in Europe.

PUPILS FROM Dornoch Academy have been venturing into the cosmetics industry in a cross-curricular project that saw them link up with the Inverness branch of Lush. Inspired by the new Curriculum for Excellence, the school's art department had the idea of using a second-year design module to come up with eco-friendly packaging for a "his and hers" body product.

THE wild and craggy landscape of Assynt in north-west Sutherland has been the source of inspiration for many writers and artists, notably the Scottish poet Norman MacCaig.

Now a local woman, herself an award-winning author, poet and environmentalist, is hoping to market the area worldwide as a top destination for cultural tourism.

A COMPLAINT has been made to the local authority about the lack of toilet facilities at a major north-west Sutherland tourist attraction.

SHOPKEEPERS in Sutherland are being warned to be on the lookout for counterfeit £20 notes.

A ROGART parent this week criticised teachers after his daughter became the only member of her class to go away empty-handed from her school's annual prizegiving ceremony.