THE DUMBARTON DEMOCRAT

Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin has voiced concern that some are underestimating the current public health situation. Picture by Bill Heaney By Democrat reporter The

By Democrat reporter LibDem MSP, Liam McArthur, has demanded that the First Minister agrees to give childminders a ‘fair deal’ when it comes to support

Alex Salmond, Nicola Sturgeon, Kenny MacAskill and Peter Murrell. Tom Peterkin of the Press and Journal reported exclusively from Holyrood that Police Scotland have launched

WASPI women campaigners after a meeting in the Burgh Hall in Dumbarton. By Democrat reporter Two women affected by the state pension age being changed

By Democrat reporter Cllr Jim Bollan has been barred from the next two council meetings for revealing redacted (blanked out) information from an internal audit

By Claire Meadows The Covid crisis has reminded people of the value of the media, the Executive Director of the Society of Editors (SoE) has

By Democrat reporter When you’re an NHS Chief Executive, an A&E department wouldn’t normally be on your list for an ideal holiday destination. But that’s

The testing centre which has been set up outside the Meadow Centre in Dumbarton. By Democrat reporter Jackie Baillie MSP is this week warning local

Glasgow Road in Dumbarton, where youths are alleged to have been assaulted. By Democrat reporter Detectives in West Dunbartonshire have arrested and charged four male

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon rubbing shoulders with the Duke of Buccleuch. NOTEBOOK by Bill Heaney There can’t be many who think much of politicians these

Top earners – Gary Lineker, Zoe Ball and Graham Norton. BY Bill Heaney Read it and weep. The BBC has published the latest list of

By Democrat reporter Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton Constituency, has called for support to be provided for all employees who are still off on furlough

By Democrat reporter Over 400 health research trials have restarted and 51 new ones commenced by the health board as part of its recovery plan.

Avast ye Hearties: Playtime at Drumfork Children play on the swings and the new Pirate Ship climbing frame in the Drumfork Playpark. By Kim Hardie

A quiet day for reminiscing in Donegal and who cares if the name of the ferry says Rhum when where it’s going to is Arranmore

By Democrat reporter Police Scotland can confirm a 54-year-old woman has died following a road crash on the A82 on Tuesday, 15 September, 2020. The

Chief Superintendent John Paterson and officers and equipment being used to trace the missing person. By Democrat reporter Police in Argyll and West Dunbartonshire are

Local News Peter Manuel was executed at Barlinnie in 1958 after being convicted of nine murders. By Reevel Alderson Home affairs correspondent, BBC Scotland The

BY CLAIRE MEADOWS The Society of Editors has expressed concern following a warning by a leading human rights organisation that social media companies are taking down

Cove and Kilcreggan Bowling Club is situated on the Rosneath Peninsula. By Democrat reporter A cluster of coronavirus cases has been linked to a private

  Jim Bollan outside the Council offices in the old Burgh Hall in Church Street, Dumbarton. Banned for two meetings. By Bill Heaney Councillor Jim

The flu vaccine is free for those over 65, people with long-term health issues and children.  By Sylvia Thompson in The Irish Times Facing into

By Democrat reporter First Minister Nicola Sturgeon today stressed the vital importance of the new laws that have come into force, limiting social gatherings to a

  Professor and Mrs Ian Jackson with Boy David, whom they took into their home. By Bill Heaney Forty years on from the inspiring story

Joyce White, the Burgh Hall and Municipal Buildings and Cllr Jim Bollan By Democrat reporter The Standards Commission for Local Government in Scotland was sitting

13 September 2020, 23:23 | Updated: 13 September 2020, 23:55 Geoffrey Cox struck out at the “unconsciable” plan to override the Withdrawal Agreement. Picture: PA By

Drivers faced with 59 mile diversion as ‘significant’ landslide forces closure Rest and Be Thankful. Picture credit BEAR NW Trunk Roads @NWTrunkRoads The A83 route

The last few months have been for many of us a challenge, not simply in terms of physical illness, but a challenge emotionally because it

By Democrat reporter It’s finally Friday and we’re all looking forward to a fun weekend. But ahead of new laws on Monday – meeting only

Judges Lord Keane and Lady Angiolini pictured at a ceremony in Edinburgh. Above Lords Doherty, Matthews and Gill. Pictures by Bill Heaney BY CLAIRE MEADOWS

By Democrat reporter On the day before harsher coronavirus restrictions become legally enforceable across Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie has called on the

Police Chief Superintendent John Paterson, the person in charge of policing in Argyll and West Dunbartonshire. Pictures by Bill Heaney and Rodger Scullion By Democrat

If paradise was half as nice – soft play centre for children. THE owner of an award-winning chain of children’s indoor soft play areas is

  Families picnicking, sunbathing and swimming at Loch Lomond. By Democrat reporter Luss Bay on Loch Lomondside has been identified as one of the most

New audiences editor for London and the South East, Luke Jacobs at his desk. BY MARIELLA BROWN Reach – the weekly newspaper group which owns the

Scotland goalkeeper David Marshall with young fans looking forward to the opening of the new season proper in Scotland later this month.. By Bill Heaney

Dumbarton High Street, where businesses are struggling to stay open. By Democrat reporter The Scottish Government must deliver over £250 million worth of unallocated business

  A family gathers at Rhu hoping for a glimpse of their loved-one as HMS Blyth returns to the Clyde; HMS Blyth returns to the

By Democrat reporter First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has urged smartphone users across Scotland to download NHS Scotland’s new contact tracing app to help suppress the

By First Minister Nicola Sturgeon It must still be our aim to keep prevalence of the virus as low as possible, so we have taken

By Democrat reporter BRIAN Taylor, BBC Scotland’s stalwart of political reporting, is retiring after a 35-year career with the broadcaster. Renowned for his razor-sharp reporting

Nicola Sturgeon’s husband, the SNP chief executive Peter Murrell, has told a Holyrood inquiry he did not know about sexual harassment allegations against Alex Salmond

  Elaine Harkins has been nominated for the Diabetes Healthcare Professional of the Year. By Lucy Ashton A senior diabetes nurse specialist at Paisley’s Royal

By Democrat reporter A PUBLIC consultation produced by a charity led by a committee including Helensburgh man Ronald Morrison,  a retired accountant and entrepreneur,  provides

Alex Kerr with Nicola Sturgeon, when he was one of six SNP candidates for the 2019 European Election By Judith Duffy in The National A

By Democrat reporter Statistics out today have revealed an increase of 16.5 per cent in the number of Debt Payment Programmes accepted under the Debt

By Democrat reporter West Dunbartonshire Council chief executive Joyce White, pictured right,  has thrown her considerable weight behind the Scottish Government plea for people to

BY CLAIRE MEADOWS Science and health journalists have been critical to the reporting and public understanding of the Covid-19 pandemic, a leading panel has agreed.

By Democrat reporter The number of coronavirus tests being carried out halved in less than a week, calling into question the effectiveness of Test and

  A shepherd tends his flock in Glen Fruin in the hills above Helensburgh. Picture by Bill Heaney By Democrat reporter STV Studios has been

The Scottish Parliament at Holyrood in Edinburgh. By Bill Heaney It reads like a script from Yes Minister, the hugely popular BBC comedy about politics.

Machines can hold simple conversations and have been found to improve mental health  The wheeled robots, called Pepper, have been successfully trialled in the UK

Police seize an XR protester at the weekend By Democrat reporter THE government has been hit with a media censorship warning amid reports it is

By Nick Kempe of Parkswatch     Pictures by Bill Heaney, of the Democrat If you did not hear the Call Kaye programmme on 18th August,

Campaigners against domestic abuse at a meeting in West Dunbartonshire. By Democrat reporter Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie has today stressed the need to

The second great old photograph of the day from Frances Slorach is of St Patrick’s Boys’ Guild at their annual summer holiday camp in Fort

By Democrat reporter THE Marine Conservation Society‘s annual Great British Beach Clean will begin on 18th September, running for a week, rather than a weekend, of beach

By Democrat reporter People in West Dunbartonshire and South Argyll need to play by the rules – as Covid cases continue to rise in the

By Democrat reporter THE founder of a copywriting agency has published a beginner’s guide to becoming a freelance writer. Neil Cumins said: “For many Scots,

This photograph came to The Democrat by courtesy of Frances Slorach. It is of a group of women dressed as auxiliary nurses and emergency ambulance

Richard Leonard with former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn BRIAN WILSON writes … Demands for “loyalty” from a besieged leader should be treated with suspicion. Loyalty

Maire Mullis in Beedi’s in Dungloe, Donegal, which is a ‘wet’ pub and a group of Scottish visitors. From the Irish Times The Irish Government

Submarines at the MoD base at Faslane on the Gareloch BY CLAIRE MEADOWS The Society of Editors (SoE) has called on the Ministry of Defence

        ‘Please do not politicise this pandemic’. According to Alex Andreou in Politics magazine, this is “the rallying cry of the clueless”.

Teenage mother Mary Duncan, who has been missing for 40 years. By Democrat reporter Detectives in West Dunbartonshire and Argyll investigating the disappearance of Mary

Jackie Baillie said:  “It really does beggar belief that on the very first day that our long awaited and hard fought for local testing service has opened, local people are already being told to travel as far as Dundee to access a test.

We can accommodate up to 8 people from 3 households. Bookings of more will be split over separate tables.  Due to the popularity of this offer if you need to reduce your numbers or cancel we ask that you kindly call to advise us on the day. Offer ends Wednesday 30th September.  See you next week  
https://www.labarcahelensburgh.co.uk/bookings/    
*Excludes lunch menu and alcohol

“He is a man of action and just took it upon himself to get out and maintain public grounds without any complaints.

She told MSPs that at next year’s Holyrood election she will “make the case for Scotland to become an independent country, and seek a clear endorsement of Scotland’s right to choose our own future”.

The public most be wondering how long they are going to have to put up Cllr McColl and his cronies. They are an affront to the many well-intentioned folk in the Scottish National Party. He makes Donald Trump and Boris Johnston look good.”

Cllrs Diane Docherty and Caroline McAllister By Democrat reporter The first phase of modern new homes on the site of a former school in Clydebank

Fortunately we were both sitting. My father’s 99, he’s got his back to the bow of the boat and we’re almost right at the bow, and there’s a big impact and the boat stopped very suddenly.

Positive Action in Housing said Ms Baguma’s one-year-old son was “found crying beside his mother’s body, weakened from several days of hunger”.

Grants from the Transitional Support Fund will be available to all private and voluntary or not-for-profit registered day care of children providers, not just those delivering funded early learning and childcare.

“At the same time, Jeane Freeman is writing out to MSPs with a long-winded no.  So while it’s a ‘mibbes aye’ from the First Minister, it’s a ‘mibbes naw’ from the Health Secretary.   

Even if they can’t spell Meadow or testing or explain what they mean by “alternate weekends”, the Health Board trust you’ll get the message above about testing for coronavirus in West Dunbartonshire.

Emergency services attended and the 21-year-old male passenger of the motorcycle was taken by ambulance to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital where he has subsequently died as a result of his injuries.

Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard has declared that he will be leading the party into the 2021 Holyrood elections despite a number of Labour MSPs calling for his resignation.

“However, by this point the damage was done. This matter has not only been the worst kind of political smear, the false allegation has equally resulted in security implications for myself and my family given its serious and personal nature.”

The announcement comes following an increase in cases in the area which the Scottish Government attributed to community transmission due to indoor gatherings and parties where guidelines were not followed.

Don’t moan about it though. A community gets the politicians it deserves if they don’t bother to get off their backsides and go out and vote.

“These steps are in place to protect our health and the well-being of the most vulnerable in our communities. Our area has been particularly badly hit by Covid-19 and while we are through the worst of it, we are not yet in the clear.

By Democrat reporter A Church of Scotland foodbank has been recoignised for its work by the Church of Scotland. Ness Bank Church’s Inverness Foodstuff, which

She said: “The greatest challenges I saw faced our patients and their families and by default, many of my nursing colleagues as well. The bravery and courage displayed by our nursing team inside the hospital as a wall against this once in a generation pandemic, was reflected by our local population in their support for the site. 

Brendan O’Hara MP said: ““I appreciate the heroic efforts of the BEAR Scotland workforce in building the mitigation pits and in clearing debris from the road, these are massive tasks but we cannot go on second guessing this hillside; one which will become increasingly unstable due to climate change and increased rainfall.”

This is the first NUJ strike under the Covid-19 lockdown. This in itself is a demonstration of the commitment of the chapel and a reflection of the strength of feeling among the NUJ members involved.

Emergency services attended and the 21 year old passenger was taken by ambulance to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital where medical staff describe his condition as critical.

By Democrat reporter UK Labour’s Anneliese Dodds and Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard, pictured right,  have come together and told the SNP government to “get

Since Chinese officials implemented the first coronavirus lockdown in the city of Wuhan in January, there have been more than 25.2 million cases of COVID-19 across the planet. More than 846,000 people have died from the disease, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Efforts to curb the outbreak have led to the global disruption of daily life and the economy, as schools and workplaces shuttered in hopes of slowing transmission.

The incident happened around 11pm on East Princes Street near Helensburgh Central Train Station. The victim was taken to the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley for treatment to serious facial injuries.

How any politician of any hue came to think it was a good idea to discriminate against poor and deprived children is unbelievable. Nicola Sturgeon must have been aware of this.

She is the latest in a series of SNP MSPs to confirm they will not be standing for re-election and her announcement follows Health Secretary Jeane Freeman confirming on Monday plans to quit Holyrood in May.

Police and the Scottish Ambulance Service were called to the scene at the junction of Nitshill Road and Parkhouse Road in the south side of the city at about 10:00 on Saturday.

“Harriet should be granted political asylum and allowed to live here without fear of being sent back to a country where her life would be in danger. It’s time the Tory Government stopped playing with people’s futures and treated refugees and asylum seekers as people.”

The BIT Collective, which was set up to tackle gender inequality in Scotland’s trad music scene, wants a “fundamental culture change” in the attitude to women’s safety, equality and dignity.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the powers were being introduced as a last resort in a bid to cut down on a “significant transmission risk” across the country.

Community Safety Minister Ash Denham said: “The first-hand accounts I’ve heard from children of their experiences in the family court process have been deeply touching. This is why the radical changes in this Bill are so important.

Labour MSP Neil Findlay has drawn our attention to this Sunday Post editorial. You can add comments below. Editor

With over 12,000 patients receiving cancer operations a year in Scotland, this reduction in capacity threatens to jeopardise the survival chances of almost 10,000 Scots over the next two years.

She also encouraged the store to employ those who had previously worked for Waitrose and to residents from the local area to ensure that people did not miss out on any employment opportunities.

With no chance of social distancing on a submarine (even a pretend one) the entire team are working in a self contained unit, with regular testing. This is endlessly fascinating for the team on River City, who are still getting to grips with their own regime.

“If a primary pupil was immunised against flu last year it is important they get the vaccine again this year, as the virus changes every year. As a result, a different vaccine has to be made every year, meaning annual vaccination is necessary for children.  

This is a slap in face for the parents who are struggling with the mounting costs of childcare. Not only do families need and deserve this support, but there is no credible route to a strong economic recovery from this crisis that does not include strong childcare services. This can’t afford to wait.” 

NHS Highland, including Argyll and Bute Maternity Services, were early adopters in the Best Start Programme, which sees women building strong relationships with their midwife and receiving care tailored to their individual needs and circumstances.

Then important people such as General De Gaulle, President of France, and his wife decided that they too wanted peace and time to relax in the stimulating, salt-kissed fresh air.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s GP Out of Hours service provides care and treatment to those who require medical assistance outwith normal GP surgery hours. The service works with NHS 24 and you should always contact NHS 24 on 111 to arrange an appointment. 

The now departed, following an embarrassing interlude on the eve of the Scottish Budget when he resigned and disappeared from public life but kept claiming his parliamentary salary, Finance Secretary Derek Mackay was at the heart of the negotiations which put the public’s money at risk.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman, who is one of the departing dozen, has admitted she would have handled the coronavirus crisis differently had she known how badly it would rip through Scotland’s care homes.

Your speeches can be written for you and you can be rehearsed in the answers to any questions you are likely to be asked. Your fellow MPs may have a good idea of your limitations, but your constituents only see part of you, and that’s through the lens of your marketing machinery.

folk are worried sick and running about like blue arsed flies to all parts of the country trying to get their kids tested…. when they can maybe use the isolate option. West Dunbartonshire Council are deliberately withholding that information.”

The first issue covers the latest news stories; what’s going on in gaming; an interview with a top WWE wrestler, toilet roll crafts and a feature on a school using bubbles to save the planet – “and that’s just the tip of the iceberg”.

A prerequisite for Agnew Avenue though might prove too costly for the Council since the bathrooms in all the houses would have to have gold chains installed.

Changes to rules about previous criminal convictions which people need to disclose to prospective employers will take effect this year.

Meanwhile, two years on, ­investigators are still sifting through debris to discover the cause of the fire. It is estimated the rebuilding of the Mackintosh building will cost at least £100m.

Surgery cuts imposed during pandemic threaten survival of 10,000 Scots cancer patients

As they prepared to pay their last respects Ava’s funeral service in Clydebank Crematorium, her heart broken relatives ­questioned why some people’s first reaction was to start filming the incident which happened in the water beneath Balloch Bridge.

“When the SNP Government is presiding over such a mess everyone in Scottish Labour must be united in tackling those failures and supporting the fight for a fairer economy, workers’ rights and public ownership of our public services.

The SNP minister, who once worked as a solicitor with Dumbarton District Council,  said she had taken the decision after “some hard thinking” but would continue “to fight for independence”.

In order to use the land to the benefit of the population at large, donations are required so the loot can be transferred to the ample coffers of Buccleuch Estates.

Detectives at Clydebank have released images of two men they wish to speak to as they believe they may be able to help with their enquiries in relation to a bogus caller incident which occurred between Monday, 3 August, 2020 and Friday, 7 August 2020, within Freelands Crescent, Old Kilpatrick.

Sergeant Martin Miller, of Helensburgh Police, said: “We are becoming increasingly concerned about Scott’s welfare and we are asking for assistance from members of the public to help trace him safe and well. 

Lieutenant Commander Ross Balfour, Officer in Charge of Project Wilton, said: “We have been working closely with both Defence Equipment and Support and our industry partners to realise this emergent capability for a considerable time.

Because the virus is so infectious, if it is present at such an event, there is a very high likelihood that most people at the event will get the virus.

This means that potentially they could enter the Clyde, the Leven, Loch Lomond, the Fruin and the Endrick, all of which are fished by members of the Loch Lomond Angling Association.

Salmond was cleared on all counts. But that didn’t stop Wark from raking up all the claims and interviewing three of the women who gave evidence.

What a waste of time and taxpayers’ money has been the SNP government’s £3 million corona virus advertising campaign in Scotland’s weekly newspapers. This week

“There might be one [bulletin] a day, or something. I think there’ll be fewer of them. But … it’ll be in the digital space, it’ll be on, you know, iPlayer. It’ll be on your tablet, your iPhone.”

Existing patients who would normally attend the service between every five and eight weeks, will be invited to return to for regular treatments from September.
 

The old Rialto cinema in Dumbarton where, after church halls, bingo made its debut in Dumbarton 60 years ago. The owners, Carlton Bingo, will not re-open after suffering a downturn in business during the pandemic.

The app is so straight forward and keeps my clinical team up to date on my condition. It means you’re looked after every day without having to go and see a doctor. With the messaging service, you have a way of contacting somebody if you’re not feeling well which is a reassuring back-up.
 

“Unlike student nurses and midwives, however, those training to be a paramedic are not eligible for a bursary, despite being unable to take up part time work. To add insult to injury, their counterparts in England do receive bursaries. 

The price of meals at schools will be cut by 50% every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday during August with West Dunbartonshire families paying as little as £1.23 in Primary schools.

This has been a long and drawn out battle which impacted my health and business. I hope nobody else has to go through what I have been through over the last one and a half years with constant spiteful complaints.

Mr Salmond has repeatedly denied any criminal misconduct, and in March this year was cleared of 14 charges of sexual misconduct, including one of attempted rape. He was not prosecuted over the alleged incident at Edinburgh airport in 2007, which he also denied.

Families will be helped greatly by introduction of early learning. Illustration by Jane Heaney By Aileen MacLennan Argyll and Bute Council whose area includes Cardross,

Detective Sergeant David Lavery said : “The men threatened the couple with violence but thankfully no-one was injured as a result of this incident. There were children also within the home.  From our enquiries so far we understand that the threat was directed at the couple with no wider risk to the public.

“We can finally announce that the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park has been selected as the first lynx reintroduction site in our ambitious plans to reintroduce the Eurasian lynx to Scotland,” a statement from the Lynx Trust said on Wednesday.

“But it’s also essential that parents are provided with the reassurance they need that it is safe for their children to be in school.

At that point, Green logic becomes a little confused. How is it possible to identify a monumental failure of governance yet retain confidence in the Minister responsible for it?

“The Redress for Survivors Bill will acknowledge and provide tangible recognition of harm as a result of historical child abuse in various residential care settings in Scotland.

Joe Biden and California Sen. Kamala Harris appeared together for the first time as a joint Democratic ticket Wednesday in Wilmington, Delaware, with a clear general election message: President Donald Trump is a purveyor of crisis. “America is crying out for leadership, yet we have a president who cares more about himself than the people who elected him,” Harris said after being introduced by Biden. “A president who is making every challenge we face even more difficult to solve.” She also made an emotional tribute to her friend Beau Biden. [

There would be blood on the walls. Scalps would be taken, and one in particular, that of John Swinney, the Cabinet Secretary for Education. This would be the day when what happened really was ‘unprecedented’.

No bigger clanger has ever been dropped and none has received so much opprobrium in the 21 years the devolved Scottish parliament has been in

Celtic said it “unreservedly condemns and apologises” for the behaviour of Bolingoli, who travelled to Spain without informing the club and then failed to observe quarantine restrictions.”

One modern philosopher – Albert Camus – saw in the myth the truth of human existence. He saw us as constantly frustrated by a life that is absurd and without meaning. He rejected despair as the only legitimate response in the face of such adversity and opted instead for courage.

It sets out how relaxation of visiting restrictions will take place in three further stages, moving through outdoor visiting, indoor visiting by one designated person and eventually to a controlled programme of outdoor and indoor visiting.

“Like the pupils and parents who protested at the weekend, I am clear that those responsible for this fiasco must be held to account.