Antrim Guardian Newspaper

Bad news and good news....
- Toome Bypass Closure Both Directions (Between Creagh Roundabout and B18 Turn Off at Shivers Business Park) from 10pm Fri 31 Aug to 6am Mon 03 Sept. Details at http://trafficwatchni.com/traffic-news
- The eastbound link to Randalstown from the A6 will open on Monday 3rd September. Eastbound motorists will now not have to travel to M22 J2 to access Randalstown. Details at http://trafficwatchni.com/traffic-news

In the Antrim Guardian this week:
- The DUP's Nigel Kells speaks out on his decision to leave Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council.
- Randalstown man Joe Graham celebrates his 100th birthday
... - And the latest on the trouble rocking the Springfarm estate
- In sport, Randalstown and Ballyclare are back in rugby action
- Big hearted biking fans help raise £12,500 for injured riders
- And finally, a win for Chimney Corner!
PLUS court and council coverage and a round-up of all the GCSE results in local schools!
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Our new website is now live, check it out here!
http://www.antrimguardian.co.uk/

In the Antrim Guardian this week:
- Police investigate 'grooming' allegations at a local church after a convicted sex offender was banished.
- A car catches fire in dramatic scenes in Antrim town centre.
... - Why IS Stormont STILL dormant?
- And the latest on the Muckamore scandal, a local family's devastation at the Omagh bomb and a feature on a Ballyclare man who has been making stained glass for 50 years.
- In sport: the Mayor tackles hockey world cup hero Zoe Wilson at Antrim Forum.
- Competitive rugby action returns to Randalstown this weekend when the firsts face old foes Academy
- And all the action from the Ulster Rally.
PLUS - the new ANTRIM GUARDIAN website is going live this week - keep an eye on this page for further updates...
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IN THE ANTRIM GUARDIAN THIS WEEK:
- Disgraced former SDLP councillor Brian Duffin is refusing to step down from his seat on Antrim and Newtownabbey Council - despite receiving a four-month prison sentence for sexually assaulting a teenager in her own home. At Antrim Magistrate's Court last week, Duffin was released on £500 bail pending an appeal of both the sentence and the conviction. But Ulster Unionist councillor Jim Montgomery has forcefully argued that his position has b...
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In the Antrim Guardian this week:
- After 20 long months staring death in the face, Antrim man Mark Smyth is finally allowing himself to dream of the future. His liver had been destroyed by a deadly cocktail of booze and prescription medicine and without a transplant he knew this was a fight he could not win. And that battle appeared to be moving into its final stages three weeks ago when he became gravely ill and was rushed to Antrim Hospital. Staff there were unable to stab...
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IN THE ANTRIM GUARDIAN THIS WEEK:
A member of staff at Muckamore Abbey Hospital believes that a climate of fear among the hospital's workers in the wake of mass suspensions over claims of abuse has made 'a violent place downright dangerous'. A major police investigation is underway after it emerged that 12 nurses have been suspended from their posts. It is understood that further suspensions are pending. The scandal erupted when CCTV footage appeared to show staff striking pa...
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Are you reeling from the impact of Saturday's flash flooding? Has your home or business been affected? Do you feel you are getting enough help from the authorities - and what needs to be done to stop it from happening again? We'll be covering this story over the coming weeks and we want to hear your stories.
Get in touch via editor@antrimguardian.co.uk

In the Antrim Guardian this week?
- Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark? New evidence of the calamitous cost of the council’s decision to throw musical instruments bequeathed to the people of Antrim into the skip has been unearthed. The fate that befell the Massereene Brass and Reed is certainly a tangled web, but at its centre is a local council which was at best careless, at worst cavalier, about a priceless link to Antrim’s cultural past.
... - A Crumlin family has again been hit by tragedy after the sudden death of a teenager, just weeks after his father passed away. Henry Turley (14) fell from a hotel balcony in the beach resort of Playa de Muro on Majorca in the early hours of last Wednesday. Henry's death comes less than seven weeks after his father Stephen, who ran the Ten Storey tattoo parlour in Crumlin, was discovered dead at a friend's house.
- And a sectarian killer has appeared at Antrim Magistrate's Court charged with escaping lawful custody. The alleged offences arose after Christopher Kerr (32) allegedly ran away from prison officers in Victoria Square shopping centre while out on day release. Kerr, currently serving a life term for the attack which claimed the life of 15-year-old Catholic schoolboy Michael McIlveen, was arrested at Antrim Area Hospital the following day.
- In sport, boxer Conor Cooke believes he has the world in his hands after he left his first professional opponent sprawled at his feet following a spectacular second round KO. But while his fighting career is on the up, Cooke is the first to admit that things have been much more complicated away from the ring. “Look, I’m no angel and I’ve made mistakes in the past” he said. “Since the fight things have changed a bit. The reaction has been overwhelming. People are stopping me in the street.”
- The 2018 MCE Insurance Ulster Grand Prix is less than a month away and anticipation is certainly building. Following a TT that saw Peter Hickman demolish the outright lap record to win a thrilling Senior TT finale ahead of Dean Harrison, the 7.4011 miles of Dundrod tarmac is the next meeting ground for these road-racing heavyweights.
- And the Opening Ceremony for the Atlantic Challenge International Contest of Seamanship has taken place. Eleven international teams are making Antrim their home for this week's event. Two hundred young people from USA, Russia, Belgium, Great Britain, Republic of Ireland, France, Denmark, Canada and Northern Ireland will compete, live and learn together as part of the Atlantic Challenge.
Plus much, much more!
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IN THE ANTRIM GUARDIAN THIS WEEK
- After opposition to the privatisation of waste collections in parts of Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council, claims are now emerging that bins are going unemptied. A number of social media posts have been made by the council in recent weeks and months, advising that bins have not been collected on their allotted days. Last November, the decision to outsource some waste collection services to a private firm was met with outrage....
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Intervention service available 10 until 5 over the following days:
Thursday 12th July Friday 13th July Saturday 14th July... Sunday 15th July
Call 07511 209397 to arrange a face to face appointment
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In the Antrim Guardian this week:
- Sinister footage has emerged of a masked man pointing a gun out the window of a house at a pre-Twelfth Church parade in Randalstown. Sunday’s annual parade saw brethren from Randalstown District LOL No 22 and members of two local bands taking part in a church service and act of Remembrance. As the bands and the brethren - including young children - made their way down Station Road, watched by spectators, they were unaware of a more sinister...
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In the Antrim Guardian this week:
- Pressure is mounting on disgraced former SDLP councillor Brian Duffin to walk away from political life after the 73-year-old was found guilty last month of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl. He will be sentenced on August 7. Since the conviction, the pro-life campaigner has remained tight-lipped - though he has indicated that his legal team are preparing to appeal....
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IN THE ANTRIM GUARDIAN THIS WEEK:
- An Antrim mum has bravely opened her heart for the first time about the downward spiral of drug abuse that cost her daughter her health - and ultimately her life. Shaneen Pearce stepped from the crowd at a community drugs meeting this week to tell her own shattering story of the devastating impact dealers dealt to her family. Life as she knew it ended when the phone rang just a few days before Christmas 2015....
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TRAFFIC REMINDER FOR THIS WEEKEND!
A6 & M22 Full closure both directions (between Toome and M22 J2) from 3pm to 3.30pm Sat 23 June. To facilitate the above full closure there will be a lane closure on M22 Westbound Approach M22 J2 from 2pm to 5pm Sat 23 June.
Details at http://trafficwatchni.com/traffic-news

An important service in the heart of Antrim.

IN THE ANTRIM GUARDIAN THIS WEEK:
- A security guard who was on duty the night an alcoholic indecently assaulted a disabled woman at Antrim Area Hospital, has warned that 'someone will be killed' if drastic safeguarding improvements are not made. Speaking exclusively to the Antrim Guardian, the man said he is willing to speak to the family of Natasha Mulholland - who later passed away - about his experiences. He says he is 'haunted' by the events of the evening in March 2016 ...when Ronnie Carleton, who was jailed last week for 18 months, committed the offence.
- Cruel vandals have targeted a community hub in Antrim run by a mental health charity. Windows were smashed and plant pots and other decorations wrecked at the facility in Norfolk Court some time between 10pm on Friday, June 15 and 11am on Saturday, June 16. Rehability manager Billy Gould said: “I can’t understand why anyone would target an organisation like Rehability. “This is a charity which works tirelessly to make a difference in the lives of some of our most vulnerable citizens.”
- And the family of a teenage boy who was subjected to sickening sexual violence over unpaid drug debts have called on a senior Antrim loyalist to keep out of their affairs. They have accused South Antrim PUP chairman Ken Wilkinson of causing ‘great distress’ with his ‘ill-informed’ comments about rape being used as a weapon by local dealers. The shocking revelation first broke a fortnight ago when frontline addictions worker Tracy Bell told a packed public meeting that young people were being deliberately snared by dealers.
- In sport, an Antrim snooker player is hoping to follow in the footsteps of his mentor Mark Allen after getting back on the World Snooker Tour following an eight-year absence. Jordan Brown squared off against 200 other international players to win one of the 12 coveted spots. The 30-year-old is a regular practice partner of Masters champion Allen at the 147 Club in Antrim.
- While most football fans' thoughts may currently be focused on the World Cup, a promising young Antrim player could be forgiven for having other, more important matters on his mind. Hoping to make his own mark in the sport, Parkhall pupil Ross McCausland has already had trials with Glasgow Rangers, Brighton, Derby County and Fleetwood Town - with trips to Birmingham City and Celtic planned later this summer.
- And half a century of Stock Car racing in Northern Ireland was celebrated in style at Nutts Corner Raceway last week when visitors and guests from across the UK joined the province’s best for the landmark occasion. And as the only class that can trace its heritage right back to the pioneering racers of the late 60s, it was entirely appropriate that the BriSCA F2 Stock Cars took centre stage.
PLUS - court and council coverage, interesting historical features and all the pictures from Antrim Summer Festival!
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