Other NI News In Brief

Priest Guilty Of Sex Charges

A man has been found guilty of 19 sex abuse charges against three men. The former priest, James Donaghy, 53, from Lady Wallace Drive in Lisburn, had denied a total of 26 charges relating to a period between June 1983 and December 2000, but he has been convicted of indecent assault and serious sexual assault. The jury returned unanimous verdicts on 16 of the charges and majority verdicts on the other three. Donaghy was most recently a priest in Bangor, but stepped down in 2004.

Belfast Backs Market Traders

Belfast City Council has launched a new initiative designed to help small businesses literally bring their products to the marketplace. The new 'Market Start Up' programme is designed to provide support to people who wish to start up food or craft businesses and try out their products through trading at the city's historic St George's Market. "Aspiring business owners will get all the help they need to develop their products and put together their business plans. They also will have the opportunity to meet buyers, visit successful business owners - and get a real insight into running a food or craft business by working at St George's Market," said Conor Maskey, Deputy Chairman of the Development Committee.

High Tech Success

A Portstewart-based technology company, instaGiv, has signed a major partnership agreement with Nasdaq-listed Blackbaud, a US leader in software and services designed specifically for not-for-profit organisations. The agreement will see Blackbaud using instaGiv's mobile fundraising software platform to provide such organisations with an all-in-one solution to handle text giving, integration with social media, regular giving, supporter integration with two-way interactive text communications, and QR code functionality for offline campaigns. Des Gartland, Manager of Invest Northern Ireland's North West Regional Office in Londonderry said: "The agreement clearly demonstrates that instaGiv has established a strong reputation for innovation and service within this developing global industry."

Medical Messages Saving Lives

The Stormont Health Minister Edwin Poots has launched a new scheme, which will potentially help save lives in the event of an emergency callout. The Message in a Bottle Scheme, run by the Armagh Lions Club, is designed to encourage people to keep their personal and medical details on a standard form and in a common location where emergency service personnel can expect to find it. The information - kept in a distinctive bottle in the fridge - helps to save valuable time in identifying pre-existing medical conditions as well as prescribed medications. "By simply recording key medical and personal information on a standard form and keeping it in the distinctive bottle in the fridge, emergency service personnel can render safe and speedier first aid," he said.

Andy Joins DARD Board

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) has announced the appointment of an independent member to the Agricultural Wages Board (AWB). Andy Popplewell has been appointed until 31 March 2013. Mr Popplewell is from Bangor and is a Team Leader in the Police Ombudsman's Office. He is also Lay Chair of the Nursing and Midwifery Council's Fitness to Practice Committee and a Lay Member of a tribunal of the Mental Health Commission.

(BMcC/GK)