Work Starts On £80,000 Resurfacing Project In Omagh

Work has started on an £80,000 resurfacing project in Omagh, Northern Ireland.

The scheme is on the B48 Derry Road, between Brookmount Road and Beltany Road.

Work on the B48 Derry Road is due to begin on 10 August.

A full closure of this stretch of B48 Derry Road will be in place daily from 09:30am to 16:30pm for five days commencing on Monday 10/08/2015, Londonderry bound traffic will be diverted via Brookmount Road while Omagh bound traffic will be diverted via Great Northern Road, James Street and Castle Street.

The scheme is expected to be completed on 14 August 2015.

Attack On Orange Hall Condemned

Sinn Féin MLA Bronwyn McGahan has condemned an attack on Timpany Orange Hall near Clogher.

She said: "The attack on Timpany Orange hall was wrong and should be condemned.

"It is not representative of the views of the local community.

"We have very good community relations in this area and it is my hope that will not be damaged by this graffiti."

Alliance Hits Out Over Public Arts Funding Cuts

Alliance MLA Anna Lo has said "further squeezing" of public arts funding will dangerously weaken the sector.

The South Belfast MLA was speaking after the Arts Council told a number of local arts organisations to plan for in-year cuts of up to 10 per cent to their budgets. Affected groups include the Ulster Orchestra, Grand Opera House, the MAC and Lyric Theatre.

The organisations currently receive core funding from the Arts Council's reserve funding stream, which the organisation gets directly from the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure, however, as the money is paid in stages, each group may not now receive its full allocation.

"The arts allow us to develop creativity among our society - there is a wide body of evidence that shows investment in this sector has significant benefits, both for personal well-being and for our economy," said Ms Lo.

"Now some of the organisations who help bring the arts to the public are facing major cuts and possible staff losses. The arts have a relatively small budget compared to many other sectors and it brings many profits."

(CD)