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ATHLONE’S
OWN NEWSPAPER Updated
April 30 2004
Annette Dowling, Anne Hoey Egan, Eleanor Cleary and Dermot Ward in a scene from "Dead Guilty" by Richard Harris, which runs at Athlone Little Theatre this week.
NAUGHTEN DEMANDS FIRM COMMITMENT ON PORTIUNCULA Roscommon Fine Gael Deputy Denis Naughten has called on the Government parties to obtain a firm and unambiguous commitment from the Minister for Health on the future of Ballinasloe's Portiuncula Hospital. Deputy Naughten claimed the Minister had performed a U-turn on the fate of regional Hospitals in Nenagh and Ennis, but he said the absence of a similar statement on the future of Portiuncula was worrying. "If the Government's Health Reform Programme proceeds without such a commitment, then A&E services will be removed from Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe, and the County Hospital, Roscommon, to a major unit at University College Hospital, Galway," said Deputy Naughten. "This will leave the people of South Roscommon, Athlone and Ballinasloe as second class citizens, without any emergency medical services and with a totally under funded ambulance service," he added.
COONEY SEEKS ATHLONE EXPANSION INTO SOUTH ROSCOMMON Fine Gael Cllr Mark Cooney called for the extension of Athlone's Urban Boundary to take in the town's large hinterland in South Roscommon. Though the call is likely to prove highly controversial among politicians in South Roscommon, Cllr Cooney said it was vital for the future development of Athlone that the town was represented by one single local authority, rather than two or three, as at present. Cllr Cooney said one of the most important reasons for the change was to ensure the balanced development of Athlone. There were already fears that competition between local authorities was distorting development.
MCFADDEN CALLS FOR BETTER APPROACH TO MINIMISE TRAFFIC CHAOS At the recent monthly meeting of Athlone Town Council, Cllr Nicky McFadden called for improved coordination to minimise the traffic chaos caused by the regular digging up of the streets for gas, broadband and other works. During the discussion, it emerged that still further disruption to local traffic may be on the cards, with major works to Athlone's drainage system expected to get under way in the fairly near future. Cllr McFadden said she didn't accept the view of officials that disruption to traffic had been minimised during the laying of the gas and broadband networks.
BALLINASLOE MAN ADMITS MANSLAUGHTER A Ballinasloe man admitted to manslaughter when he appeared before a sitting of the Central Criminal Court this week. 20 year old Christopher McLoughlin, Curragh Park, Ballinasloe, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of 19 year old Daniel O' Neill, Clontuskert, after an incident in the town on March 19th of last year. Mr Justice Carney remanded Mr McLoughlin in custody for sentencing on May 24th next.
LARGE DRUGS SEIZURE NEAR BALLINASLOE Gardai in Ballinasloe made a major drugs find at a bog near the town at the weekend. They seized a quantity of cannabis resin, believed to be worth around 350,000 euro, during an extensive search of bogland about eight miles from Ballinasloe. A Garda source later said that the street value of drugs seized in the Ballinasloe area over the last six months had now reached 2 MIllion euro.
GREENS MAY RUN CANDIDATE IN ATHLONE It emerged this week that the Green Party may run a candidate in the local elections to Athlone Town Council on June 11th. The party's Deputy Leader, Cllr Mary White, who was in Athlone this week, told the Observer that the name of the candidate could be announced within days. This would be the first time that a Green candidate has contested an election in either Athlone or Westmeath. So far as is known, the Party does not have a branch here, though a growing number of local people are thought to be disenchanted with what is seen as an overwhelmingly pro-development agenda by sitting local Councillors and officials.
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