DETERMINING HOW best to defend our country is one of the most important functions of a Government, so you would expect it to be done meticulously, professionally, and with integrity, in order to earn the confidence of the public.

ELGIN and Moray have been shaken to the core by events of the last week, one of which has left a man dead and others injured.

THERE is some pain on the way in the health service, not just in Moray but across Grampian and Scotland.

THE message has been broadcast ever louder in recent years, that we should protect our planet by making less use of our cars and more of public transport.

CONSULTATION IS a buzz word of the moment. David Cameron is to consult with us on where we think cuts should fall and which services should be run by the Government or by the private sector.

THAT offenders in Moray will have to be quicker in putting in the hours to carry out their community service will bring a round of applause from the public, puzzled by how it should take so long anyway.

IT is a small school that has fought a big fight, but Cabrach is finally having to admit defeat.

"EVERYONE should expect to have a clean hospital..." declared a senior official at Dr Gray's following publication of an inspectors' report in the wake of an outbreak of the C-diff superbug which directly led to the deaths of two patients.

MORAY'S smallest school, Cabrach Primary, has been a big talking point in recent years and now finds itself at the centre of new controversy.

JAMES Smith was an inspiration while alive and continues to be since his sad passing a year ago, at the young age of 22.

IN just under a week's time, votes will have been cast and we will know who will be running our country for the next few years.

THE next time you find yourself moaning about the weather, stop and think for a second! Everyone likes a good whinge when it's raining, snowing or, heaven forbid, too hot.

MORAY Council is having to save £20 million over the next four years in a bid to balance its books and find a way out of this hellish recession with vital services still intact. A tough mission? You bet.

IF ANYONE had doubts about the seriousness of the situation facing Garmouth and Kingston, then the photos in today's 'Scot' tell the story.

THE Nimrod MR2 has taken flight from Moray for the last time, never to return, leaving behind a proud record of service - but also question marks and uncertainty.

IT is a jewel in the crown of Moray, and our biennial music festival has sparkled again in providing a showcase for talent, particularly among our young people.

IT should concern us all when a survey reveals some of our elderly in Moray are having only two hot meals a week, and that many more are experiencing difficulty stocking up with food at home.

ALCOHOL abuse is a scourge on society and we must continue to strive to deal with it, with the violence attached, the health problems caused, the hurt felt by families and friends.

A FULL review of Moray Council's winter maintenance policy is to be carried out. That's what 'The Northern Scot' called for last month in the midst of a storm of public protests, and this week's announcement is to be welcomed.

WHEN stories of school children and buses emerge, it's often because of unruly behaviour... but not in one incident this week.

WE are all feeling the pain of the recession, and it matters little that the boffins say it is officially over. Businesses tell a different story, our household finances tell a different story, consumer confidence tells a different story.

A SPECIAL anniversary has come round for a Moray group.

A WELCOME ray of light has appeared to break the gloom over the local economy, with the news of substantial investments being made by two businesses in Elgin town centre.

THE good folk of Garmouth and Kingston are fearing for the future from continued flooding, and want action to safeguard their communities from the twin threat of the River Spey and the sea.

WHILE national commentators are suggesting that the UK is slowly starting to come out of recession, a major jobs blow in Moray this week points to the contrary.

MANY people are sceptical over the relevance or merit of The Queen handing out New Year Honours to a multitude of celebrities or sporting stars who have simply excelled in their chosen sport and made bucketloads of cash in the process.

TEMPERATURES may have been below freezing, but many folk are boiling mad over the state of our roads and pavements in this prolonged wintry spell.

'TIS the season to be jolly... and many of us have a special responsibility to make that come true.

IT has been a worrying week in Moray. Indeed, the worries for many will continue to cloud Christmas and stretch far into the new year.

ELGIN ACADEMY has a long and proud reputation as a seat of learning ... but it is a seat that has become worryingly shaky in the wake of an HM Inspectorate report.

OUR town centres have never been under so much pressure and, indeed, are involved in a fight for survival.

THE people are speaking... hooray! We set the challenge for readers to stir themselves and come forth with views on Moray Council's proposed "Savings Plan" for £20 million of cuts over four years, and you are responding in true Moray fashion.

COMPARED to cuts of £20 million from public spending over the next few years, £670,000 is, comparatively speaking, a mere drop in the ocean.

WAS it really necessary to put forward as an option the closure of Ward 4 at Dr Gray's Hospital, under a review of mental health provision in Grampian?

"I OFTEN wondered if anyone back in the UK cares about us and the conditions we have to live and work in..."

THE loss of 14 lives in Nimrod XV230 was caused by a catalogue of failures, mistakes and cost-cutting. The tragic crash in Afghanistan on September 2, 2006, was entirely preventable.

WHAT have the good people of Tomintoul done to deserve this? They thought they were over having to boil water and having bottled water for drinking distributed, but no, the curse struck again this week.

WHO WOULD have imagined that a multi-millionaire would come to Moray and tell an audience that he was jealous of them?

A STEP too far... that must be the reaction to a threat to close the specialist mental health unit at Dr Gray's Hospital.

THE economy is showing signs of emerging from the recession, according to official figures. The recession may not have been as deep as previously feared, we are told; a tentative recovery may be on the way.

IT WAS A much heralded event, one of the most important in recent years and one which could have implications for the future of Elgin and surrounding areas.

THE clean-up is well underway, the bills are coming in, the costs are being tallied, efforts continue to find homes for the displaced... Moray is dealing with the aftermath of flood devastation for the third time in 12 years.

A CHILD miraculously escaped harm, but its mother is in hospital with serious injuries - the consequences of a collision on a stretch of road which has become a notorious blackspot over the years.

DEANSHAUGH is a sad and soggy mess. It's bad enough that the football pitches have been out of use now for three years, but the manner in which the project has been handled has brought Moray Council into ridicule.

IT is shocking to hear of a 17-year-old having a "history of difficulties" with drugs and drink, and having no recollection of carrying out an assault.

MORAY communities are right to be indignant about their failure to win a penny of around £20 million handed out by the Scottish Government for town centre regeneration projects.

MAJOR developments approved by planners this week demonstrate that there is life after the recession.

AT a time when Moray and Scotland are still in the grip of a worldwide recession, it is a major boost to learn that plans to transform an empty city centre property into a £1.5 million hotel and nightclub may now finally get the go-ahead.

THERE has been some mud-slinging this week over the circus and travelling people's row in Elgin which has left the council with a real eyesore and a hefty repair bill.

HOW MANY times do we have to record the dangers and destructiveness of drugs? How many times do we have to record the misery of families left to mourn the loss of a loved one?

GOOD NEWS stories on the business front have been few and far between this year, so it is uplifting for us to report on Lossie Seafoods investing £600,000 to keep on top of rapidly growing order books.

LOGAN MAIN has made a lasting impression on many people's lives – in just three short years. He touched the hearts of many in Moray with his sparkling smile, his cherubic looks, and most of all, his tremendous courage in fighting cancer.

THANKFULLY, Moray has been largely free of the serious knife crime that has claimed lives and caused society to look at why young people should feel they need to carry weapons, and use them with devastating consequences.

"PEOPLE just shouldn't have to put up with this." That has been the reaction this week to the disturbing story, broken by 'The Scot' last Friday, of the nightmare for neighbours of drug users.

WE LIVE in a relatively peaceful part of the world. Watching 'Crimewatch' on BBC TV often brings home to us how lucky we are to be free of the extent of serious and violent crime that blights so much of our country today.

IT'S a sight too seldom seen nowadays, our beaches busy with people soaking up the sun, children in the water or playing in the sand.

MOST of us can only imagine the depths of despair into which families are plunged by the loss of young loved ones in circumstances that could have been avoided.

WE GO into hospital to have our health restored; we do not expect to contract life-threatening illnesses there. But that, sadly, has become a reality.

AN AMBITIOUS economic investment, or pie in the sky? Plans have been unveiled this week by a Moray consortium for a £100 million business park in Elgin.

LET THE punishment fit the crime ... it is a foundation stone of our justice system, which can only truly work if the public have confidence in it. Not everyone is convinced the punishments dealt out by courts do fit the crime.

FIRST Minister Alex Salmond arrives in Moray tonight to sample the very best of local hospitality at a dinner launching the 10th Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival.

PARENTS lead by example in bringing up their children, and there is an important message this week that should come into this thinking, too.

WE are fortunate to live in an area such as Moray, where serious crime can be uncommon, and when it is publicised shocks all the more.

ALONGSIDE the credit crunch and deepening recession, with the loss of jobs and the general fear for livelihoods and way of life, dog dirt may seem unimportant – but don't you believe it.

MUCH has been written and said in recent weeks about the need to protect and regenerate Elgin town centre.

MUMS are forever up for a challenge. Well, they go through childbirth for a start; they establish and run the home, bring up the children, hold down jobs and find time to play key roles in all areas of community and school life in Moray.

SOME will baulk at the rejection of a £20 million retail investment in Elgin and Moray at a time when the economy is in deep recession.

THE VOLUME of letters this week to 'The Northern Scot' on the subject of Elgin High Street and out-of-town centre shopping developments indicates the level of public interest.

OUR STORY last week on claims that the death knell is being sounded for Elgin High Street because of the increasing development of out-of-town retail parks has caused quite a stir – and quite rightly.

APPROVAL this week of an 84-point action plan to tackle failings identified in Moray's child protection services appears a mighty response – and so it should be.

POLITICIANS HAVE been continuing their tirades against Moray's child protection services, with First Minister Alex Salmond rightly expressing the need for strong leadership from Moray Council and its partner agencies in formulating and implementing an action plan.

THERE really is no excuse for Moray failing to have in place child protection services that can do the job.

THERE is never a shortage of things to worry about. Jobs and the state of the economy come top of the list for many of us just now.

AND still the Elgin bypass project, or the fact that it has hit a dead end, continues to make the news, principally through political posturing.

THE QUESTION of an Elgin bypass received national prominence last weekend, featured on the Scottish section of BBC TV's Sunday lunchtime Politics programme.

THE TALK just now is all about job losses; there are very few gains; very little talk of job opportunities.

FOR Mosstodloch people, dodging traffic to get across the A96 is indeed dangerous, as borne out this week by the story of 12-year-old Charlene Shaw, who was knocked down on her way home from school, after getting off a bus.

WHAT DOES 2009 have in store for Moray?

IT is traditional to enter a new year full of hope and aspirations, and good intentions, but these are in short supply as the country's and world's financial woes envelop us in gloom.

CHRISTMAS should bring out the best in us. It is a time for giving, for thinking of others, for being together as families and friends... for having a merry and happy time.

LIKE "MERRY Christmas" and "Happy New Year," "Don't Drink and Drive" has become part of the festive season vocabulary, but the danger is that, as a result of their common use, the words start to lose their meaning. That is something we cannot afford to let happen.

THE BATTLE for an Elgin bypass has raged, sometimes intensely, for years, and high hopes were placed on the Strategic Transport Projects Review, looking ahead to the next 20 years for our road and rail networks, finally delivering.

IN the ever gloomier financial climate, it is difficult to look forward to a new year with great optimism.

NEWS THAT the Forres Job Centre has been reprieved isn't being greeted with any kind of celebration, despite the fact, as campaigners argued, it is a valuable local service.

THE countdown to Christmas officially starts in Elgin this weekend with Santa making his first appearance of the season, in style on a reindeer-driven sleigh, and the town centre Christmas lights being switched on.

THE evil trade in drugs was dealt a huge blow last Friday when a gang responsible for flooding Moray with massive amounts of drugs were jailed for 24 years.

MORAY IS a farming area, famed for the quality of its livestock and its crops, particularly the malting barley that goes towards producing our world-renowned whisky.

GOVERNMENTS are often accused of wasting public money on information campaigns that state the obvious – whether it is that too much drinking is bad for our health, that reckless driving can kill, that smoking causes cancer.

IF you go down to the woods today, you’re in for a big surprise... and it might not be a teddy bears’ picnic.

WE are living in changed days indeed! Not so many years ago, school dinners were something to be reviled, and children only sat down to them when they had no choice.

WE have seen on television the full force of natural disasters: tsunamis washing over great swathes of coastal land; earthquakes devastating cities and towns; hurricanes shredding buildings and causing flooding. Lives have been lost and thousands of people displaced.

NOT nearly enough people vote at council elections. It's a fact and it's a real concern.

AROUND 330 people in Moray are being diagnosed each year with dementia, and recent figures show that 3,000 are suffering from the condition that could almost double in the next few years.

AREA committees were hailed as the future, a new partnership between Moray Council and local people to give our communities more of a role in local decision-making.

IT'S great how a credit crunch, a recession or just times when money is tight concentrates the mind and makes us see sense.

IT is the people's health service, politicians are fond of telling us; it is there for us from cradle to grave, and it should be free at the point of delivery.

CLOSING down sales, empty shops and boarded-up premises have become an increasingly worrying sight in our town centres. There has been much talk, but not enough action, about trying to stem the tide.

SCHOOLS closed, nurseries closed, canteens closed for business – and just a day after pupils returned after their summer break. Not the kind of start envisaged for the new term.

IT is a cause for celebration this weekend – the 150th anniversary of the completion of the Inverness and Aberdeen railway.

IT'S time to kick back and enjoy the last few days of the school holidays for Moray's students.

SO the axe has fallen on Moray's five post offices under threat of closure or downgraded services.

OUR thoughts this weekend are with young Kyle Whyte as he heads off to hospital in Glasgow to begin preparations for his bone marrow transplant in a couple of weeks time.

IS there no end to the tragedies on our roads? Sadly not.

THE powers-that-be are spending millions of pounds each year on trying to persuade us to eat more fruit and veg for the sake of our health, and do we listen? Well, some of us do, but not enough.

PRIDE, above all else, emanated from Elgin Town Hall last Saturday as men and women who have served their country in a wide range of roles gathered to receive new Veterans Badges.

THE announcement that Nat Fraser is abandoning his appeal against his 25-year murder sentence came as a surprise.

THE figures are indeed startling.

IT has been an election pledge of the current SNP Government and the previous Labour-Liberal administration – to cut class sizes in our primary schools.

"WE won't give up our post offices without a fight"... is the message going out loud and clear from communities in Moray.

"IT'S not worth phoning the police; they won't do anything about it in any case."

MORAY Council has just unveiled a £1 billion spending plan, tackling such key issues as flood prevention, the need for more industrial units to let businesses thrive, a new regional sports facility and improvements to schools.

MORAY is making marked progress in the battle to stem the tide of flooding problems returning to haunt the area.

NAT Fraser has been returned to jail to serve out the rest of his life sentence, and for many people that might indicate the closing chapter of a notorious tale of crime and tragedy.

IN just a few weeks, vandals have caused £35,000 worth of damage in Moray – a shocking statistic, and yet there has been a 19% decrease in the number of incidents on the same period last year.

A WOMAN IS likely to be assaulted 35 times by her partner before she makes her first plea for help; people in Britain are more likely to report a dog being abused in the home than a woman.

IT was a breathtaking show of defiance, and now Moray's motorcyclists have to wait and see if their actions have been worthwhile.

PARENTS' thoughts this weekend will be on Monday's return to school after the Easter break, ironing the uniforms, sorting out the school bags for the younger ones, and seeing that the lovely, angelic faces are sparkling clean.

THE need for an Elgin bypass is now firmly on the map, but pressure must be maintained to prevent the campaign being diverted.

IT'S a challenge with a difference but one we are sure the people of Moray will be up to... trying to give a local teenager a new lease of life.

IT'S a relief for Moray folk to know that they don't have to dip into their pockets for a new body scanner at Dr Gray's Hospital.

MARGARET and Tracey Coull have a normal, loving mother and daughter relationship.

THE story of the 74-year-old shopper subjected to abuse by youngsters in daylight as she waited for a bus should have made us all stop and think.

A SCOTTISH Government Minister thinks the people of Moray should contribute towards the upkeep of facilities such as ice rinks and swimming pools in Aberdeen.

MORAY has moved on from the controversy that raged over the future of up to 21 primary schools – or so we thought.

WE HAVE heard it all before, of course. Yes, says the Transport Minister, your case for an Elgin bypass will be looked at and taken into consideration... And, then? Nothing.

IT HAS been described as a hidden crime, taking place behind closed doors with the victim too frightened, too embarrassed to admit it, to speak to others about it.

MIKE GRAY is battling to stay alive... but, cruelly, it is a battle he can't win.

ALMOST A month into the new year and many people have embarked on trying to bring alive their hopes of being healthier in 2008. It mostly revolves around losing weight and taking more exercise – laudable and often necessary objectives.

MORAY DESERVES a sporting chance and that is the plea this week to councillors.

CHRISTMAS WAS a time for giving and receiving presents. What was under your Christmas tree; a new Wii, TV, laptop, mobile phone or some other luxury item?

WELCOME to 2008. The year started off on a happy note with a record-breaking seven babies born at Dr Gray's Hospital, Elgin; great news for their delighted parents and we wish them all the best in the years ahead.

THE QUEEN famously christened 1997 her annus horribilis. Our fishermen and farmers could argue that it has become the norm for them in recent years.

'TIS THE season to be jolly .... says the song. For many people Christmas is just so; for some the joy and happiness that should be there in abundance is sadly missing.

A GOVERNMENT Minister came calling this week to deliver some early Christmas cheer to Moray and its massive commitment to flood prevention schemes.

NEW ELGIN is becoming increasingly fearful for the future of its High School, following the latest chapter of the debacle for new school provision in Moray.

IT BEGGARS belief, but a driver was caught doing 109mph on the A96 between Elgin and Lhanbryde last weekend in the latest police crackdown.

IT WAS A privilege for 'The Northern Scot' to be involved as a sponsor and to have a lead role in promoting Moray's first recycling and environment awards.

THE NIMROD plays a vital "spy in the sky" role in conflicts and in co-ordinating rescue operations, and yet it finds itself embroiled in controversy over its own safety record.

READERS will be shocked by the revelation of the scale of the violence and verbal abuse against teachers – and rightly so.

MORAY IS staging its first Green Awards ceremony this month, and "The Northern Scot" is delighted to have a lead role in promoting them.

NHS GRAMPIAN have been slow off the mark at coming up with a prescription to ease the congestion headache for their neighbours.

THE conduct of Green Parc Ltd, owners of the Silver Sands holiday park at Lossiemouth, is disgraceful.

THE introduction of parking charges at Dr Gray's Hospital in Elgin has caused a blinding headache for neighbouring residents, who find their streets under siege and congested by motorists unwilling to pay the fees.

PAUL MASH’S story in this week’s 'Scot’ is a compelling one and should make everyone stop and think.

A BYPASS for Elgin is essential; our top industries deserve improved transport links; we should have better train services; the rail freight system has to be expanded; the A96 is constraining development, and upgrading it needs to be given priority.

A DISAPPOINTING tourism season in Grampian should be an added spur to talks that begin today to see how Moray can do more to market itself and attract more people.

MEDICINE continues to make huge advances; operations that can be performed border on the miraculous; there is a drug for nearly every condition; and we are all living longer.

IT IS DIFFICULT for many of us to comprehend what sends people to the brink of suicide.

IT IS an offer you cannot refuse....it is an offer you cannot expect us to accept right now.

THE 'two schools or one' debate in Elgin, and a new primary for Keith, raged over many months in Moray – and it is set to erupt again.

MORAY needs to make a bigger impact on the tourism front, and the local council has taken a bold step in setting up a think tank to determine how Moray can help itself.

TOURISM is arguably the lifeblood of Moray's rural communities, and the future for many small towns and villages across the district possibly hinges on attracting more people to come and visit our area, whether for its history, its whisky, its beautiful scenery and walks, sporting and leisure pursuits, or its good food and warm hospitality.

SUPERLATIVES ARE used all too easily in this day and age to describe top sportspeople who earn a small fortune each week but scarcely live up to the platitudes.

IT IS DISGRACEFUL that the Department of Work and Pensions can run down a service available in dealing with state benefits in Moray, to make way for axing 40 jobs – and shift responsibility on to the Citizens Advice Bureau and other voluntary groups.

“THE Northern Scot” doesn’t set out to shock readers as a matter of course – but sometimes it is necessary to get a serious message across.

LAST week we laid down the challenge to Moray Council to act swiftly and restore some confidence among the residents of Rothes hit by the latest incidence of flooding. They have gone some way to doing that.

NOT good enough! That’s the verdict of Rothes residents angered by the response of Moray Council to flash floods this week which left them filling sandbags and diverting traffic themselves – while waiting anxiously for the arrival of flood protection gates to stem the tide of troubles.

IT IS a dramatic title – some would say over-dramatic, others not so – but 'Death of the High Street' should focus minds on our town centres and their future.

VICTOR Meldrew would have trouble believing it, so do readers of 'The Northern Scot'. The shock is provided by the seizure of alcohol from a group of youngsters at Buckie, aged from just 14.

PEOPLE POWER has won the day – again – bringing scenes of joy and jubilation among campaigners at Buckie and Dufftown who were fighting to prevent a school and community centre from closure.

MORAY HAS had to take some bodyblows from job losses in recent years, principally at the RAF bases and from the closure of the pork factory at Buckie, but has come out fighting and will have to do so again.

ANOTHER tragedy .... another family in torment .... another example of the dangers of driving .... another opportunity to assess how our roads can be made safer.

THE LAST obstacle to the Fochabers and Mosstodloch bypass has been removed: the legal challenge to the proposed northern route has been dropped and work on the £20 million-plus project is now expected to start... well, maybe 18 months from now.

THE COMPASSION and strength of character shown by the 91-year-old blind woman who was robbed while she slept is inspiring.

THE BALLOT chaos of last week's Scottish elections does democracy no favours.

PUBS in Moray are supporting a new campaign aimed at reaching the victims of domestic abuse and their abusers.

MORAY WILL BE celebrating on Thursday. Glasses will be raised, toasts drunk, and friendships made.

MORAY COUNCIL met for the last time in its current form this week. Over recent years this newspaper has not been kind to the ruling Independent administration, but as they ride off into the sunset it would be charitable to list some of their successes.

IT MAY SURPRISE the young, but there are many advantages to aging: you may be over the hill, but you've got there by climbing to the top; there's nothing left to learn the hard way; and you've not only grown old, you've also grown up.

THE STARTING pistol has been fired and the race for Holyrood has begun. In less than a month's time we will go to the polls to vote in one of the most important elections of recent years – one which could ultimately decide the future of Scotland as a nation.

THERE WAS some amusement, laced with scepticism, last summer when it was announced that RAF Lossiemouth had been given the green light to join the space race.

MORAY STRUGGLES to feature as a must-go-there destination for holidaymakers from this country, the rest of the UK and abroad.

AN INNOVATIVE project to promote a philosophy of wellbeing for all members of the Moray community, and in particular some of the most vulnerable and socially isolated people, is at risk of folding from a lack of money.

IT IS NOT difficult to make a case for keeping a library open: the problem is finding acceptable reasons for closure – other than cost.

HOW DO WE solve a problem like Scotland’s misuse of alcohol?

DOORSTEP SELLING was once a welcome part of life in country towns and rural areas: the travelling salesman brought not only goods and services that might not be readily available locally, but also news and contact with other communities.

FOR SIX Moray communities, the decisions taken by Moray Council on Wednesday will have meant the cloud of uncertainty which has hovered over their children's education for the past two years has been lifted.

SITTING IN THEIR expensively refurbished chamber – upgraded at a still-to-be-revealed cost and incorporating audio-visual equipment which does not seem to work – Moray Council's ruling Independent administration yesterday announced the final budget of their four-year term.

NHS DENTAL SERVICES are in crisis, and no assurances were given at this week's public meeting in Elgin that the situation will improve in the medium term.

WILL MORAY soon be a public toilet-free zone? Will that be the legacy of this administration?