By Michael McDonnell
michael@northern-standard.ie
Up on 200 people from mainly rural and farming homesteads attended a packed meeting on the septic tanks issue at Ballybay’s Wetlands Centre last Thursday, where the keynote speaker was Fianna Fáil’s deputy leader Éamon Ó Cuív TD.
Fear of the unknown is usually guaranteed to provoke interest, and when the uncertainty is about a possible new drain on people’s money at a time when that commodity is in increasingly scarce supply, it can be taken as read that any public meeting on the issue in question …

Despite some significant recent successes by the Gardai and the Customs and Excise authorities in striking at its means of production, it is clear that the manufacture, distribution and sale of illegally laundered fuel products remains a thriving organised criminal enterprise across the Border region in general, and in Co Monaghan in particular.
While the breadth of its web extends nationwide, the threads of this pernicious illicit activity are largely spun from the region of which the circulation area of this newspaper is part, and the manifold ills of …

By PATSY McARDLE
MANAGER’S Orders circulated to members of Castleblayney Town Council at Tuesday night’s meeting named ten local businessmen who face prosecutions being initiated for arrears of municipal rates—some dating back to 2009.
The orders related to the owners of different premises, all of whom were publicly named in the Managers’ Orders.
At the outset, Cllr. Brendan Hughes said he was opposed to such a drastic step being taken by the Council . He said it was because of the financial difficulties facing so many people in the town’s …

WARM tributes were paid at Monday’s sitting of Monaghan District Court to former county registrar, and returning officer for the Cavan/Monaghan constituency, Josephine (Josie) Duffy, of Cavany, Scotshouse, who passed away in Cavan Hospital on Sunday last
Before commencing proceedings on Monday morning, Judge Sean MacBride said he wanted to pay tribute to the late Ms Duffy, who was an absolute lady and had been an outstanding county registrar.
She had qualified as a solicitor as a mature student, going on to work in the offices of Mr Black …

The members of Co Monaghan Joint Policing Committee called at their recent meeting for more severe penalties and a heightened crackdown on criminals engaged in the production and distribution of illegal fuel products in Co Monaghan.
Illicit fuel laundering and its effects on the environment and the economy figured large in the debate when the Committee was putting together a list of topics to which they would devote attention during their schedule of meetings for 2012.
John O’Brien said that a trade in illicit fuel was going on …