Monday 11th April 2011 Horse whisperer tames Snowdonia mountain ponies
A horse whisper has been employed to tame the semi-feral ponies of
Snowdonia. The mountain ponies have been in the Carneddau mountains
for thousands of years but now only around 300 mares survive. The
Carneddau Pony Society has retained the services of horse whisperer
Barry Thomas in the hope that he can break the ponies in order to aid
efforts to preserve them. The National Trust hopes to breed the ponies
and ensure their future. Mr Thomas starts his work with horses by
using eye contact to gain their trust before getting them used to the
various sights, sounds and movements that are typical of close human
contact. North Wales

Friday 25th March 2011 Hundreds of dead starfish washed up on Welsh beach
Hundreds of dead starfish have been washed up on a north Wales beach.
The stricken starfish have been found at Talybont, between Harlech and
Gwynedd. There were calls for an inquiry to establish what caused the
starfish to die. Council maritime officer Barry Davies said he did not
think anything suspicious had caused their deaths but Barmouth harbour
committee chairman Councillor Trefor Roberts called for a full
scientific report into the deaths. Talybont resident David Haddon
said: "I can understand one or two dying, but there have been
occasions where loads of jellyfish have died in this area." North Wales

Friday 25th February 2011 Tomb raiders desecrate graves in search of lead
North Wales Police are hunting tomb raiders who targeted 17th and 18th
Century tombs in a Denbighshire churchyard. Police think the thieves
were looking for lead but left the scene empty handed after
discovering the coffins were buried deep underground. In what the
police called a “mindless act of vandalism” raiders took the tops off
of six stone tombs causing extensive damage to the stone structures.
Around £800 of heating oil was also discovered missing from the
church. County councillor Christine Evans said: "The stones were
lifted off and the people who did this had clearly used lifting
equipment. They obviously didn't realise that the tombs were empty
with the coffins buried underground. We think they must have been
looking for lead. It's absolutely appalling that someone should want
to rob a grave, completely mindless and unnecessary." North Wales

Friday 18th February 2011 Clampdown on anti-social behaviour on north Wales coast railway
Urinating in public, possession of drugs and possession of an
offensive weapon were among the offences dealt with during a recent
crackdown by British Transport Police (BTP). A four-day campaign by
the BTP targeted anti-social behaviour along the north Wales coast
railway line in an attempt to make the public feel safer. "The
initiative was a success but it's important that members of the local
community continue to tell us about any concerns they have in their
area, as this allows us to identify any problems and set about
tackling them," said Insp Dai Davies of the BTP. North Wales

Monday 14th February 2011 Rescued hill walkers in Snowdonia slated for venturing out without a map
A group of inexperienced hill walkers who had to call mountain rescue
when they got into difficulties has been criticised for not being
properly equipped. Mountain rescuers were called out after a woman
with a heart condition complained of shortness of breath during the
walk. The stricken walker had to be winched to safety and was flown to
Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor. The rest of the party of hill walkers were
brought down by the Ogwen Mountain rescue team. A spokesman for the
rescue team later said the walkers were inexperienced, ill equipped
and had set off to Devil's Kitchen without a map. North Wales

Tuesday 8th February 2011 £9.2m development planned for Rhyl harbour
Plans for a £9.2m development of Rhyl’s harbour area is due to go
before Denbighshire councillors for approval. The work, described as
the “most expensive project ever undertaken” by Denbishire Council, is
hoped to help regenerate the seafront resort. The comprehensive plan
includes improvements to the High Street, a new cycle and footbridge
and harbourside units. The development is targeted for 2013. Some
locals feel the project is too risky as, although funding for the
project is to come from Europe via the Welsh Assembly, any overspend
would be the responsibility of the local council. North Wales

Friday 21st January 2011 Bangor Pontio arts centre could bring 900 jobs
Plans have been revealed for a £37m arts and innovation centre in
Bangor, Gwynedd along with claims that the centre could provide up to
900 jobs. Bangor University's Pontio centre has been designed to
include a theatre seating up to 550 and will have facilities to help
some small and medium-size firms. First Minister Carwyn Jones will
officially launch the project on today (January 21, 2011) with the
development expected to open by spring 2013. The assembly government
and EU have put £27.5m towards the scheme. North Wales

Thursday 20th January 2011 Heavy trucks rescued from beach
Two heavy plant vehicles got into difficulties at Rhos on Sea in Conwy
and had to be abandoned in the face of the rising tide. A dumper truck
and a tracked earth-mover got stuck near a breakwater on the first day
of work to improve moorings there. The truck was stuck up to its axles
and the earth mover had tipped over. They had to be left to the
ravages of the sea overnight after work to free them ran out of time
as the tide came in. The vehicles were subsequently rescued during the
following day’s low tide. North Wales

Monday 17th January 2011 Swollen rivers a danger as canoeist dies
The 57-year-old man who capsized his canoe on the River Ogwen in
Gwynedd has died. The canoeist was airlifted to Glan Clwyd hospital
but died shortly after arriving.
A passerby raised the alarm after seeing two empty canoes on the river
between Bangor and Bethesda. Emergency services were alerted at 1225
GMT Saturday, January 15, 2011. An RAF helicopter crew joined the
search. The dead man’s companion managed to make his own way to
safety. Police have warned about the dangers of swollen rivers across
the country. North Wales Police said conditions had been treacherous
and river-users should think carefully before venturing out. North Wales

Monday 10th January 2011 Rugby academy plan moves a step forward
Plans for a £6.5m new rugby academy and leisure complex in Conwy have
advanced with the selection of the main developer for the project.
Wynne Construction has been appointed to work on the indoor venue at
Parc Eirias, Colwyn Bay. Work is scheduled to start in February and is
likely to take around seven months to complete. The centre will be the
base for the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) North Wales rugby academy because
of the inclusion of sports analysis facilities. The cabinet member
responsible for corporate modernisation, Cllr Graham Rees, said: "This
is an exciting scheme for both Colwyn Bay and the north Wales region
and the council has worked hard over recent years to make this project
a reality." North Wales