A CLAIM has been posted on social media that four Protestants have been threatened by dissident republicans in Londonderry. The post claimed: “Dissidents are said to have threatened the lives of four Protestants in Londonderry.”

A DRIVER who crashed a car into a tree near Claudy made off on foot across the fields. A red Toyota Corolla, registration P827 TKG, was found crashed into a tree on the Glenshane Road at the junction of Foreglen Road at 6.30pm on May 19th. The driver made off across nearby fields. Contact police on 08456008000 or Crimestoppers on 0800555111.

LONDONDERRY regeneration firm Ilex has helped the Waterside Theatre with a permanent, illuminated sign and demountable drop-down banner for the UK City of Culture 2013.

OVER 3,600 pupils will start at secondary schools in WELB in September. Any queries contact: 02882411460/1547/1571

IRISH television personality Síle Ní Bhraonain is looking for a co-host to help present 18 hours of coverage of the Londonderry UK City of Culture Fleadh that will be beamed live into 40million homes in the United States.

THE Office of First and Deputy First Minister is refusing to answer questions about whether it was aware of the potential for events at Temple Bar Cultural Trust in Dublin to cast a shadow of controversy over the UK City of Culture.

The revelation comes as questions are being asked over another City of Culture appointment, and follows the resignation last month of Project Director Dermot McLaughlin who had been seconded from Temple Bar Cultural Trust by the Strategic Investment Board, which is responsible to OFMDFM.

Temple Bar Cultural Trust was the subject of a damaging report earlier this year, which itself followed a hugely critical report (Latitude Report) in June 2011. While there was no suggestion of any wrongdoing on the part of individuals, The Sentinel exclusively revealed damning details of the latest audit, which was commissioned by Dublin City Council. The organisation is now being wound down.

Posing questions to OFMDFM about Mr McLaughlin’s appointment on March 25, the Sentinel said the suspension and then sacking of former Head of Communications Garbhan Downey had brought controversy to the City of Culture last autumn and with a tribunal hearing likely to happen sometime this year, further controversy is almost assured.

We added: “Yet the new project director Dermot McLaughlin was seconded from an organisation under review for its financial governances etc and has since been the subject of an adverse report.”

Mr McLaughlin was brought in at an inflated salary (an extra 19,600 euro above what he was paid in Dublin) without any tender being issued. OFMDFM gave SIB approval for that Single Tender Action.

On March 25, OFMDFM was asked whether it gave any consideration to the possibility that the development might potentially attract more controversy, and if it had been placed in full possession of the facts before making such a decision.

Mr McLaughlin resigned from the City of Culture post for personal reasons, a short time later. He has since returned to his position with Temple Bar Cultural Trust, but was this week suspended with pay.

Despite giving approval for the Single Tender Action, OFMDFM responded on April 2, saying simply: ““This is an operational matter for the Strategic Investment Board.”

OFMDFM is also responsible for Ilex Urban Regeneration Company, whose Interim chair is Matt McNulty, who resigned as chair of Temple Bar Cultural Trust at the end of 2011.

On April 22, a similar question was posed to OFMDFM about whether it had considered that the events at Temple Bar may have the potential to cast a shadow over his appointment as interim chair of Ilex in March of last year.

A response two days later said: “Matt McNulty was appointed as a Director of the Ilex Board on 1 April 2008 for a three year period until 31 March 2011. His appointment was extended for a second term on the 1 April 2011 until 31 March 2014.

“In response to the resignation as Chair of Ilex by Sir Roy McNulty, Mr Matt McNulty agreed to accept the post of interim Chair of Ilex from March 2012, until a new public appointment competition could be completed to secure a new Chair.

“As required by all candidates submitting an application for a public appointment to the board of Ilex, Mr McNulty provided details of all current and previous public appointments, which among other public appointments included details relating to his position and period served as a member of the Temple Bar Cultural Trust.

“At the time Mr McNulty was originally appointed to the board of Ilex, there were no known issues relating to the Temple Bar Cultural Trust which would have called into question his ability to serve on the board of Ilex.”

The Sentinel immediately responded by pointing out that our original query referred to Mr McNulty’s appointment as interim chair in 2012 - by which time the Latitude report had been produced on Temple Bar Cultural Trust - whereas their response referred to his appointment to the board in 2008. OFMDFM was asked to comment on the actual question posed by us, but despite a number of attempts being made by us to get an answer since April 24, it has failed to respond.

Despite advertising vacancies for positions of both chair and chief executive, Ilex has failed to fill the posts.

The Sentinel revealed in February: “ILEX remains headless a month-and-a-half into Londonderry UK City of Culture 2013 - departed CEO Aideen McGinley’s big idea - and a FULL YEAR after former chair Roy McNulty left the company. Oversight of the company has been headed up by Interim Chairman Matt McNulty since Roy McNulty stood down in February 15, 2012. Meanwhile, the business end of the operation has been led by Interim Chief Executive and Ilex’s designated Accounting Officer Mel Higgins, since Ms (Aideen) McGinley left for a job at the BBC Trust on Hallowe’en.”

Also attracting some controversy at the moment is the appointment of Horatio John Storm Farquhar Smith from a London based events company by Derry City Council, which has been backed by the Department of Arts, Culture and Leisure. Derry City Council said the need for this post was identified by Mr McLaughlin.

He was appointed in March for a maximum of 120 days at a rate of £1,000 per day inclusive of expenses. It’s understood his rent is also being paid. It’s been confirmed that the additional resource is being picked up by DCAL.

THE Western Trust is encouraging people of all ages to incorporate some physical activity into their everyday routine to improve both their physical and mental wellbeing.

IRANIAN film-maker Zhenia Mahdi-Nau is screening her exploration of Northern Ireland’s increasingly diverse community at the Londonderry Nerve Centre today Wednesday (May 22) at 10.30am.

FORTY-FIVE external stakeholders attended the grand opening of City of Derry Airport’s newly refurbished aviation facilities on May 10, 2013.

THE amount of peace cash spent here will be drastically reduced over the next seven years regardless of the outcome of ongoing negotiations in Brussels about the forthcoming EU budget.

A BANKRUPTCY order has been made against Dungiven tarmacing contractor James Steele.

THIS Sunday the son of legendary Baptist Minister and civil rights campaigner Martin Luther King will attend the unveiling of an eternal peace flame in the heart of Londonderry as part of Rev David Latimer’s visionary ‘Bright Brand New Day’ initiative.

THE body responsible for investment strategy across Northern Ireland spent over £8m on consultants between 2007 and 2013.

DIRECTORS of Dungiven firm, Blackhill Construction, will meet the firm’s creditors at the end of the month. The purpose of the meeting is to lay a statement of affairs before creditors and consider the appointment of a liquidator.

ACCLAIMED comic Rich Hall will appear at the Millennium Forum in Londonderry on Friday (May 17).

PROTESTANT and Catholic children will light an undying flame in the presence of the son of a true icon of peace in the heart of Londonderry on Sunday.

INCREDIBLE explorer Mark Pollock - the first blind man to reach the South Pole - will meet the Mayor of Londonderry in the Everglades Hotel this afternoon (Tuesday, May 14).

THE Western Trust has applied for permission to relocate clinical training and office space to facilitate the new radiotherapy centre at Altnagelvin.

PETE’S Place at the corner of Cranagh Terrace and Strand Road is to be converted into a single unit of accommodation.

THE community centre in Shantallow will be extended with an anti-vandal unit to be used as a consultation room. A plan has been lodged for an extension of the centre to also include the conversion of one room into a changing area.