BBC Radio Jersey

Jersey's planning minister says calling a public inquiry into plans for the island's new hospital is the right thing to do.

Image source, States of Jersey

Deputy Steve Luce has decided to get the public's opinion on the £466m project which involves knocking down hotels and shops in Kensington Place.

The inquiry will look at whether it will be the right project for Jersey. Deputy Luce says it's important to get it right from the beginning.

When the plans were unveiled in June, Health Minister, Senator Andrew Green said they had taken a full public inquiry into account when working out the timescale.

The hospital is expected to be open by 2025 with work expected to start in 2019.

Rob Byrne
BBC News Online

Today is the 75th anniversary of the final deportation three Jewish women, who were forced from Nazi-occupied Guernsey, to France, and then to Auschwitz, where they died.

Their story is well known, external, but what was the fate of the other Jews in occupied Guernsey?

The BBC revealed earlier this year that Miriam Jay, who changed her name from the Jewish-sounding Jacobs, survived the war by hiding her religion in Guernsey.

Elda Brouard and Elisabet Duquemin, along with her 18-month-old daughter and non-Jewish husband, also survived the war. They were sent to France and Germany in 1943, ending up in a civilian internment camp in Biberach.

Annie Wranowsky, who lived in Sark, denied she was a Jew despite what her German passport said and was on the list of those due to be deported in February 1943, but was excused for unknown reasons.

However, Therese Steiner, Auguste Spitz and Marianne Grunfeld weren't so lucky.

They were deported from Guernsey to St Malo in April 1942 amid little protest, before being arrested in Laval three months later.

They began their rail journey from Angers to Auschwitz 75 years ago today.

BBC Radio Guernsey

Deputy Peter Roffey has called on the States to consider merging the fire and ambulance service after a report suggested it could save the island £600,000 per year.

The majority of comments on BBC Radio Guernsey's Facebook post are opposed to the move, including Edwin Parks who casts doubt on whether the government could organise it properly.

What do you think? Send us an email and let us know.

BBC Radio Guernsey

The continuity and reliability of the bus service has led to the increase in passenger numbers according to the environment committee president, Deputy Barry Brehaut.

Figures were released for the service for the first half of 2017 showing usage was up by more than 10% compared with the same period last year.

In total, 816,914 passengers used the service between January and the end of June this year.

Deputy Brehaut said they had given the money the service needed and as a result numbers had "picked up".

"If a bus is always there when you want one, they are reliable, then you will use it."

BBC Radio Guernsey

Ryan Morrison
BBC News Online

Jersey's planning minister wants to "cut to the chase" over the plans for the new hospital in St Helier by holding a public inquiry into the £466m project.

Image source, States of Jersey

Deputy Steve Luce says the inquiry will cost about £20,000 and hopes to be able to make a decision over the outline planning application by the end of 2017.

He says islanders should have the opportunity to express an opinion on what will be the biggest capital project the island has ever undertaken.

Instead of using the traditional approach of asking a planning committee to make a decision first, and then holding a public inquiry if they feel it is needed, he wants to go straight in with the inquiry.

Ryan Morrison
BBC News Online

The funeral of "Jersey character" and Marilyn Monroe collector David Gainsborough-Roberts was held in St Brelade on Wednesday afternoon.

It featured his famous Stetson hat on the coffin and a Marilyn Monroe lookalike among the mourners.

The funeral started with the song from the film The Good the Bad and the Ugly and mourners sung The Kinks song Dedicated Follower of Fashion as Mr Gainsborough-Roberts' coffin was taken out of the church.

Mr Gainsborough-Roberts was famous for his multimillion-pound collection of 20th Century memorabilia including items owned by Marilyn Monroe, Billy the Kid and more. He sold the collection earlier this year to raise money for charity.

Murray Norton, a close friend of Mr Gainsborough-Roberts said he was a "ray of sunshine" and a good friend to everyone he met.

Guernsey Press

Almost a quarter of a month’s rainfall poured down over Guernsey within just half-an-hour yesterday afternoon, external.

BBC News Travel

Rob Byrne
BBC News Online

Seventy-five years ago today, three Jewish women deported from occupied Guernsey began their final journey to Auschwitz.

Therese Steiner, Auguste Spitz and Marianne Grunfeld were rounded up as part of the first mass deportation of Jews from Nazi occupied France, during which more than 13,000 were arrested by French police on 16 and 17 July 1942. About 4,000 were children. The French government officially marked the event on Sunday.

The role played by Guernsey's functioning wartime cabinet in allowing the initial deportation from Guernsey to France has since been questioned.

Steiner, Spitz and Grunfeld had been in France for around three months, living in a hospice run by nuns in Laval, a town in the west of the country.

They had to wear a yellow star to identify themselves as Jews, and were later arrested on 15 July 1942.

They were then transported to Auschwitz on 20 July from Angers to Drancy, on the outskirts of Paris, and then to Poland in a train journey that took three days.

On arrival at the death camp, it's not known how long the Guernsey Jews survived.

Research by Jersey historian Freddie Cohen shows that of the 390 women who travelled in the Guernsey Jews' convoy, none survived.

Chris Rayner
BBC Radio Jersey Political Reporter

Companies in Jersey who take on staff that haven't been in the island for at least five years will have to pay a £50 fee for the licence, according to the States.

Politicians approved new charges for employing registered staff yesterday during the final States debate before the summer break.

Companies will have to pay the fee annually for every registered member of staff. Registered staff are those who haven't been in the island for five years.

Deputy Murray Norton, Assistant Minister at economic development, said it would help the government control the population.

Ryan Morrison
BBC News Online

The logo for the 2021 Island Games being held in Guernsey is likely to "change and adapt" according to the head of communications for the event.

Image source, Guernsey Island Games Association

Amanda Hibbs from the Guernsey Island Games Committee said it was released early to get feedback and comments.

She said one of the main changes to the logo would be the incorporation of the sponsors name when the new main sponsor comes on-board.

The logo was heavily criticised on the BBC Radio Guernsey Facebook, external page when it was first revealed, with many saying it looked more like 20211 than 2021.

Ryan Morrison
BBC News Online

There is increased security in place around Jersey Airport after someone managed to break through the boundary security fence and get on to the airfield, Ports of Jersey has confirmed.

They were stopped by security staff on 16 June after being spotted on the airfield by airport staff watching CCTV footage.

Image source, Jersey Airport

The person hasn't been named and Ports of Jersey has not said whether it was a man or woman or where they got on to the airfield.

The company says at no time was the security of commercial aircraft or passengers at risk.

The person was stopped within seconds of breaking in, had their bag searched and was questioned, but not arrested, it added.

BBC Weather

It'll be a dry day with sunny spells across the islands.

It will feel fresher than Wednesday for most. Maximum temperature: 18C (64F).

Jersey

Image source, Bbc

Guernsey

Image source, Bbc

BBC Radio Guernsey

A Guernsey deputy has called on the States to merge the fire and ambulance services after a report suggested it could save the government £600,000 per year.

Deputy Peter Roffey lodged a formal question for Home Affairs and Health and Social Care in response to the PricewaterhouseCoopers report commissioned by the Policy and Resource Committee.

He is asking them whether they are open to exploring the change.

He says the States need to grasp every opportunity to save money and this would go a long way to helping reach the annual £27m saving target.

Health and Social Care says it has asked for further information but in broad terms is prepared to consider the change.

Jersey Evening Post

A lawyer who nearly lost a leg in a jet ski accident in St Brelade’s Bay says he is "on top of the pain" and is feeling "more optimistic", external.

BBC Radio Jersey

Jersey customs says it is working closely with colleagues in France to prevent illegal immigrants using the island as a way to get into the UK.

It comes after officers say three Iranians got on to the island by what they describe as "clandestine means" earlier this year.

The immigrants had counterfeit Swedish identity cards and were intending to travel on to the mainland.

They were picked up by the Jersey authorities and sent back to France.

Ryan Morrison
BBC News Online

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