BBC Radio Guernsey

The amount of time school children are on holiday should be reduced, a Guernsey politician has said.

St Peter Port Deputy, Lester Queripel, says children in the mainstream education system for 11 years are at school for approximately eight years and three months, and on holiday for approximately two years and nine months.

Although he says he "stands to be corrected".

Deputy Queripel believes this is too much, and wants to know if members of the island's education committee agree with him.

He will be bringing the issue before the States next week.

Brent Pilnick
BBC Sport

St Ouen missed the chance to return to the top of Jersey's Premiership after losing 2-0 at home to 10-man St Peter.

Daryl Wilson and Sean Lambert were on target for the visitors, who had Jake Baker sent off.

St Peter remain fifth but are now level on points with Jersey Wanderers and have a game in hand.

St Ouen are still second with the same points with champions St Paul's having played seven more games.

BBC Radio Jersey

Senator Philip Ozouf has not ruled out a return to Jersey politics in the future.

The former treasury minister announced he would not be standing for re-election in May after 19 years in the States.

He said he may follow in his father's footsteps one day and become a constable.

"I said I would never do it before the age my father was, he was 70, and I'm 47, so that's a long way off yet".

Nominations for senators in this year's general election begin on 10 April, with deputies and constables following on 11 April.

The election itself will be held on 16 May.

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BBC Weather

Turning increasingly cloudy through this evening and overnight, with outbreaks of rain continuing to move in from the west.

Fresh to strong southeast winds.

Minimum Temperature: 7-10C (45-50F).

A wet and windy start to Thursday.

Through the morning, rain will clear away to the northeast, leaving a brighter afternoon with sunny spells and the odd heavy shower.

Winds also easing by afternoon.

Maximum Temperature: 7-11C (45-52F).

BBC Radio Jersey

The RNLI has responded to an independent report on how relationships broke down between the RNLI, the former St Helier lifeboat crew and others involved in search and rescue.

The report concluded the RNLI should remain the main lifeboat service in the island, but criticised a failure in leadership from the charity, which left Coxswain Andy Hibbs to make decisions - some of which weren't in line RNLI policies.

A RNLI spokesman said they accept the report and recommendations and "recognise closer management of the situation should have happened sooner and have learnt from this".

He said: "We remain committed to providing an excellent search and rescue service in Jersey.

"One of the biggest lessons for the RNLI is the importance of working closely with the local community in order to reach a resolution. We will continue to build on this and work with our volunteers, partners and the local community to focus on the future."

Ryan Morrison
BBC News Online

Radio and television producer John Lloyd, has been named as the Jersey Arts Centre's honorary patron.

He will serve until 2023 and will return to perform at the venue at least once a year as well as attending events.

John Lloyd is the man behind many of Britain's best-loved comedy shows including Not the Nine O'Clock News, Spitting Image, Blackadder and QI.

He agreed to take on the post after performing his show The Venerable Beeb at the Arts Centre in January.

BBC Radio Jersey

A Jersey Evening Post (JEP) journalist could be the new leader of an organisation which aims to make sure Jersey shoppers get fair deals.

Carl Walker is known for his "fair play" column in the paper, and has been nominated to chair the Jersey Consumer Council.

He will leave the JEP this month, after 18 years.

A vehicle fire in Guernsey could have been started deliberately, police in the island have said.

Fire crews were called to the Guernsey Bowl car park on Victoria Avenue at 18:15 on Tuesday.

No-one was injured.

Ryan Morrison
BBC News Online

Sark Electricity says it "completely rejects" the findings of the price control commissioner who branded their prices as "unfair and unreasonable".

The firm said it had cooperated fully with the commissioner, Anthony White, and provided him with all the information he had requested.

Mr White said he has given Sark Electricity until 29 March to explain their prices and provide more information after which he may consider introducing price caps.

Sark Electricity Limited say they have nothing more to add.

Jersey Evening Post

Women should not be afraid to undergo hormone replacement therapy if they are suffering from menopausal symptoms, a specialist has said., external

Ryan Morrison
BBC News Online

A new drone-based technology will be tested in Jersey in March in the hope of increasing the accuracy of local weather forecasts.

Image source, Meteomatics

At the moment weather data from Jersey Met comes from ground and high level (above 1.2 miles or 2km) collection points, leaving the immediate atmosphere un-recorded.

The trial has been organised by the Department of the Environment, Digital Jersey and Jersey Met.

Digital Jersey said it would create a detailed local forecast and could improve forecasts for aviation including information on visibility, wind speed and wind direction.

Ryan Morrison
BBC News Online

Sark Electricity could face a cap on the amount of money it can charge for electricity according to the price control commissioner.

Anthony White published a report into electricity on the island and said the price was "unfair and unreasonable".

Sark Electricity has been approached for a comment.

BBC Channel Islands News

A lack of vision from the government and parish officials is the reason for empty shops in St Helier according to the owner of a large department store.

Gerald Voisin, owner of the Voisin Department store in St Helier, says there has been no vision from the parish and a "lack of understanding of the retail industry".

Ten years ago work started to move a number of workers to the Waterfront and Esplanade, which according to Mr Voisin shifted the economic centre of St Helier and reduced footfall.

Town Centre Manager Daphne East said: "I think there's a very active group out there and we've got very active retailer groups so we've got the Colombrie group as well and you can see now Colombrie doesn't really have any empty shops like previously.

"So it's all about openness and about opportunity. If landlords can reduce rents or at least there's an opportunity to negotiate at the moment I think it's a great place for entrepreneurs to come into the market."

• Call to halve new retail tax

BBC Radio Guernsey

The cost of electricity in Sark is "unfair and unreasonable" found a review by the island's Electricity Price Control Commissioner.

Anthony White says he's come to the preliminary conclusion that the current basic tariff of 66p per kilowatt hour and prices for larger customers, are not fair and reasonable.

Mr White says this is because Sark Electricity Limited has based its tariff on the costs of running the current system, based on its diesel generators and existing distribution network.

He says he's found that a system using photovoltaic panels, small-scale wind-turbines and batteries could be provide power at a lower cost.

The commissioner says his next step could involve setting a "price control order" at a level that would allow the power system to maintain secure supplies of electricity whilst investing in new technologies.

Sark Electricity has been approached for a comment.

Chris Rayner
BBC Radio Jersey Political Reporter

An independent report on how relationships broke down between the RNLI, the former St Helier lifeboat crew and others involved in search and rescue, has concluded the RNLI should remain the main lifeboat service in Jersey.

The report, by Guernsey harbour master Chad Murray, was given to the BBC.

Next week the States is due to consider whether to set up a committee of inquiry. But, Mr Murray says that's unnecessary as all the issues are known and in the public domain.

The report concludes it was clear the RNLI couldn't safely run the station when the crew made it clear they wanted to set up an independent lifeboat service.

Mr Murray recommends a formal agreement is put in place between Jersey Coastguard and all search and rescue services in the island, with a local committee set up to include fishermen, ferry operators and boating associations.

Ryan Morrison
BBC News Online

Deborah McMillan was appointed before Christmas as the island's first Children's Commissioner following recommendations by the Independent Jersey Care Inquiry.

She has been speaking to young people, parents and experts to formulate a new children's plan for the island.

A number of experts are meeting with Ms McMillan and politicians to discuss the plan later.

Ryan Morrison
BBC News Online

Former treasury minister, Senator Philip Ozouf says he will not be standing for the States in May.

He's been a States member for 19 years and was first elected to the States as a deputy in St Helier in December 1999. He was first elected as a Senator in 2002, re-elected in 2008 and again in 2014.

Guernsey Press

A significant increase in commercial waste prices would ‘inevitably’ have to be passed on to customers, construction businesses have warned, after the possibility of a gate fee hike was raised., external

BBC Radio Guernsey

A Guernsey athlete has become a world champion in bowls again after winning a gold medal at the 2018 world cup finals in Australia.

Lucy Beere beat Australia's Bec Van Asch at the Warilla Club in New South Wales, earlier today.

Ms Beere said the final match came down to a tough tie break, and was "ecstatic" at the victory.

Image source, Bowls Guernsey