BBC Radio Jersey

Most of Jersey's primary schools will be closed during lunchtime next Monday because of planned strike action.

Teaching assistants are walking out, along with hundreds of other civil servants, on Monday and Tuesday over an ongoing pay dispute.

The NASUWT, the union that represents teachers, said the unions' request in a pay deal was fair.

The States said it was "disappointed" at the decision and there were financial constraints on public sector pay because of work to avoid a looming budget deficit.

Parents should find out by Wednesday if their children will be affected.

Meanwhile, ferry passengers could be affected by the strikes when customs and immigration staff walk out, affecting two planned sailings to and one from St Malo.

There will be no impact on services between the UK and the Channel Islands at the ferry terminal or at Jersey Airport. No international flights are planned on Monday.

Edward Rowe
BBC Radio Guernsey

Guernsey Police's Christmas anti-drink driving campaign has come to an end, with more than 40 drivers breath-tested and six arrests in total.

Officers randomly stop-checked 853 vehicles, with 43 drivers breathalyzed, in the five weeks the campaign ran from 27 November.

Six arrests followed, with Guernsey Police adamant that such checks would "not end" because Christmas was over.

The 2017 campaign saw 22 arrests after about 600 vehicles were stopped.

In 2016, 76 drivers were charged.

Roads Policing Sergeant Tom Marshall said the force's campaign was "a deliberate and sustained effort to reinforce the unacceptability of such dangerous and illegal behaviour".

Image source, Liam McBurney/PA Wire

BBC Weather

Tuesday night looks set to remain dry with clear spells and variable amounts of cloud. Turning rather chilly.

Minimum temperature: 5 to 8C (41 to 46F).

Wednesday will be fairly cloudy and cold with the chance of an isolated shower, but there should be some sunny spells as well.

Maximum temperature: 3 to 6C (37 to 43F).

Jersey:

Guernsey:

BBC Radio Jersey

Nursing unions in Jersey have rejected the States final pay offer, but midwives have accepted the deal.

Members across the three nursing and midwifery unions were asked to accept or reject a 3.1% pay rise for 2018 and a 3% pay rise for 2019.

A spokesperson for the nursing unions said they had been angered as the below-inflation offer failed to address any concerns raised about pay and conditions going back to 2012.

BBC Radio Jersey

The first of this year's Jersey Royal potatoes have been planted on the island's hillsides.

Jersey's famous small potato has a Protected Designation of Origin, external and is one of the few remaining seasonal products in British supermarkets.

William Church, from the Jersey Royal Company, which supplies almost all of its produce to British consumers, said he was hopeful that this year's weather would be kinder to the island's biggest agricultural export.

In 2018, months of heavy rain and the Beast from the East meant the company "lost the vast majority" of potatoes that were planted early in the season.

The first of the crop should be harvested at the end of March.

BBC Radio Jersey

The Jersey politician in charge of organising the 75th anniversary of Liberation Day says he wants specially designed currency to commemorate the event.

Deputy Kevin Pamplin said he would push for the introduction of a coin or banknote so people in the island will have something physical to mark the celebration next year.

However, he added that it was unlikely to be a £1 coin, despite the UK Treasury giving Jersey the green light to design its own version...

BBC Radio Guernsey

The higher costs of generating electricity at the Vale power station are likely to be reflected in price increases soon, the chief executive of Guernsey Electricity is warning.

A second fault in the cable link with Jersey means that electricity can only be supplied from France at a reduced rate.

Alan Bates said customers would have to pay for the use of fuel oil, exchange rates and the cable repair...

BBC Radio Guernsey

We mentioned earlier that the start of 2019 has been the dullest on record in Jersey, with only six minutes of sunshine recorded in seven days, according to Jersey Met.

Guernsey Airport also saw the dullest start to a year since records began at the site in 1955.

However, it beat Jersey on the sunshine front with an impressive 0.2 of an hour - 12 minutes - in 2019's first seven days: double what Jersey got.

The record year for early Guernsey sun was 1956 when Guernsey Airport had 23.8 hours sunshine in the first seven days.

Rob Byrne
BBC News Online

A conservationist behind the first ever project to monitor Guernsey's ormer population says she's not out to stop gatherers of the prized molluscs.

On Sunday, Société Guernesiaise began searching for ormers - known in other parts of the world as abalone - as part of a long-term project to discover aspects of their biology, ecology, and behaviour.

"The ormer is a really charismatic species that's really close to the hearts of all islanders, and that's why we set up the project," La Société's Laura Bampton said.

Ormers are being tagged, with search sites being re-visited periodically so that individual ormers can be re-measured.

Gatherers who eventually eat the sea snails can still contribute to the project by providing photos of the tagged shells and information on their size.

Asked whether the data could result in future changes to the rules on gathering,, external she said:

"Eventually it could be, but I'd like to stress that we're not out to stop people from doing this practice, because obviously it is really important for Guernsey's culture."

BBC Radio Jersey

The start of 2019 has been the dullest on record in Jersey.

Only six minutes of sunshine were recorded in seven days, Jersey Met said.

BBC Radio Guernsey

The National Trust of Guernsey is looking to create digital maps of walking trails on the island.

Sara Lumpitt, vice president of the trust, wants volunteer walkers who are savvy with their phones to help build the routes.

She hopes a little help from the community could see the project completed by the spring.

BBC Radio Jersey

Contingency plans are in place to minimise the impact of strikes by civil servants in Jersey, and the island's government is to "consider the implications for potential impact on public services", the States says.

Hundreds of union member civil servants in Jersey are to strike again next Monday and Tuesday in a pay dispute, which could impact the ferry terminal, the airport, schools and health service.

The Unite union said members were furious about how they had been treated in negotiations.

The States said it was "disappointed" at the decision and that it had "negotiated over several months", saying there were financial constraints on public sector pay because of work to avoid a looming budget deficit.

BBC Radio Guernsey

Sections of Mannez Quarry in Alderney are closing for renovation works next week.

The quarry is a popular place for bird watching and the Alderney Wildlife Trust said it wanted to make it more accessible.

The work, from next Monday until 9 February, will see volunteers carry out a phased renovation process in order not to disturb wildlife.

Image source, Ben Chapple

The work will include making paths wider and more level to support wheelchair access, renovating the bird hide, improving signage and reconstructing the stone steps which lead down to the hill to the area.

Trust manager Roland Gauvain said improving access would make it easier for both islanders and visitors to learn about wildlife.

The work follows developments in 2016 to rebuild the Longis bird hide to make it more accessible.

Guernsey Police are warning islanders they will continue to do checks to catch drink-drivers after the end of their Christmas campaign, which saw six people arrested.

BBC Radio Guernsey

Guernsey Electricity is to determine whether to replace the undersea power cable between the island and Jersey within the coming year.

Guernsey gets the majority of its power from France through Jersey, but, when the cable is offline, the utility is forced to use the oil-fired on-island power station.

The 52km (32-mile) cable failed in October and, during testing after repairs, a second problem was discovered 9km (5 miles) off Jersey.

Utility chief executive Alan Bates said replacement may happen sooner rather than later...

Jersey Evening Post

A petition calling for paedophiles found guilty of abusing, or attempting to abuse, children to receive a minimum three-year jail sentence has received more than 1,000 signatures in three days, external.

Guernsey Press

Supermarkets are preparing for Brexit-related supply problems, external – including the possibility of stockpiling.

Edward Rowe
BBC Radio Guernsey

Guernsey States Trading Assets says it is still awaiting a full assessment from Guernsey Electricity on the situation with the underwater cable after recent faults.

Guernsey gets the majority of its power from France through Jersey, but, when the cable is offline, the utility is forced to use the oil-fired on-island power station.

Electricity is still being generated on-island as the cable is not carrying its full load after an additional fault was found when repairs were being made to the cable in December after a previous fault that resulted in a Guernsey-wide power cut in October.

Monitoring checks revealed the new fault 9km off the coast of Jersey.

States Trading Assets said Guernsey Electricity informed it of the problem and it was awaiting a full assessment from the company once testing and analysis of the cable was completed.

Guernsey Electricity bosses said they were to determine whether to replace the cable within the coming year.