A SINGER/SONGWRITE from close to the Laois border wrote an impassioned poem about the recent Trump/Zelensky meeting which has been shared on social media and read out by Clem Ryan on KFM.

THE stage is set for a wonderful week in Mountmellick, as the countdown begins to the town’s renowned annual drama festival.

A MAN asked Judge Andrew Cody not to send him to the Midlands Prison because prisoners in there are fighting with him.

An electrical engineering company has been fined €400,000 in relation to the death of a Laois father of four in a workplace accident seven years ago.

WORRIED parents have launched a campaign for urgent road safety measures in Portlaoise housing estates, following the tragic deaths of two children within just 18 months.

A MAN charged with possession of 335 files of child pornography on a computer at his home appeared at Athy District Court.

Philip Gerad Sheppard late Kilmenan Farm House, Ballyouskill, Attanagh and Sheppard's Irish Auction House, Durrow passed away unexpectedly at his residence on Tuesday 4 March. He is predeceased by his parents Tommy and Kathleen.

A QUANTITY of cannabis herb was uncovered during a second drugs raid in Mountmellick within a month.

A HOTEL in Laois issued a warning today about a carpet salesman in a white van, who is falsely claiming to be from the hotel. The Abbeyleix Manor Hotel posted a notice on social media at 1pm, urging people in the area to be vigilant.

THE unexpected death of renowned Laois auctioneer Philip Sheppard has caused deep sadness in Durrow and surrounding areas.

ALLEGATIONS of poor customer service, impolite inspectors and doubts abouts the integrity of the test have all been levelled this week at Carlow NCT test centre.

A BUS shelter is on the way to Stradbally at last, after a long wait in the queue. The town will be included in Laois County Council’s 2025 programme for bus stop upgrade works, a council engineer has confirmed.

A MOMENTOUS day took place in Mountrath Community School, yesterday to mark its inaugural Patrons' Day, a new tradition that honours the school’s rich history and values.

The 27-year old defendant stuck a knife into the counter and allegedly told gardaí that he would be back to burn the place down

A MAN who allegedly sexually assaulted both a man and a woman on the Carlow-Athy train will have to return to court at the end of March, to find out how his case is to progress.

Kathleen Kehoe (née Lawler), The Demense, Gowran, Co. Kilkenny and formerly of Coon, Kilkenny, passed away on March 4th, peacefully at St. Lukes Hospital, Kilkenny surrounded by her loving family.

FINES totalling more than €1m have not been paid at Portlaoise District Court, new figures reveal. Courts Service statistics show that a whopping €1.

Ann Gorman (née Bergin), Cherry Grove, Portlaoise died suddenly at her residence on Sunday 2 March. Ann was predeceased by her husband Fint, grandsons Craig, Aaron and Tyler granddaughter Ava and brother Ray.

BEST-SELLING crime fiction author Andrea Carter from Ballyfin will hold a book-signing event in Portlaoise Library for the release of her latest novel ***There Came A-Tapping***.

FIREFIGHTERS were called to an apartment block blaze in Portarlington this morning, less than two weeks after a major fire destroyed another apartment building in the town.