AN ONLINE fitness coach has until February to make a €400 donation to the poor box at Portlaoise District Court or he will be left with a lifelong conviction under the ‘Firearms Act.

THE Portlaoise ICA Guild hosted its annual Christmas party for the residents of the Sue Ryder Centre in Portlaoise last week. Festive games, music and food was the order of the day.

Patricia (Trish) Byrne, 57 Emmet Street Mountmellick died on Wednesday 18 December. Patricia was predeceased by her dear partner Ken Merthens.

LAOIS County Council has engaged a Cork based support and research company to provide a call answering service over the Christmas and New Year period.

Veronica (Vera) O'Connor (née Kearney), Ballybrittas, Laois/Bayside, Dublin  The death occurred on 17 December of Veronica (Vera) O'Connor (née Kearney), Bayside, Dublin 13 and formerly of Ballybrittas, Co Laois).

Maureen Kennedy (née Cullinan), Ironmills,  Ballinakill, Laois Maureen died peacefully on 17 December at St Luke’s Hospital, Kilkenny, in her 100th year. She was predeceased by her husband Lar, brothers, sisters, brothers in law and sisters in law.

Michael (Mick) Marum, Chapel Street, Ballinakill, Laois Michael died peacefully at home on 18 December in the presence of his loving family, after a short illness.

A PORTLAOISE woman has Christmas all wrapped up, after scooping €330 worth of festive goodies in Lidl's Christmas Trolley Dash.

AN appeal has been made for urgent footpath repairs in a Laois village, after an elderly woman tripped and fell on her way to Mass.

RESIDENTS are enduring serious disruption and safety worries in a local housing estate, as more than 40 new homes are being built behind their properties.

A MAN who was arrested earlier this year after returning from England and who had been sought in relation to a major disturbance in Portlaoise six years ago came before last week’s sitting of Portlaoise District Court on public order offences.

TWO uninsured drivers were caught within minutes at a garda checkpoint in Laois yesterday. One was stopped after turning away from the checkpoint, while the second was caught after gardaí received an automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) alert.

NUTRITIONIST Ruth Kavanagh of health education and functional fitness organisation EduFIT recently delivered a free winter wellness workshop in Mountmellick Library.

THE first upcycled bike library in Ireland has been rolled out in Portlaoise. The first-of-its-kind initiative was launched at the town’s People’s Park, when delighted primary school pupils enjoyed their first spin around the Learn to Bike park.

A LAOIS club has reported an anonymous threatening letter received by a member to gardaí.

Zita Hayes (née White), The Grove, Abbeyleix passed away peacefully in the care of Marymount Care Centre Lucan. Zita was predeceased by her husband Eddie, brothers Reggie and Pat, brothers-in-law Gerry and Padraig and sister-in-law Angela.

MAGICAL Roundwood House near Mountrath was an enchanting venue to celebrate a remarkable year for Laois Public Participation Network (PPN).

OVER 629 patients, including 24 children are being treated on trolleys, chairs and in other inappropriate bed spaces in Irish hospitals today Tuesday 17 December.

Seamus Dunne, Hackney and formerly of Trumera, Mountrath passed away peacefully on Wednesday 11 December at Saint Joseph’s Hospice, Hackney in his 90th year.

A SOLICITOR told Judge Susan Fay at a recent sitting of Portlaoise Family Law Court that his client’s family “is up in a heap because he is not allowed back into his house”.