Menopause care, municipal chief and buses

A private menopause clinic is opening in Luleå at the turn of the year, and in Gällivare a social worker consultant is sounding the alarm over 50 notifications of concern that have not been followed up. Jokkmokk's municipal executive is leaving his job with six months' salary in severance pay, and in Kiruna a new timetable for the buses has been in effect since Monday.

New menopause clinic opens in Luleå

Region Norrbotten – the region responsible for healthcare in the county – has a menopause clinic in Överkalix, but recently decided not to open another one in Luleå. Instead, Hermelinen, which is part of Kry, will open a private menopause clinic in Luleå at the turn of the year.

The clinic will have a nurse and a doctor with specialist knowledge in menopause care. They will work with a gym offering menopause training, with a strong focus on strength training, as well as with a sexologist and a physiotherapist where needed. “Above all, in our telephone advice service, we see an enormous need for help,” says the nurse specializing in menopause care who is training in menopause care. SVT Nyheter Norrbotten

50 notifications of concern – staff shortage in Gällivare

A social services consultant began working in Gällivare Municipality, which is responsible for social services, among other things, in March 2026. Just a few days into the job, she found that a family had received 50 notifications of concern without anything being done, that notifications of concern had not been followed up, and that cases had been left unattended for months.

She has submitted a Lex Sarah notification – a notification that staff must make when someone is harmed in an activity. In it, she warns that children in the municipality are being harmed because social services is short-staffed, despite sharp criticism from Ivo in December 2025. NSD

Jokkmokk municipal chief to leave his job

The municipal executive board’s working committee (KSAU, part of the municipality’s political leadership) in Jokkmokk was called to an extraordinary meeting on Wednesday. There, everyone agreed that the municipal chief’s employment is to be terminated with immediate effect. He will receive a severance payment equivalent to six months’ salary, which, according to the municipal commissioner, costs the municipality around 660,000 kronor. His appointment as chief would otherwise have continued until February 2028.

The background is SVT’s investigation, which showed that the municipal chief, under a pseudonym, produced several pornographic films, two of which were released while he was municipal chief in Jokkmokk. The municipal commissioner says the decision is entirely related to security aspects. The municipal chief confirms that his employment is being terminated, but rejects the claim that the decision is connected to SVT’s reporting. SVT Nyheter Norrbotten

TV Puck Gold is expected to lead to more ice hockey arenas

On Sunday, Norrbotten’s girls won TV Puck for the first time. The team will be honoured on 14 November, in conjunction with Luleå Hockey’s home match against Färjestad in the SHL. Norrbotten Ice Hockey Association hopes that the gold will lead to more ice hockey arenas and more ice time for women’s and girls’ hockey.

Just this year, the number of active girls has increased by more than 100, and around 800 girls in total are involved in ice hockey throughout Norrbotten. The biggest challenge is the shortage of ice time and ice hockey arenas. “For the girls to have the same opportunities to develop as the boys, more ice hockey arenas and more ice time are needed throughout Norrbotten,” says the chair of Norrbotten Ice Hockey Association. SVT Nyheter Norrbotten

New timetable set to solve bus chaos in Kiruna

Since 1 June, the new bus company Boreal has been operating local traffic in Kiruna Municipality, which is responsible for local bus services. During the autumn, buses have been late or failed to arrive at all, it has been difficult to find drivers, and there have been problems with technical equipment.

A new timetable, drawn up by the municipality in the middle of the season, has been in effect since Monday, in order to ease the strain on the system. The bus company has hired more drivers and expanded traffic management. “If we have addressed the main fault sources, the hope is that the major problems will be solved,” says the head of planning at Kiruna Municipality. A passenger followed by SVT hopes that people will be able to start relying on the buses running on time. SVT Nyheter Norrbotten

Xzibit performs at Holy Cow in Luleå

Rapper Xzibit performs at Holy Cow in Luleå. According to Holy Cow, the show calls for “top-class skills, nice cars and plenty of food”. Preparations have been underway since the beginning of the week, including a mixing console transported from Göteborg, an in-ear system and four additional bass guitars.

Xzibit’s six-man team arrives at Kallax late on Friday afternoon. The rapper performs in Krakow, Poland, on Thursday and will not have much time in Luleå before it is time to go on stage. Norrbottens-Kuriren

In brief

• Kiruna IF lost 1–5 to Borlänge and has now suffered three consecutive defeats – the team has conceded 16 goals in its last three matches. Norrbottens-Kuriren
• One of the two men in their 20s and 40s in the southern part of Gällivare municipality is now also being investigated for gross animal cruelty, following the discovery of a video on seized mobile phones; they had previously been suspected of gross hunting offences. NSD
• Coddoc Medical AB, headquartered in Luleå municipality, was registered with Bolagsverket (the government agency that registers companies) on 4 November and has share capital of 25,000 kronor. Norrbottens-Kuriren
• The Aktiva seniorer association in Luleå organises activities for older people, and according to a researcher, an active social life can be just as important as eating properly or exercising. SVT Nyheter Norrbotten