Local Headlines

More than 900 patients have been referred to specialist stop smoking support through Walsall Manor Hospital’s Emergency Department (ED) Smoking Cessation Pathway during its first year.

Lead campaigners in the Leather Museum fight say questions still loom over the relocation saga. 

As Birmingham marked Ozzy Day, uncertainty continues to linger over The Crown pub in Station Street, known as the place where Black Sabbath performed their first gig.

Dudley CVS is hosting its annual Community Action Awards, celebrating the amazing contributions that volunteers and community organisations make to communities across Dudley borough.

Sandwell Council's Cabinet has approved more than £2.5 million of investment to help create more specialist support for children and young people with SEND across the borough.

Sandwell Council has won a national road safety award for its work to make the A4030 in Smethwick and Bearwood safer for everyone.

The Severn Valley Railway has joined forces with West Midlands Rail Executive and West Midlands Railway to launch a unique eight-week trial that will test the feasibility of extending regular passenger rail services from Birmingham to Bewdley.

A coordinated operation has cleared a privately owned car park in Walsall town centre that had become associated with anti-social behaviour, drug misuse and rough sleeping.  

A man has been arrested after police recovered a firearm from a vehicle in Lye.

Vibrant colour, music and celebration filled Stone Street Square on Saturday as around 2,500 people throughout the day enjoyed Dudley Pride.

Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, has called on Prime Minister Andy Burnham to appoint a dedicated Minister for the Night-Time Economy.

Residents, researchers and history enthusiasts can now explore Walsall's rich heritage online, as the borough's new digital archive portal officially launches.

A number of new animals have arrived at Dudley Zoo and Castle just in time for the school holidays, but these ones are made out of toy bricks!

West Midlands Mayor, Richard Parker has shown his support for Scouts and Cadets as a way to secure young people's job prospects.

Cat Eccles MP welcomed the Minister for Industry to Stourbridge to visit two local industries and discuss the challenges and opportunities facing the sectors.

Plans to convert a closed-down library into housing have been refused by Walsall Council.

Dudley Council has approved the first phase of a £10m plan to improve transport links into Stourbridge town centre.

Children at Crocketts Community Primary School enjoyed an exciting day of learning when the school hosted a sustainability-themed Careers Fair, introducing pupils to the green jobs and industries that could shape their futures.

The Red House Glass Cone has graced the Black Country flag since 2012 — now the landmark has inspired West Bromwich Albion’s new away kit.

Police in Halesowen have arrested multiple teenagers following large-scale disorder in the town centre.

Dudley Council has formally adopted its new local plan despite the ‘crying shame’ of housing targets making it instantly out of date.

West Midlands Police are making positive progress and continuous improvements according to His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, underlining the trust and confidence people can have in the force.

A shop involved in a ‘missing’ £920 lottery prize has been stripped of its licence.

Walsall Council has officially been awarded the prestigious Gold Award in the Ministry of Defence’s Employer Recognition Scheme.

A fourth shop in Cradley Heath has been ordered to close as Sandwell Council continues to tackle the sale of illegal goods.

Strategic investment in the Midlands' defence sector could create up to 38,000 high-value jobs and add almost £3 billion to the regional economy over the next decade, according to a new prospectus launched in Parliament.

Dudley Adult and Community Learning is celebrating a double success after winning a prestigious regional award and seeing one of its learners shortlisted among the best in the West Midlands.

Dudley Council has welcomed confirmation that the Best Value Notice issued to the authority in July 2025 has been lifted - recognising the significant progress made by the council.

Sandwell Council has been officially recognised as the 48th Top Apprentice Employer in the UK in this year’s national rankings.

Dudley Zoo and Castle has won a top industry award for its Reindeer Ravine.

A Stourbridge brewery has teamed up with the Mayor of Dudley to create a special charity ale celebrating the borough and raising funds for a range of good causes.

Dudley’s finance chief has ruled out a council tax refund for people whose bins are not being collected on time.

Just For One Day, the musical based on Live Aid, has announced a further continuation of its UK tour, coming to Wolverhampton Grand Theatre next October.

Three new sites, including Walsall's first Green Flag Award-winning allotments, have helped the borough achieve its highest-ever number of internationally recognised Green Flag Awards.

Residents in the north of the borough will benefit from more pop-up tip sessions, following Dudley Council’s announcement that it is investing an additional £150,000 to improve waste services.

As the country counts down to England’s World Cup semi-final, Dudley Council has added local football heroes Jude Bellingham and Morgan Rogers to its Freedom of the Borough honours list.

A woman who allowed her dog to starve and buried the emaciated body in a communal area where she lived has been banned from keeping animals for ten years.

The region will cement its status as the car-making capital of the UK under an automotive support package announced by Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands.

Young people across the borough of Walsall are being invited to take part in a series of creative sessions to help shape a new hippo-themed art trail which will be on display next year.

A business owner has been sentenced following serious breaches of environmental legislation linked to the operation of an alloy wheel refurbishment business in Dudley.

Two men have been arrested after police were called to reports of a stabbing at an address on Clancey Way in Cradley, shortly before 6am.

Dudley Council has signed up to Guide Dogs’ new national pilot scheme to tackle the refusal of entry to businesses for people with assistance dogs. 

Prince Harry has visited Birmingham Children’s Hospital to meet seriously ill children and their families who are benefiting from the specialist support programmes of national children’s charity, WellChild.

Sandwell Council is continuing its fight against illegal shops with the latest batch of court-ordered closures in Cradley Heath.

Students from the Black Country have returned home after completing a life-changing five-day residential programme at Eton College, made possible through growing partnerships with schools across the region.

Sandwell Council has confirmed how millions of pounds will be spent supporting residents through the cost-of-living crisis in the coming months.

Police and Crime Commissioner, Simon Foster has begun his search for the next Chief Constable of West Midlands Police.

Sandwell’s four Labour MPs have called on Reform-led Sandwell Council to abandon proposals to remove funding for free school meal holiday vouchers.

Labour councillors have called on Dudley Council to grant Freedom of the Borough to Jude Bellingham following his 'exceptional' role during the 2026 world cup.

Residents on a Walsall street have voiced strong opposition to a proposal to build a 1000-place school on their doorsteps.

Halesowen College proudly celebrated its 60th Anniversary on Friday 26 June, bringing together alumni, former and current staff for a day filled with celebration, reflection and nostalgia.

People who live in Dudley borough can attend local events and activities over the coming days as Dudley Council supports national Alcohol Awareness Week.

A leading figure behind the creation of the Black Country UNESCO Global Geopark has been recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours List 2026.

Players at Sands United FC Dudley, a football support team made up of bereaved dads who have all experienced the loss of a baby, have donated a privacy pram to Russell’s Hall Hospital.

Stourbridge Glass Museum will host a full day of live glassmaking demonstrations on Saturday 11 July as part of its Endangered Crafts Event.

A motorcyclist has sustained life-threatening injures following a road traffic collision in Cradley Heath at the weekend.

Birmingham Weekender is back from Saturday 29 August to Monday 31 August, bringing colourful installations, exhilarating performances and unforgettable experiences to the city centre.

Video

Yobs in Dudley are being caught on camera as the council takes a high-tech approach to combating antisocial behaviour.

A council has scrapped a restriction to allow a storage facility to permanently open 24 hours a day.

The region's biggest ever fundraising drive to attract millions of pounds into a wide variety of nature projects has been launched.

Police arrested two men and seized blades and suspected drugs after stopping a car in Tipton at the weekend.

Sandwell council refused to let a vulnerable mother have her representative present at an important meeting and made serious and unsubstantiated allegations about both of them during an investigation by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

A 20 year-old man’s been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following a shooting in Bartley Green on Sunday.