Local Headlines

Phase two of a £1.7 million CCTV overhaul is underway with key public places added to the programme.

The team at the Blue Cross charity shop in Bromsgrove have issued a plea as they prepare to reopen and welcome back supporters and animal lovers.

Chief Superintendent Sally Bourner is hanging up her hat after a career which has seen her rise from beat bobby to commander of policing in Dudley after three decades of tackling crime and protecting the public across the West Midlands.

Police in Dudley are urgently appealing to trace a man who has gone missing - and are warning members of the public not to approach him. 

Sandwell Council and Public Health England have issued an urgent appeal for pub customers to self-isolate after The Soho Foundry Tavern in Smethwick reported cases of coronavirus.

Police in Dudley are investigating after a man died after a car collided with a bus shelter in Sedgley last night.

Dudley Council has confirmed it is working with health partners to look at new ways of incorporating health facilities into Dudley town centre’s exciting regeneration programme.

Halesowen Town Football Club have said they are delighted to announce the release of their very own book charting the history of the club.

An electric-powered bin lorry is doing the rounds across the borough this week as part of a trial.

Stourbridge creatives, Saz’s Ceramics & Crafts, have announced a drawing and painting competition for kids aged between 5 and 16. 

Black Country-born Chris Passey and Andrew Exeter are part of the creative team bringing Jason Robert Brown’s iconic 'The Last Five Years' to Cornwall's outdoor Minack Theatre from 15th – 19th September 2020.

The iconic Birmingham venue has been forced to cancel its pantomime after no firm date was offered up for venues to host productions with lower levels of social distancing.

The Severn Valley Railway Charitable Trust has agreed a major funding boost totalling £132,000 for repairs to a serious landslip at Sterns, near Highley, and to complete the restoration of GWR Hawksworth coach 2242, both on the Severn Valley Railway.

Suzanne Webb MP has welcomed the announcement that Thorns Collegiate Academy in Stourbridge will benefit from £418,820 to improve school facilities.

A child has suffered serious injuries after a collision with a vehicle on the M5 motorway.

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A teenager who viciously beat a man as he walked home from a night out has been jailed – as we warn that anyone committing violent offences risks being locked up.

As lockdown restrictions are being continually reviewed and adjusted, a face mask sanitiser which was rigorously tested in Birmingham hospital labs has been put back into production.

The 'Walsall for All' initiative has launched the ‘Pledge’ - an initiative to encourage businesses, organisations and individuals to work together to create a more cohesive, inclusive and integrated Walsall.

Two new testing sites have opened in Sandwell to help people get a free test as quickly as possible if they notice symptoms of coronavirus.

Eight ‘shovel ready’ projects, ranging from the National Brownfield Land Institute to Very Light Rail developments are to benefit from £66 million of Government funding secured for the region.

A residents’ survey to evaluate how well Dudley’s Public Health team has worked with communities during the Covid-19 crisis has launched with prizes of £50 high street vouchers for three lucky entrants.

Young people in the West Midlands will benefit from new one-year training courses to equip them with the skills needed to gain jobs.

Work to construct a new cemetery in Rowley Regis will begin in the coming weeks, securing burial space for Sandwell residents for decades to come.

A man has been treated for serious injuries over the weekend, after becoming trapped under an HGV in the Black Country.

The future of this years pantomime at Birmingham Hippodrome is at risk after producers say a lack of clarity from the government means they may have to cancel the shows.

Pubs, bars and restaurants can now apply for a temporary licence to place tables and chairs on the highway to extend their outdoor space.

The Severn Valley Railway reopened to the public on Saturday with the first service of the day, hauled by GWR 2857, leaving Kidderminster Town station at 10.15am.

Free no ticket parking on council-owned car parks comes to an end from today, motorists have been reminded.

Two large employers are helping the region’s economy recover from Covid-19 by pledging £300,000 to the Apprenticeship Levy Transfer Fund set up by the West Midlands Combined Authority to boost jobs and skills at smaller businesses.

Two paramedics, who were stabbed while attending a patient in Wolverhampton earlier this month have praised the colleagues who came to their aid and helped save their lives.

A climate change challenge is set to be at the heart of the region’s updated transport plan

With lockdown easing, Sandwell has seen an upsurge in litter across parks and town centres. The council has made several pleas asking people to take rubbish home or dispose of rubbish correctly – but too many people are ignoring these requests.

Disney classic Frozen 2 has today been added to the list of films being shown at a pop-up drive in cinema at Himley Hall and Park next month – with Grease already sold out.

Dudley residents are urged to continue to stay alert to keep them, their families and everyone around them safe following a rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in the borough over the last week.

A group of athletes who have all triumphed in the face of adversity are giving their support to more than 1000 young people taking part in a virtual Olympic Games this month.

A Stourbridge woman whose ambition to create community hub was dashed by the Coronavirus outbreak, has taken her first steps in seeing it realised.

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Exactly two years before the games begin, organisers have unveiled Smithfield as the chosen location to create two bespoke arenas to stage the 3x3 basketball and beach volleyball competitions.

Plans to create a West Midlands National Park have taken a step forward after the West Midlands Combined Authority signed a memorandum of understanding with Birmingham City University.

Families looking to enjoy the great outdoors can make the most of a free trail around Bumble Hole nature reserve.

Officers are appealing for information after a woman in her 40s was killed in a collision on the M6 yesterday morning.

The Dudley Falls Prevention service has been ‘highly commended’ in a national award in recognition of its support to Dudley residents.

Staff at West Midland Safari Park have been busy behind the scenes, to make an impact on the conservation of rhinos, including an important research paper, fundraising and saying goodbye to one of the herd. 

Sandwell Council is promoting post offices as council bill payment stations for people who prefer to use cash or don’t have online access.

Leisure centres are to re-open next month, council bosses announced today.

An investigation has been launched after a pensioner suffered a broken pelvis when she was thrown to the ground in Saltwells Nature Reserve on Tuesday.

West Midlands Fire Service have revoked an instruction which saw a ban on the use of the Black Country flag at their stations because of a perceived link with slavery.

NHS, social care and other frontline workers have been granted the Freedom of Dudley Borough for their efforts during the coronavirus crisis.

The theatre has announced that they will be hosting two Summer Schools this August - Theatre Making for those aged 13-18 and Spy School for ages 7-12.

Eight play areas will re-open at borough parks from today for children to enjoy over the school summer holidays.

A new infographic has highlighted the key role Dudley Council has played in supporting residents and businesses during the three months of lockdown during the coronavirus crisis.

Rules on the wearing of face coverings in England has been criticised by retailers after being released less than 12 hours before the new rules come into force.

From midnight, it will be mandatory for most people to wear a face mask or face covering in shops and supermarkets in England. 

The Midlands Air Ambulance along with ambulance crews were called to help an injured cyclist in Dudley yesterday afternoon.

The Mayor of Dudley is leading a campaign for covert CCTV to be installed to catch out fly-tippers blighting a borough beauty spot.

Police are appealing for help to trace two women after an 83-year-old woman had jewellery, including her wedding ring, stolen after she was approached in Dudley.

The West Midlands wide Swift travel card has added a new fare-capped payment service to guarantee commuters the best value fare on West Midlands Metro.

The popular open-air museum will be re-opening to visitors today (Wednesday) following the introduction of appropriate Coronavirus safety measures. 

Around £8.5 million has been set aside to improve the condition of borough roads this year, council bosses have revealed.

Sandwell Archives is looking for photos of Royal visits to the borough from the 1980s onward.

A £2 million appeal to save a Black Country children’s hospice is marking its one-year anniversary by paying tribute to the incredible fundraising efforts of the local community.

A decision to grant NHS and social care workers Freedom of the Borough for their efforts during the coronavirus crisis is expected to be ratified by councillors this week.

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More than 2,400 people from around the world tuned into a live broadcast by Dudley Performing Arts this month.

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.