Local Headlines
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Teenager who died at Lodge Farm Reservoir named
A grieving family have paid tribute to their “simply irreplaceable” teenager with ‘a heart full of gold’ who died in Lodge Farm Reservoir this week.
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NHS calls national blood shortage amber alert
A perfect storm of increased demand of O type blood from hospitals and reduced collections due to high levels of unfilled appointments has caused stocks of blood to drop to unprecedentedly low levels.
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Halesowen athlete to represent Team GB
Halesowen athlete, Madeline Down has been named in the Great Britain athletics team for next month’s Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
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Closure an option in council review of loss-making adventure centres
Cash-strapped Dudley Council has ordered a review of two activity centres for children which are both losing money.
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Dudley Council Plus walk-in centre set to close
The Dudley Council Plus walk-in centre looks set close in January 2025 as part of a new round of borough cost cutting.
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Rogue mini market shut for 3 months
A rogue mini-Market in Halesowen has been ordered to close for three months for flagrantly selling illegal cigarettes and vapes despite repeated warnings.
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Body recovered in search for missing teen
Following a search of Netherton reservoir the body of a teenage boy has been recovered from the water.
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Emergency services remain at Lodge Farm Reservoir
Teams from West Midlands Ambulance Service remain at Lodge Farm Reservoir this morning after responding to reports of a teenage boy in the water last night.
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Dudley Council Chief Executive stands down
Dudley Council’s chief executive is to stand down after five years at the top of the Black Country authority.
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Plans for homes on former council office site rejected
Plans for three new houses on the site of a former Dudley Council housing office have been thrown out.
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Merry Hill to host free sporting events this summer
The Merry Hill Centre is marking the summer of sport with two weeks of free-to-attend sporting activities for children aged over 4 - and adults - running at the same time as the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
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Strictly star brings new tour to Wolverhampton
International champion and Strictly Come Dancing star, Nikita Kuzmin will bring his first ever UK solo tour, Midnight Dancer to Wolverhampton Grand Theatre next May.
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Birmingham to host 2027 Invictus Games
The Invictus Games will come to the UK in 2027 as Birmingham is announced as host city.
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Santa helps Dudley Zoo open new £200K redevelopment
Santa cut short his summer holiday to officially open Dudley Zoo and Castle’s new £200K Reindeer Ravine this week.
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Walsall residents asked for views on proposed changes to street trading legislation
Walsall Council is undertaking a public consultation to change the way streets in the borough are designated for street trading purposes.
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Region takes first step towards greater public control of buses
West Midlands leaders have agreed to take the next steps that could see them take back control of the region’s bus network and services.
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The Bell Inn on the Delph Road brought back to life with a full refit
After being closed for some years, The Bell pub – which was once an anchor in the famous 'Delph run pub crawl' – has been given a new lease of life thanks to the vision of Black Country builder Simon Glear.
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Historic Black Country baths set to be sold
A council has vowed to protect an historic swimming baths from becoming ‘another Crooked House’ as it searches for a new owner after a spate of vandal attacks.
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Record number of visitors choose West Midlands in 2023
More people visited the West Midlands in 2023 than ever before, with 145.4 million spending time in the region to enjoy its culture, food, retail, hospitality, sporting and business events offer.
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Love was all around at Dudley Pride this weekend
Colourful flags and rainbow stalls lined the streets around Stone Street Square as Dudley held its first ever outdoor pride event, complete with funfair and family friendly activities.
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Residents advised to be aware of the dangers of open water
As temperatures rise and people flock to lakes, rivers and beaches, the risk of water-related incidents increases significantly.
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New children’s play area declared open
A highly anticipated new woodland play area in one of the region’s most prestigious parks is now officially open, just in time for the school holidays.
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Baga Chipz on her way to Dudley Pride
Baga Chipz MBE and star of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK is heading to Dudley this weekend.
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Dudley Council backs calls for police to remain in local town bases
A motion calling for West Midlands Police to keep its neighbourhood policing teams in local bases in Halesowen and Brierley Hill has been backed by Councillors.
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Dudley nightclub won't close despite police fears for public safety
A Dudley nightspot escaped closure despite a series of reported serious incidents at the premises including a man allegedly armed with a gun.
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Pole protestors warned during council debate
Protesters were warned not to disrupt a council meeting during a debate about telegraph poles in Halesowen.
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Row goes on over ‘luxury’ council homes in Netherton
Dudley Council is being accused of allowing builders to ignore planning rules in a row over new homes in Netherton.
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Shock report says parents looking for support are turning to social media
Parents in Dudley borough are turning to social media groups for information because they say official support is hard to find.
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Councillors propose honour for Jude Bellingham
Calls have been made for Jude Bellingham to be recognised in Dudley Borough for his achievements during the Euro 2024 tournament.
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£200,000 creative skills boost for children and young people
Hundreds of opportunities for children and young people to make music, write, sing, draw, and perform on stage will be provided thanks to £200,000 of new funding for community arts and cultural organisations across the region.
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Sandwell celebrates 15 Green Flag parks and green spaces
Fifteen parks and other green spaces in Sandwell have this year achieved the coveted Green Flag Award.
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Council teams stump up cash for charities
Staff and elected members at Dudley Council will be stumping up cash for the Mayor’s charities at their annual cricket match this month.
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Dudley calls on government to secure the future of council homes
Dudley Council has joined forces with 19 other local authorities across the country to call on the government to secure the future of council homes.
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Dudley Virtual School receives prestigious Artsmark Award
Dudley Virtual School is celebrating after receiving a prestigious Gold Artsmark Award.
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Musicom event hailed a success
Thousands of revellers have turned out to enjoy a big weekend of live music, comedy, entertainment and football in the grounds of Himley Hall.
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Council leader demands resignation of WMCA Chief Exec
The leader of Dudley Council has called for the resignation of senior Combined Authority chiefs and has declared a lack of confidence in the new West Midlands Mayor over a halt to travel plans in the borough.
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Extra cash for councillors slammed as a ‘slap in the face’
Dudley Council’s plans to spend an extra £100,000 on committees have been slammed as a 'slap in the face' for taxpayers.
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Footie final to be screened at Himley Hall
Football fans can cheer on local hero, Jude Bellingham at Musicom this Sunday as the Euro 2024 final will be shown on a big screen at 8pm.
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Sandwell's SHAPE Youth Summer Fest is back this Saturday
Sandwell’s SHAPE Youth Summer Fest is back for 2024, with the biggest selection of free activities ever.
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Have your say on the future of Smethwick
Residents, community groups and local businesses are encouraged to help shape the future of the Smethwick area and share their views on how to improve the town by completing this important survey.
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Sandwell landlords urged to check if they need housing licence under new scheme
Private landlords who rent out properties in the borough are being urged to check if they need to apply for a licence under the new scheme being introduced from 1 October 2024.
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Extra time to question suspects as Walsall murder victim is named
Police have been granted extra time to question three murder suspects as the victim of a fatal shooting in Blakenall has been named as Connor Brookes.
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Leisure services tender process underway
Dudley Council is inviting organisations to put in bids to run the borough’s leisure service.
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Traders gear up for Dudley Grand Prix race day
Dudley traders are getting into the racing spirit as the town gears up for the Dudley Grand Prix cycling event on Friday.
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Bank to close to make way for new shops and flats
A bank is set to close and replaced with new shops and flats.
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No answers yet on failed leisure centre deal
A row over the failed sale of Dudley’s former leisure centre escalated after councillors were denied answers about an investigation into the affair.
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Council running consultation on Homer Hill parking
Dudley Council is inviting people to take part in an online survey about car parking provision for Homer Hill Park.
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Council warns litter louts to think twice
Bosses at Dudley Council have issued a stark reminder to anyone considering fly tipping, after the local authority confirmed it issued two £1,000 fines in one week.
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Local DJ spins his way to Dudley Pride
A Black Country DJ has been added to the Dudley Pride lineup after winning a competition earlier this month.
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Digital inclusion programme recognised for helping to get residents more confident online
A project which has helped more Sandwell residents get confident online by providing 1,200 Chromebooks, 400 laptops and training on how to use them has won the Adult Learner Award for Digital Inclusion.
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Bar at centre of attempted murder probe could be shut down for good
The bar at the centre of an attempted murder probe following a shooting could be shut down for good, it has been revealed.
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Plan for council services to move to new base
Some council services could soon be moving to a new base in Brierley Hill as part of a strategy to streamline the number of buildings the council owns.
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Fizzogs back on stage in Halesowen later this year
The Fizzogs are back on stage for a three-night run at Halesowen Town Hall in October, with tickets on sale now.
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Labour election winners aross Dudley says trust was a big part of victory
Dudley’s new Labour MP says being a frontline NHS worker helped show voters she was someone they could trust.
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Dudley's blueprint for the future outlined by council
Dudley Council outlined its blueprint for the future which aims to deliver better outcomes for Dudley borough residents.
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Ice rink could open in Dudley within four years
A 2,000-seater ice rink could be open in Dudley by late 2027 if council chiefs give it the go-ahead, a report has revealed.
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Sandwell Council makes serious and unsubstantiated allegations during Ombudsman investigation
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.
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Man Arrested Over Bartley Green Shooting
A 20 year-old man’s been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following a shooting in Bartley Green on Sunday.