Local Headlines
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Pop-up pool makes a splash at Netherton school playground
Primary school children in Netherton take advantage of a pop-up swimming pool initiative which aims to increase the swimming skills of children across the Black Country.
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Competition to name Birmingham's famous ‘Raging Bull’
Network Rail and the West Midlands Combined Authority have launched a nationwide competition to give the bull, made famous during the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, a permanent new name.
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Acorns celebrates official reopening of Walsall Hospice
Acorns Children's Hospice has officially reopened its Walsall hospice following a major £2 million refurbishment.
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Dudley Scams unit has saved £9 million from falling into the hands of financial criminals
A Dudley Council team has saved £9 million from falling into the hands of financial criminals since its launch.
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Hundreds of potholes repaired across Dudley
Thousands of square metres of pothole repairs and patching have been completed across Dudley over the past few weeks as highways bosses vowed to “get tough” on road defects.
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New Mayor of Sandwell sworn in
Langley councillor, Bill Gavan is the new Mayor of Sandwell following a ceremony in the Council chamber and is joined by his husband, Adam Kennedy, as Consort.
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Celebrating 80 years of St John's Ambulance in Halesowen
MP, James Morris attended the Halesowen base of St John Ambulance on Saturday as he met with young volunteers to celebrate eight decades of their presence within the town.
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‘Love Your Zoo’ during half term
Dudley Zoo & Castle is joining the annual British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums campaign throughout the school holidays, which aims to highlight the fantastic conservation, education and research zoos carry out.
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A champion in four different sports at the World Transplant Games
A teenager from Kingswinford who was given the ‘Gift of Life’ through organ donation has returned home from the World Transplant Games with four gold medals.
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Street cleaner retires after 50 years’ dedicated service
A Sandwell street cleaner is retiring after fifty years of dedicated service to the borough.
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Rugby stars urge everyone to give CPR a try
West Midlands Ambulance Service has teamed up with some of the country’s top rugby stars to launch a video aimed at encouraging everyone to give CPR a try.
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New Mayor for Walsall
Councillor Chris Towe was elected as Mayor of Walsall with Councillor Anthony Harris as Deputy Mayor for 2023-24.
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Pilot to bring private funding into nature
The West Midlands Combined Authority has been chosen as one of just four areas in the UK to draw up new ways of bringing more private sector investment into local projects that can help protect nature and tackle climate change.
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Trading standards take swift action in Dudley borough
Residents being targeted by cold-calling rogue traders are urged to contact trading standards, who can take swift action to help protect them.
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Stourbridge jewellers branded a 'hidden gem'
The leader of Dudley Council recently dropped by highly respected business, K Bassam Jewellers as part of his made in Dudley borough tour.
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Interactive show based on hit TV series heading to Stourbridge
Fans of hit TV series Murder She Wrote are being urged to snap up tickets for a special interactive show based on the cult programme at Stourbridge Town Hall in a couple of weeks.
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Dealers off the streets and behind bars
West Midlands Police is targeting County Lines crime across the borough and has also launched Operation Target target serious and organised crime like drug dealing, burglary, cyber-crime and fraud across the West Midlands.
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Top award for deaf Dudley tutor
A deaf Dudley tutor who has made it his life’s work to help people other deaf people won a prestigious award at West Midlands Combined Authority Adult Learning Awards in Birmingham.
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Temporary library opens in Brierley Hill church
Book lovers and library users in Brierley Hill have an inspiring temporary home to use while major refurbishment works take place at the existing high street location.
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Chance to visit Parliament with Black Country MP
Dudley South MP Mike Wood is once again offering constituents the chance to visit the Palace of Westminster as part of one of his regular Parliament tours.
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Black Country dementia choir seeks choir master
The search is on for a choir master to lead a brand new dementia choir in the Black Country.
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Weekday discount for locals at the Severn Valley Railway throughout June
People living in postcodes near the Severn Valley Railway will be able to take advantage of a special discount when they visit on weekdays in June.
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First meeting for 'green’ citizens’ panel
The first meeting has taken place of the West Midlands Combined Authority’s newly formed Greener Together Citizens’ Panel, made up of community representatives from across the region.
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New Mayor of Dudley announces charities
Councillor Andrea Goddard has been officially sworn as the new Mayor of Dudley, taking over from Sue Greenaway.
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Dudley Council Cabinet members announced
New faces have been added to Dudley Council’s cabinet decision-making body including a new deputy leader of the council.
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Stourbridge MP meets with West Midlands Mayor about Stourbridge and Lye regeneration
MP Suzanne Webb has met West Midlands Mayor Andy Street to discuss unlocking funding to regenerate Lye and Stourbridge following the new devolution deal for the West Midlands.
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Sandwell Council Leader announces Cabinet
Council leader Kerrie Carmichael, has announced who will be in the Council's Cabinet team for the next year, following the local council elections earlier this month.
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The Mayor of Dudley attends the official opening new Sandvik Cormorant site in Halesowen
The Mayor of Dudley attended the official opening of a new hi-tech manufacturing innovation centre in the borough
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Dudley to host elite bike race on Black Country Day
The Dudley Grand Prix circuit race event will be held in the town on July 14 to coincide with Black Country Day celebrations taking place in the borough, as the town builds on the success of last year’s Commonwealth Games.
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Sandwell refuse workers plan to strike again
Refuse workers across Sandwell are set to strike in a dispute over pay.
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Final chance to access up to 15 hours of free business support
Businesses across Dudley borough are being urged not to miss out on a final round of free support to boost growth.
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Minute’s silence to be held in honour of late councillor
A minute’s silence will be held this week in memory of a councillor who died just days after being re-elected onto Dudley Council.
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West Midlands’ most popular bike hire locations and journeys revealed
West Midlands Cycle Hire is proving to be popular in getting the region’s residents and visitors on their bikes since its launch two years ago, with riders now having cycled a combined 850,000 miles.
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Community events help to shape ’people powered’ futures
The NHS is working with local communities in the Black Country to host a series of workshops to help shape healthier, happier futures for residents.
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Merry Hill welcomes first Nike Unite concept store in the West Midlands
Merry Hill has welcomed community-focused Nike Unite concept store, a local home court for visitors and the most valuable sport destination for the community.
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Winnie the Pooh and friends have a Birmingham adventure
Winnie the Pooh and friends have left the Hundred Acre Wood to head on an adventure to Birmingham ahead of next month’s performances at Birmingham Hippodrome.
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Rainbow flag to be raised in Dudley
The rainbow flag will be raised in Dudley this week to mark International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia.
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Britain’s Got Talent star has Dudley baby
Local singing sensation, Amy Lou Smith who recently gave birth to her daughter Aida has registered her little girl’s birth at Dudley Register Office.
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Acorns appeal reaches finish line with help from local friends
The fundraising appeal to refurbish a much-loved Walsall hospice has reached the finish line thanks to the support of the Black Country community and the final donation from a Walsall fundraising group.
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Drain cover thefts in 2023 cost Walsall £47k
Walsall Council Highways Officers are reporting a total of 161 stolen drain covers worth £47,000 across the borough in 2023 so far this year.
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Access to much-loved Lawyers Field greenspace in Brierley Hill reopened
Lawyers Field, which sits between Church Street and Delph Road in Brierley Hill, has reopened after being closed to the public since 2013 following concerns at the time that part of the footway in Church Street was collapsing into a void.
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Motorists in Birmingham five times less likely to wear a seatbelt
A new advertising campaign has been launched to encourage people to belt up in cars after figures revealed motorists in Birmingham were five times less likely to use a seatbelt than the national average.
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Business fined for food hygiene and health and safety breaches
A business has been ordered to pay more than £27,000 after breaching food hygiene and health and safety standards at a Dudley borough restaurant.
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‘Stalwart’ councillor dies suddenly
Tributes are pouring in for Cradley and Wollescote councillor, Richard Body who died suddenly yesterday morning.
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Pupils’ coronation art and writing fit for a King
Local school pupils’ poetry and coronation poster designs are on their way to Buckingham Palace after winning a competition organised by Dudley South MP Mike Wood.
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Mayor's Community Weekend returns with funding available
A £150,000 of National Lottery funding available to bring West Midlands communities together through weekend of activities this September
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New head dive coach at Sandwell Acquatics Centre
Nigel Mills has been appointed as Head Dive Coach at Sandwell Aquatics Centre - a role pivotal to the creation and growth of a diving club and programme at the Centre in Smethwick.
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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.