Express and Star

A busy stretch of road in Walsall is shutting for seven days from this weekend to widen the route, external as part of a £26m scheme.

The works are being carried out along Bescot Road from Wallows Lane up to the junction of Wednesbury Road and Darlaston Road from Sunday.

Building work is on track at the Wednesbury Leisure Centre after it was hit in an arson attack last July.

Image source, Sandwell Council

The new £8.1m complex will have a 25-metre pool, a learner pool, two dance studios and a 100-station fitness suite and also includes a new sports hall.

Image source, Sandwell Council

The centre, on High Bullen, Wednesbury, is set to open in late autumn.

Steve Hermon
Journalist, BBC WM

Our top story at 09:00: We have seen figures which show that Birmingham City Council is one of a dozen local authorities using an online system for care homes to bid to look after older people - dubbed a "reverse auction".

In more than nine out of 10 cases over six months the cheapest care home got the contract - with a quarter placed in a home rated poor by the council itself.

We speak to Les Latcham, chair of the Birmingham Care Consortium, the organisation which first discovered this information. Listen live here.

Birmingham Post

Persimmon is poised to acquire the entire former Selly Oak Hospital site, external and bring to life one of the city's key housing schemes.

The housing group is set to acquire the 43-acre plot as it lodges plans to kickstart a major regeneration which will eventually comprise 650 dwellings.

BBC Sport

West Brom manager Tony Pulis believes striker Saido Berahino is lacking the right influences in his life to make the best decisions about his career.

Image source, Getty Images

Pulis was unhappy with an interview the 21-year-old gave this week expressing his wish to move on to "bigger things".

He was dropped to the bench but came on in Sunday's 2-2 draw at Burnley.

Birmingham Mail

A mum is on a mission to show that 'love is in the air' for Kathryn Cartwright, 24, from Sutton Coldfield - and rally the people of Birmingham to give her a Valentine's Day to remember, external.

Kathryn, who needs a second live-saving liver transplant, knows she may only have months left to live.

Mel Coles
BBC Weather

A chilly start with some early mist and fog patches slow to clear. It will be a dry day with variable amounts of cloud and some bright periods.

Winds will stay light throughout, although feeling cold where cloud persists. Highs of 3C (37F).

More about the rest of the week is here.

BBC Travel
BBC Travel

There is queuing traffic on the A45 Coventry Road eastbound in Elmdon between the Old Damson Lane junction and Birmingham Airport in the roadworks area, drivers are warned.

Alex Homer
BBC Local Live

I'm back in the BBC WM newsroom bringing you today's news, sport, travel and weather.

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