BBC Local Live: Birmingham & the Black Country on Thursday 31 December 2015

Summary

Updates for Thursday 31 December 2015
News, sport, travel and weather updates to resume at 08:00 on Monday

Live Reporting

Stephanie Barnard

MBE for services in broadcasting and diversity in sportpublished at 14:22
Sports journalist Jacqui Oatley says she is sharing the MBE with her colleagues at Women in Football after being appointed for her services to broadcasting and diversity in sport.
Jacqui, who is on the board, says the organisation is trying to make a real difference to help woman work in football.
Jacqui says: "When I came through and growing up in Wolverhampton there didn't seem to be anyone doing this and they've made a real difference."
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Bring in the New Year with a bang in Birminghampublished at 14:00
Birmingham Updates
A spectacular fireworks display will light up the skies over Birmingham, external on New Year’s Eve as the city bids farewell to 2015 and welcomes 2016.
Arriva Trains Wales drivers start industrial actionpublished at 13:44
Drivers at Arriva Trains Wales have started an overtime ban ahead of a new year strike in a row over pay and conditions.
Members of Aslef are due to walk out on 4 January.
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The union said the overtime ban was already having an impact because the company relies on drivers working overtime.
Arriva said it was disappointed with the "unnecessary threat" of disruption.
Firefighters head home from Yorkshire floodspublished at 13:34
Local firefighters supporting the flood relief effort in the north of England are preparing to head home.
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Goodyear redundancies startpublished at 13:24
The first official redundancies at the historic Goodyear tyre plant in Wolverhampton are taking place today.
The tyre firm announced earlier this year that it will be closing the plant completely in 2017 but workers are leaving on a phased basis.
Three hundred and thirty workers are losing their jobs.
Balsall Heath community forum boss honouredpublished at 13:10
The chief executive of Balsall Heath Forum is among the hundreds of people to be honoured with a BEM.
Abdullah Rehman, 46, says he feels embarrassed by the award.
Quote Message
I feel really grateful for whoever nominated me but the credit goes down to my team and my colleagues at the Balsall Heath Forum and the executive members who are all volunteers.
Abdullah Rehman BEM, Chief executive of Balsall Heath Forum
Coming up on BBC One at 13:10published at 12:50
Joanne Malin
BBC Midlands Today
Coming this lunchtime we celebrate some of the West Midlanders in the New Year Honours list and find out which player the Villa boss thinks can help save his team from relegation.
We're live on BBC One at 13:10.
Football clubs net £1m in handoutspublished at 12:37
Express and Star
Football clubs across the Black Country and Staffordshire have been boosted by grants, external totalling more than £1 million from the Premier League and FA.
Watch: Could Villa sign Remy in January?published at 12:20
Aston Villa manager Remi Garde describes Chelsea's French striker Loic Remy as a player he hopes to "attract" in January.
Latest headlines: Hundreds named in New Year Honour List and preparations begin to welcome in the new yearpublished at 12:00
Stephanie Barnard
BBC Local Live
The top stories in the newsroom this lunchtime include:
- A host of people from the West Midlands have been recognised by the Queen in her New Year Honours List
- Thousands of people across the West Midlands are preparing to bring in the new year
- The first of 330 redundancies at Wolverhampton-based Goodyear will be officially confirmed today
Watch: Latest forecast for the West Midlandspublished at 11:38
Anna Church
Weather Presenter, BBC Midlands Today
We're expecting some rain through the day but this evening will be dry and chilly so great news if you're out later this evening to see in the new year.
'Technical issue' hits BBC websitespublished at 11:19
"Technical issues" made the BBC's websites intermittently unavailable this morning.
The problems began about 07:00 and meant visitors to the site saw a message informing them about an "internal error".
News stories and indexes either failed to appear or were occasionally viewable if users reloaded them.
Dramatic crash picture as car hits tree in Walsallpublished at 11:00
Walsall Advertiser
Dramatic crash picture as car hits tree in Walsall, external - driver escapes with minor injuries.
Image source, West Midlands Ambulance Service
Technical issues: Lives updates for Birmingham and the Black Countrypublished at 10:45
Stephanie Barnard
BBC Local Live
Just a quick update to let you know that we're experiencing a few technical gremlins affecting the BBC website this morning.
If you'd like to get in touch - email or tweet @BBCWM., external
First woman MOTD commentator made MBEpublished at 10:13
Jacqui Oatley, the first female commentator to appear on the BBC's Match of the Day, is one of a number of local people to be named in the New Year Honours list.
The presenter, who also now works for ITV and is a director of the Women in Football network was appointed MBE.
Oatley, originally from Codsall, near Wolverhampton, receives the honour for services to broadcasting and diversity in sport.
First woman on MOTD talks about the pressure before her appearancepublished at 09:06
"I'm still taking it in and can't get my head around it", Jacqui Oatley (pictured) told BBC WM this morning after it was announced that she's been appointed MBE in the New Year Honours list.
Jacqui started working at BBC WM after a career change and left her "proper job" in London.
Image source, Getty Images
Jacqui's first commentary on BBC Match of The Day was the Premier League match between Fulham and Blackburn Rovers at Craven Cottage on 21 April, 2007. She explains:
Quote Message
"I can't pretend it was easy to deal with the scrutiny at the time. It was very dealt. I just wanted to focus on the prep for that match but instead there was huge debates about whether I should be allowed to do it. I felt a lot of pressure.
Jacqui Oatley, Sports broadcaster
Latest weather forecast for the West Midlandspublished at 08:30
Some early showers should ease this morning. A band of more organised, heavy and perhaps thundery showers will then spread from the west early this afternoon.
It will turn windy again and colder than of late with highs of 8C (46F).
Good morning: Live updates for Birmingham and the Black Countrypublished at 08:00
Stephanie Barnard
BBC Local Live
I'm here in the BBC WM newsroom bringing you the very latest news, sport, travel and weather for Birmingham and the Black Country.
If you spot a story you think we should be covering - email or tweet @BBCWM., external