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Les Walton
BBC News
Pupils at a Shropshire school who painted more than 500 rocks to raise money for charity have handed over £5,500 to the Royal British Legion.
The stones were decorated as poppies and each carried the name of a fallen Shropshire soldier.
The children at Newdale Primary school and nursery hid them for people to find and return, along with a donation.
Phil McCann
Cheshire Political Reporter, BBC News
People living in parts of Cheshire are facing a council tax increase of 4.99% from next April,, external under proposals from Cheshire East Council.
Image source, GoogleThe council's budget plans have been revealed online today, external and include the transfer of all council-controlled libraries to a leisure charity.
The council tax plans would see a rise of 4.99% for 2018-19 and then a 1.99% increase for each of the next two years.
From December 2016, the Communities and Local Government department raised the threshold at which a council would have to put any council tax increase to a local referendum to 5%.
Michael Pritchard was run over and dragged along a road as he tried to stop thieves stealing his van.
Read MoreHere are some of the stories making the headlines on the Birmingham Mail website today:
Sarah Bishop
BBC Midlands Today
A memorial service has been held in a tiny Warwickshire village for a local soldier who died in one of the lesser known battles of World War One.
Joseph Spencer was 21 when he was killed in Macedonia by machine gun fire, in the trenches, fighting against Bulgarian forces.
His brother Charlie survived the war and is buried in the churchyard in Winderton.
Your can see my full report on Midlands Today at 18:30 on BBC One.
It's the final day of a public inquiry into the proposed redevelopment of Bridgnorth's Old Smithfield site.
Image source, Shropshire CouncilShropshire Council has already approved plans to build four shops and a cafe on the car park next to Sainsbury's, but the decision, which is being opposed by Bridgnorth Chamber of Commerce, was called in by the government.
A final decision on whether the scheme gets the green light will be taken by a planning inspector.
Allen Cook
BBC News
Five men from Stoke-on-Trent have been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a 17-year-old was stabbed in Stoke-on-Trent on Tuesday.
Staffordshire Police says the teenager from Trentham is now in a stable condition in hospital after he suffered wounds to the chest, abdomen and groin on Boughey Road, Shelton.
They say the five arrested are aged between 17 and 22 and two of the five remain in police custody.
A man's been charged by police , externalafter another man was shot in the leg with a sawn-off shotgun.
West Midlands Police says the 41-year-old victim survived the attack on Aberdeen Street, Birmingham but suffered a serious leg injury.
Image source, GoogleOfficers have charged a 23-year-old with attempted murder, assault, affray, possessing a shortened-barrel shotgun, possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life and possessing a firearm when banned for life.
He's due to appear at Birmingham Crown Court next month.
Anna Russell
Newsreader, BBC Hereford & Worcester
Skeletons found in the grounds of Hereford Cathedral could be more than 1300 years old and date back to the very beginnings of the city, external.
Archaeologists were brought in during renovations to buildings and facilities in the College Cloisters beside the cathedral.
Image source, Headland ArchaeologyHeadland Archaeology says they found three skeletons, dating back to the seventh and eighth centuries, of a man, a woman and a youngster.
The organisation says the male skeleton had died from stab wounds and radiocarbon dating showed he lived between 680-780AD.
Andy Giddings
BBC News
People on BBC Radio Shropshire's Facebook, external page have been enjoying the photos of the Bullmastiff that got stuck on a conservatory roof this morning.
Elizabeth Nicholls had a practical point to make, writing: "The roof doesn't look strong enough to hold the dogs weight."
Image source, Shropshire Fire and Rescue ServiceOthers tried to explain the dog's unusual behaviour, with Michael Lakeman suggesting, "She's been watching too many cat videos".
And Lee Doyle thought he was either "eagerly waiting for his owners to come home, or he's waiting to see Santa".
Claudia Berry
BBC News
The cost of looking after the most vulnerable children and adults in Herefordshire is being blamed as the council is set to go more than £2m over budget this year. , external
The mid-year accounts have been released for the authority and show that the Adult and Wellbeing sector will overspend by £641,000, despite getting £2.5m from the government’s Better Care Fund.
Image source, GoogleOn top of that, Children's Wellbeing is also expected to overspend by £2.33m because, the report says, the team is caring for an "unexpectedly high number of looked after children, including complex disability cases".
However, the accounts show other budgets and reserves are set to produce an underspend at the moment of £800,000, meaning a total overspend of £2.172m for the council.
Tonight on Midlands Today we'll hear from the daughter of West Bromwich Albion legend Jeff Astle as a new BBC documentary examines the link between heading footballs and dementia.
In the programme the former England striker Alan Shearer investigates the impact that his own career may have had on his health.
Jeff Astle's family have led a long campaign calling for new research after the striker's death from brain trauma 15 years ago.
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Daniel Wainwright
Data unit - English regions
The gender pay gap varies across the West Midlands, but the majority of places do see men in full-time jobs earning more on average than women.
The highest difference is in Solihull with 26%, but Warwickshire is not far behind on 23% and Wolverhampton on 18%.
Stoke-on-Trent is one of the few places in the country where women's average pay was greater than men's (by just 1%) with the gap in hourly earnings at £0.14.
The BBC has been researching the issue using data from the Office for National Statistics and you can find out the gap and more information using our interactive map on the BBC website.
Here are some of the top stories making the headlines on the Shropshire Live website today:
Lee Blakeman
Port Vale commentator, BBC Radio Stoke
Port Vale goalkeeper Ryan Boot has overcome an injury scare and is fit to play in tonight's game at Newport County.
Image source, Getty ImagesThe decision to play the 22-year-old means the Vale won't be able to bring in a keeper until the January transfer window under league rules over emergency loans.
The Vale go into the match just outside the League Two relegation places on goal difference while Newport are eighth.
Quote MessageI think it's about time that somebody showed some faith in Ryan. It's up to him now to try and keep the number one spot and then we'll have a situation where he's got other keepers at the club who, over the next month, we should end up with three who are all fit and then they'll all challenge going into January."
Neil Aspin, Port Vale manager
Two people, charged with slavery offences, have pleaded not guilty at a hearing at Birmingham Crown Court today.
Image source, GoogleTadeusz Ondycz, 32, and 26-year-old Marta Dombrowska, from Willes Road in Winson Green are both charged with human trafficking and holding a person in slavery or servitude.
Bail was denied for both, and a trial date set for 3 April 2018.
The teenagers are alleged to have been kidnapped, raped, and sexually assaulted in Rugby in 1998.
Read More
Genevieve Tudor
Journalist, BBC Shropshire
A university is looking to hire chicken tasters.
The food technology department at Harper Adams University near Newport is recruiting people for sessions later this month.
Researchers say each person will get four pieces of cooked chicken and they'll be asked to score them in categories such as quality, succulence and flavour.
The university says, after they've given their scores, people will then get paid £10.
Quote MessageWe prefer not to have people who are experts in particular food items, we just want the average person to come but otherwise we want a good mix across the population."
Prof Frank Vriesekoop, Associate Head of Department at Harper Adams University
The owners of 18-month-old Bruce say they are heartbroken at his death.
Read MoreA regulator publishes findings after a review of health and social care in Stoke-on-Trent.
Read More
