BBC Hereford and Worcester

A 47-year-old man charged with the murder of a woman who disappeared from the city two years ago is due to appear at Worcester Crown Court.

Ian Palamountain, from Huskinson Drive, Hereford was charged with the murder of Terri Webb whose body was discovered in the River Wye in December 2016.

Louise Patricia Bridges, 29, who is also from Hereford, has been charged with assisting an offender and is due in court at the end of the month.

Ex-England cricket all-rounder Laura MacLeod will be Warwickshire County Cricket Club's women and girls’ performance manager.

Ms MacLeod, who won 13 Test, 73 One-Day International and three International T20 caps for England, will join the Bears in a new role at Edgbaston in October.

Image source, Warwickshire County Cricket Club

BBC Radio Stoke

A Staffordshire football coach, who has terminal cancer, is to have an award named after him.

Russ Powell, who coaches in the ladsandads league in Kidsgrove, external, came up with a scheme called Russ' Rules, to encourage fair play in sport.

Here's Russ' story.

Holland & Barrett will sponsor Nuneaton RFC's new academy next season.

The academy - which supports the under-16’s, 17’s and 18’s age groups - assists young player's transition to the senior rugby team.

It follows the appointment of John Beart, a former Nuns and Bath prop, as academy coach.

Image source, Jonathan Collett

Worcester News

Some of the top stories to appear on the Worcester News website include:

• Asda zebra crossing is the 'worst’, external
• Mayor condemns rapist after attack on teenager, external
• Swan Theatre boss Chris Jaeger claims venue is 'vilified' on social media, external

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Senior staff at Hereford's future university can expect to be paid more than £100,000 a year, budget documents reveal.

The university's top earners would include positions such as the chief executive, chief operating officer, chief academic officer and chief marketing officer.

Other senior officers can expect to earn anything between £50,000 to £80,000 with senior teaching team leaders on £65,000 per year.

Image source, nmite

Professor Elena Rodriguez-Falcon, chief academic officer, said it was vital to attract top international professors.

The salaries are based on University of Warwick pay scales and analysis of vacancies in the Times Higher Education Supplement and jobs.ac.uk.

The NMiTE university aims to open its doors to the first 300 , externalstudents at a purpose-built city centre campus in Hereford in September 2020, the council said. It will have 5,000 students by 2032.

Monica Rimmer
BBC News

A decision on an application for six-year-old Alfie Dingley to be treated with cannabis oil for his rare form of epilepsy is due in about four weeks, his mother said.

Hannah Deacon said in a Facebook post , externalthe Home Office are being "very good" and after initially saying it would take 16 weeks to reach a decision, they reduced it to four.

Alfie, from Kenilworth, was taken to the Netherlands to take a cannabis-based medication in September. It reduced the number of seizures he had, his family said.

Image source, PA

Hannah said Alfie is "doing well" and said it was a "fantastic result" that an application was allowed to be put forward.

"We hope the decision will be favourable. If it isn't we'll kick up a big storm."

The Home Office has previously turned down requests by the family to legally use the drug, saying that cannabis cannot be practically prescribed, administered or supplied to the public and can only be used for research under a licence.

BBC Shropshire

Four Shropshire towns could see their police station buildings close.

The buildings in Bridgnorth, Whitchurch (pictured) Wem and Shrewsbury town centre are closing to save money with police officers moving to other public service buildings by the end of the year.

Image source, Google

A student has won a competition to have her sculpture design turned into an artistic landmark in Cradley Heath.

Florence Thompson, 18, a second year student at Halesowen College, will have it brought to life by a local artist after she was picked as the winner by family-run business A Perry & Co (Hinges) Ltd.

Image source, Perry & Co

You can listen live as Birmingham Speedway take on the pre-season favourites Mildenhall in the Knockout Cup.

Steve Hermon
Journalist, BBC WM Sport

While the players put up a brave fight under Moore, they should also be held accountable for a campaign in which they created unwanted records, including 20 games without a league win from August to January.

Darren Moore can hold his head up high though as he made even the biggest of doubters believe the Greatest Escape was possible and he created memories, such as the victory at Old Trafford and last weekend’s dramatic 92nd minute winner over Spurs, which extended their battle, if only for a few more days.

Image source, Getty Images

"Big Dave" as he's affectionately known has put himself in pole position to take the job permanently, if he wants it.

The challenge for whoever takes over will be securing an immediate return to the Premier League next season but they will likely have to deal with a clear out of players, who’ve severely let the Baggies and their fans down.

The woman, in her 60s, was taken to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital for treatment.

BBC Hereford and Worcester

A Herefordshire company has received a £58,000 grant to help them expand and create new jobs.

AW Trailers in Madley which has been in business for 25 years makes agricultural, commercial and industrial trailers.

It has now extended its premises so it's able to make bigger vehicles.

Image source, AW Trailers

The money, from the Marches Building Investment Grant, external, is available to businesses across Herefordshire and Shropshire.

Goal line technology is going to be used in all EFL play-off games, including Notts County v Coventry, this coming weekend.

The EFL have announced goal line technology will be used for all the play-off ties including the battle for League Two promotion semi finals on Saturday night.

Image source, EFL

The Hawkeye technology will be used in all games in the Championship, League One and League Two end-of-season games after being used throughout the Championship run which has just ended.

Shropshire Star

The top stories this morning:

• Four Shropshire police stations to shut in cost-saving move, external
• Uncertainty over Future Fit public consultation launch, external
• Woman bitten by adder at Shropshire beauty spot, external

Jennifer Harby
BBC News

A family friend of an 11-year-old girl who died after falling from a theme park water ride said her inquest seems to have been "put on the back-burner".

Evha Jannath, from Leicester, fell from the Splash Canyon ride on a school trip to Drayton Manor theme park exactly one year ago.

The friend, who had a daughter on the same trip and who does not wish to be named, said investigations into Evha's death were "taking too long".

Image source, Family handout

"It would be good to have some form of closure," she said. "The accident at Alton Towers - things were resolved. What's happening about this young girl? Where were the safeguarding rules? It could happen again and one life is enough.

"I have friends and family who have children in primary schools and when the schools send out details regarding theme parks, they just turn around and say, 'no thank-you'. That's the effect it's had on the community - nobody wants to go to a theme park."

A man has been charged with a terrorism offence following his arrest last week.

Chez Copeland, 20, of Brookside Avenue, Coventry is accused of having notes relating to the manufacturing of explosives.

He is also accused of two offences under the Explosives Act and possessing a stun gun.

He's due before Westminster Magistrates later.

Steve Hermon
Journalist, BBC WM Sport

So, Albion’s fate was finally confirmed last night as they were relegated to the Championship, ending an eight year stay in English football’s top flight. It had been expected for weeks until Darren Moore reinvigorated the players for one last go at survival.

It’s a cruel irony their relegation was confirmed in a game they weren’t involved in and on the day their caretaker manager was awarded the Premier League Manager of the Month for his unbeaten run.

Image source, Getty Images

Wins over Manchester United, Newcastle (pictured) and Spurs brought back some pride to the Hawthorns, which had become tired and weary place under Tony Pulis and an embarrassment during the ill-fated four month reign of Alan Pardew. His appointment has turned out to be the biggest mistake of the season and his time in charge will only be remembered for Taxigate during a ‘team bonding trip’ in Barcelona.

Louise Hancock
Newsreader, BBC WM

The number of hate crimes reported in the West Midlands has increased in the last five years.

About 2,300 were reported in 2013 - four years later this rose to almost 3,500.

During the same period, the number of people charged with hate crimes rose from 14 to more than 300.

BBC Midlands

Eight years in the Premier League but West Brom need to get used to life in the Championship after they were relegated when Southampton beat Swansea City 1-0

Here's some of your reaction on the BBC Midlands Facebook page:, external

Colin O'Neil, external "Sad day for west midlands football in general. I'd personally love to see the day when the Blues, Baggies, Coventry, Stoke, even that lot from B6 are in the premiership along with the Wolfs."

Christine Lidsey, external "Never give up..never give in."

Samuel Roberts, external "We’ll be back next year best team in midlands we know what we are!"

Terry Jones, external "Full respect to Darren Moore he got the team playing there hearts out. Unfortunately it was to late for him. Should have put him in charge earlier. Best wishes from a blue nose."