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John Hammond
Weather forecaster
Any remaining showers should clear to leave some late evening sunshine, before a clear and cool night with lows of 6C (43F).
Latest weather for the West Midlands
Oswestry & Border Counties Advertizer
The Oswestry and Border Counties Advertizer has these headlines today:
Sophie Calvert
Political Reporter, BBC Radio Stoke
Work is set to begin this month on 140 homes on the site of the former Staffordshire Police headquarters, eight years after it shut.
Image source, Staffordshire PoliceThe 15 acres of land on Cannock Road in Stafford was officially sold this week.
Staffordshire's Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Ellis says it's raised £15m, external although a third of that is associated costs, so £10m will go to the police force.
Developers Bellway says it'll start work in the next couple of weeks and will also make contributions to affordable housing and community infrastructure for the site.
Wolves fans have just one more day to wait until their team play Premier League football again for the first time in seven years.
There will be plenty of new players on show against Everton at Molineux tomorrow.
The club spent more than £60m on signings this summer to ensure they will be competitive in the top flight.
Defender Conor Coady said the fans had been waiting for this moment for a "long, long time", so the team needs to give "a good account of ourselves".
Here's the BBC's guide to what to look out for in the Premier League this season.
Sophie Madden
BBC News
Stoke-on-Trent resembled a scene from a zombie film this week thanks to the drug Monkey Dust, a paramedic's told the BBC.
It comes as emergency workers are warning use of the drug in the city is at epidemic levels.
The "highly unpredictable" substance has caused people to jump off buildings and run into traffic, police said.
Staffordshire Police said it was working on ways to tackle supply.
Quote MessageThere was a comment from a colleague who said he drove through Stoke-on-Trent a couple of nights ago and it was like a scene from the Night of the Living Dead. It is not a problem, it is already an epidemic."
Steven Rust, Paramedic, West Midlands Ambulance Service
The Whitchurch Herald's covering these headlines today:
Allen Cook
BBC News
Several graves have been vandalised and tributes stolen from a cemetery,, external police say.
Image source, GoogleThree cases at Meadowbrook Cemetery on Minshull New Road, Crewe, are being investigated.
Officers say they happened between Sunday and Wednesday and saw graves damaged and items, including flowers and dolls, stolen.
The force has labelled the actions "despicable", adding that "you cannot stoop much lower than that" and families are "extremely upset".
A charity says it is "disgusted" by comments "filled with hate and based upon generalisations".
Read MoreKirsty Walsh has become an ambassador for the West Mercia Search and Rescue team after her husband died.
Read MoreAllen Cook
BBC News
The fire raging in a Peak District beauty spot now stretches across 80 acres (323,000 sq m) of woodland and fire crews expect to be onsite, external "into next week".
It's now more than a day since Staffordshire Fire Service was called to the Roaches, near Leek, and they have about 50 firefighters tackling the blaze.
But they say the changing wind direction's still hampering their efforts as thick smoke continues to blow across north Staffordshire., external
The service adds that some rain has helped this afternoon, but the wind's started to get up again, causing the fire to spread.
BBC News Travel
Trains are being delayed through Lichfield this afternoon after a vehicle hit a bridge.
West Midlands Railway says trains are having to run at reduced speed on all lines., external
Joanne Writtle
BBC Midlands Today
A mother of two small children who lost her husband when he fell into the River Severn is warning others to take care near open water.
Image source, Kirsty WalshShane Walsh fell in the River Severn in Shrewsbury 11 months ago, after a night out drinking, leaving his wife, baby daughter and son.
Kirsty Walsh has been out with search and rescue volunteers in the town this week, telling drinkers about the tragedy that changed her life.
It's part of a campaign called Home and Dry, No More River Deaths , externaland sees her approaching people directly to warn them of hidden dangers.
Quote MessageI always nag him, every time he went out, 'don't go by the river, stay away from it' and he was like 'babe, we don't need to have this conversation again, I won't put myself at jeopardy, I won't put what we have at jeopardy by going down the river'."
Kirsty Walsh, Widow
Local Democracy Reporting Service
Carl Jackson
Long-awaited plans for a new traveller and gypsy site, external in Birmingham are set to be approved next week.
Image source, GoogleThe former car park at Aston Brook Street East in Nechells will provide four plots and be surrounded by steel fencing with a gated entrance.
The land sits directly next to an existing site for travellers and will include a utility unit and skip.
It will be run by Birmingham City Council which admitted it was "modest" in size, but will be a step towards the council meeting its obligations to provide provision for travellers and gypsies.
An urgent notification notice is issued to the government about HMP Birmingham, which is run by G4S.
Read More
Danny Shaw
BBC Home Affairs Correspondent
Birmingham Prison has had a troubled history with a riot in December 2016, which caused huge damage to four wings resulting in 500 prisoners being moved out.
An inspection report last year said there was a "high volume of illicit drugs" at the prison and that a "major area of concern" was the provision of education and training.
The latest inspection, led by Martin Lomas, the Deputy Chief Inspector of Prisons, gave Birmingham the lowest ranking possible in the four categories it was assessed under: safety, respect, purposeful activity and preparing prisoners for resettlement.
As a result, inspectors are preparing to write to David Gauke, the Justice Secretary, with an "urgent notification notice", requiring him to make immediate improvements.
A letter is likely to be sent by Peter Clarke, the Chief Inspector, next week.
In a statement, the Ministry of Justice said: "We await the inspectorate's findings and once received we will respond fully to their report and recommendations."
The Bromsgrove Advertiser website is featuring these stories today:
Allen Cook
BBC News
Thieves have forced their way into a leisure centre and stolen thousands of pounds in cash and goods.
Image source, Staffordshire PolicePolice say they got into Wombourne Leisure Centre early on Thursday morning and then smashed their way through internal doors and into vending machines.
The force says the damage to windows and doors is estimated to be more than £2,000.
They then made off with a large safe, containing over £2,000 in cash, a stereo worth about £1,000 and assorted swimming goggles.
BBC News Travel
A safety inspection of the track between Smethwick Galton Bridge and Wolverhampton is delaying trains through those stations, said West Midlands railways.
The Chief Inspector of Prisons has confirmed he has decided to issue an urgent notification to the government in respect of HMP Birmingham.
@HMIPrisons tweeted that Peter Clarke had taken the decision after "significant concerns raised by an inspection".
The prison failed all four of the key tests - safety, respect, activity and resettlement - in its latest inspection.
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Local Democracy Reporting Service
Joe Sweeney
A brand new state-of-the-art gymnasium in an area of Walsall described as “poorly-equipped” for health and fitness facilities has been given a unanimous thumbs-up by town councillors., external
Image source, GooglePlans to develop a trampoline centre in Bentley into a multi-purpose fitness suite, have now been given the green light by planners.
