In the papers: Wolves plan to build hotelpublished at 08:25 British Summer Time 28 June 2019
Some of the early headlines on the Express and Star website today are:
Summary
Updates from Monday 24 June to Sunday 30 June
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In the papers: Wolves plan to build hotelpublished at 08:25 British Summer Time 28 June 2019
Mayor praises 'amazing courage' of transgender rapperpublished at 08:14 British Summer Time 28 June 2019
Allen Cook
BBC NewsA rapper who is around 11 months into his transition from female to male was invited to visit his home town's mayor.
Image source, Wolverhampton City CouncilNate Ethan Watson, from Wolverhampton, has spent a decade in the music industry and performed with the likes of D Double E and Tim Westwood.
In April, speaking to Victoria Derbyshire on BBC One, the 34-year-old said he believed he was the UK's first transgender grime artist, but struggles to believe there are no others.
This week, the city's mayor, Claire Darke, invited him to visit the Mayor's Parlour , externaland said he had shown "amazing courage and determination to be true to himself".
Vélo to return in summer 2020published at 08:08 British Summer Time 28 June 2019
The third 100-mile Velo Birmingham and Midlands will take place next June, despite road closure criticism.
Read MoreCricket World Cup: City prepares for England v India clashpublished at 08:03 British Summer Time 28 June 2019
Thousands of cricket fans are expected in Birmingham as Edgbaston hosts England v India in the Cricket World Cup.
Image source, Birmingham City CouncilA fan zone is being set up in Victoria Square, which will open later today.
Image source, Birmingham City Council
Image source, Birmingham City CouncilEngland need to win the group match on Sunday to reach the semi-finals after back-to-back defeats against Sri Lanka and Australia.
The competition is expected to bring a £32m boost to the local economy, said mayor Andy Street.
Two injured in crashpublished at 07:49 British Summer Time 28 June 2019
Two people were injured, one seriously, in a crash in Birmingham on Thursday.
Part of Beacon Road close to Wimperis Way in Great Barr was closed for a time after the crash which happened at about 20:00.
Farmers 'lose money' as livestock market closespublished at 07:37 British Summer Time 28 June 2019
Jack Dowling
Journalist, BBC Radio StokeFarmers in Cheshire have been left out of pocket, their union's said, after the owners of the only livestock market in the county went into administration.
Image source, GoogleBeeston Castle, Wright Marshall Ltd, shut on Monday with the market ceasing trading and all 37 staff being made redundant, administrators FRP Advisory LLP said.
They added that the move followed a downturn in livestock sales and a period of challenging trading.
The National Farmers Union in Cheshire's told BBC Radio Stoke that farmers have sold livestock at the market but not received the money for the sales.
Quote MessageEven a small amount owed to farmers can have quite a dramatic effect, presenting problems with cash flow at a time when margins in farming are being extremely squeezed."
Richard Blackburn, Chariman, NFU Cheshire
Expansion starts on i54 business parkpublished at 07:17 British Summer Time 28 June 2019
Work's started to expand a business park on the Staffordshire-Wolverhampton border.
Image source, Wolverhampton City CouncilAbout 2,700 people already work at the i54 site for firms including JLR, aerospace company Moog and food testing specialists Eurofins.
Video: Your 50-second weather forecastpublished at 07:07 British Summer Time 28 June 2019
Kaye Forster
Weather PresenterAfter a cloudy start it will brighten up with plenty of sunshine and highs of 25C (77F).
Media caption, Latest weather for the West Midlands
Live updates for the West Midlandspublished at 07:00 British Summer Time 28 June 2019
Vanessa Pearce
BBC NewsWelcome to our live service for Friday.
We'll be bringing you all the news, sport, travel and weather for the West Midlands.
We love to hear from you and you can get in touch via email, Twitter, external and Facebook., external
Our live coverage across the daypublished at 19:00 British Summer Time 27 June 2019
We'll be back with our usual mix of news, sport, travel and weather from 07:00 tomorrow, but keep an eye out here for more updates this evening and into the morning.
More stop and searches after stabbingspublished at 18:50 British Summer Time 27 June 2019
Hazel Morgan
Journalist, BBC Radio StokeExtra stop-and-search powers are yet again to be used by police in Crewe in the wake of a string of stabbings and serious attacks.
Image source, GoogleCheshire Police is targeting the Nantwich Road area, external using the "section 60" checks to try and combat knife crime.
It's the third time they've used the powers this month and the second weekend in a row - 64 people were searched last weekend, four of whom were then arrested.
The rules for using the checks were relaxed by the home secretary earlier this year, meaning officers only need to reasonably believe serious violence "may" occur, not that it "will".
Transgender teacher on returning to school as a womanpublished at 18:40 British Summer Time 27 June 2019
A transgender teacher from Coventry says she's witnessed "very little" transphobia despite figures suggesting the number of hate crimes recorded by police forces in England, Scotland and Wales has risen by 81%.
Debbie Hayton, 49, who transitioned seven years ago, said "We're in danger of losing ourselves in a situation that doesn't exist."
Image source, Debbie HaytonIn the West Midlands the number of recorded transgender hate crimes has risen from 34 in 2017-19 to 66 cases in the past 12 months.
The physics teacher described her experience of transitioning seven years ago as being "very positive".
"People were very gracious, people were very forgiving," she said.
"My job is to teach children," she added, "and children need teaching whether they're a man or a woman."
"I transitioned over the Christmas holiday and on the first day of term I went in and said 'good morning class, there's three changes - he becomes she, him becomes her, and all the other changes you don't need to worry about because Dr Hayton becomes Dr Hayton - now homework still needs to be done so let's get on with it.'"
"The parents were very positive, I got a lot of emails and comments because an email went out to parents and immediately there was emails coming in saying that 'we're really pleased that you're teaching our child because you're a good teacher.'"
Double murder legal challenge failspublished at 18:27 British Summer Time 27 June 2019
Two men jailed for the murder of two young women have lost their latest bid to identify a secret key witness at their original trial.
Charlene Ellis, 18, and Letisha Shakespeare, 17, were shot in Aston, Birmingham, on 2 January 2003.
Four men were convicted following a trial that included testimony from a man whose identity remained a secret.
Their lawyers argue he should not have been granted anonymity because of his connections to "gangland activity".
Last year a judge ruled he wouldn't be named, and at the High Court in London an attempt to challenge that ruling was dismissed.
Nurse set to restart River Severn swimpublished at 18:12 British Summer Time 27 June 2019
Allen Cook
BBC NewsA nurse trying to swim the length of the River Severn's said she was going to restart her attempt for the second time this afternoon.
Melissa Compton, an intensive care nurse at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, is taking on the 220-mile challenge for the Versus Arthritis charity.
She started at the Severn's source in Wales earlier this month but had to first stop due to flooding and then when she was hospitalised after "swallowing sewage".
Ms Compton said on her Facebook page she was feeling better and planned to do a short swim today into Gloucester., external
Debit card 'pocket fire' scam amuses policepublished at 17:55 British Summer Time 27 June 2019
Allen Cook
BBC NewsA fraudulent letter claiming people's debit cards could spontaneously catch fire in their pockets has been rubbished by police as the "worst scam ever".
Image source, Cheshire PoliceCheshire Police said the letter from a Mr Smith at Barclays, which urges customers to send their bank cards to India as part of a "safety recall", is an obvious fake.
They add that they'd usually tell people to stop and think before responding to any bank letter but they "don't think we need to for this one".
Your photos: A day of sunshinepublished at 17:41 British Summer Time 27 June 2019
The sunshine and blues skies has continued today and our BBC Weather Watchers have kept their photos coming in.
These three are from users Graham's vista in Polesworth, Warwickshire, Custard Lodge in Tyburn, Birmingham and Sayers in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire:
Image source, Graham's vista
Image source, Custard Lodge
Image source, SayersIn the papers: Luxury development planned at safari parkpublished at 17:30 British Summer Time 27 June 2019
The top stories for the Kidderminster Shuttle today include:
Bears paceman Norwell out for the seasonpublished at 17:20 British Summer Time 27 June 2019
Warwickshire fast bowler Liam Norwell will miss the rest of the 2019 season after undergoing an operation on a hamstring injury.
Read MoreDisruption to trains using Birmingham New Streetpublished at 17:18 British Summer Time 27 June 2019
BBC News TravelTrains through Birmingham New Street Station could be cancelled or delayed this evening, due to a signalling fault.
National Rail Enquiries expects the disruption to last until at least 19:00. , external
'Ten minutes from disaster' as fire approaches chemicalspublished at 17:08 British Summer Time 27 June 2019
A firm was "10 minutes from disaster" when a rubbish fire nearly spread to flammable chemicals, Staffordshire Fire Service has said.
Image source, Staffordshire Fire ServiceAfter putting the blaze out, they said they gave the business owner advice on how to store dangerous chemicals.
