Allen Cook
BBC News

The future of a Ring and Ride and school transport services for thousands of people has been secured after a bus operator agreed to take it over, the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has said., external

Concerns were raised over the future of services when Accessible Transport Group (ATG) went into administration in March.

ATG had more than 600 vehicles and 72,000 registered users for its Ring and Ride services in areas including Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Coventry.

Birmingham City Council then approved £1.4m funding over 12 weeks to keep it operating.

Now, WMCA's said bus operator National Express West Midlands has taken over its contracts through its wholly owned company, West Midlands Accessible Transport.

All 600 staff have been transferred to the new firm.

James Teer, 20, was shot dead in Birmingham while playing football in the street.

Thieves have taken steel bars worth about £10,000 from an industrial unit in Rugby.

Warwickshire Police said the high-grade metal was stolen from the Glebe Farm Industrial Estate, at some point between Friday afternoon and Monday morning.

There's no CCTV of the offenders, but it's thought they used a van or pick-up truck, that could have been parked on Old Leicester Road.

A second man has been arrested over the murder of James Teer in Erdington on 8 August.

The 19-year-old from Shard End was detained at his home at 13:00 this afternoon, West Midlands Police said.

The force said the motive for the shooting remained unclear.

Coventry could lose its police museum, with the exhibits being moved to another museum in Birmingham.

West Midlands Police has put forward plans to house the items, and other artefacts on display around the region, in a converted Victorian jail.

Image source, Google

The Little Park Street museum in Coventry opened in 1957 and houses objects including the death mask of Mary Ball, the last woman to be hanged in the city.

Gary Ridley, the leader of the Conservative group on Coventry City Council, said the assets shouldn't be transferred to the "bigger brother" down the M6.

The ambulance service held the contract, but E-zec Medical Transport will take over in April.

BBC Sport

Coventry Blaze say they've completed their roster for the new season, with the signing of 37-year-old Finnish winger Janne Laakkonen.

The 5'9" forward has played more than 550 games and scored nearly 380 points in Finnish Liiga and has also played in Sweden, Kazakhstan, Belarus, France and most recently, Poland.

Image source, Lukasz Sobala

Head coach Danny Stewart said he "has more to give" and that his experience will rub off on the younger players, adding, "he possesses a very good play-making ability and is in tremendous shape".

Jason Anderson had high blood pressure and was offered a gastric band but refused.

Hereford Times

Here are three stories from the Hereford Times today:

• Four injured in head-on crash, external
• 'People could die from anthrax poisoning', external
• Teen's death is 'still affecting' drugs pair, external

Amy Woodfield
BBC News

A driver has been banned after crashing into the back of a lorry on the A54 between Buxton and Congleton.

It happened when Scott Lowe, 30, from Brimington in Derbyshire, attempted to overtake three vehicles on Tuesday 14 May.

Thankfully, nobody was hurt.

Lowe, of Cornwall Close, pleaded guilty to one count of dangerous driving and was given a 1- month driving ban, one-year community order and ordered to pay £170.

Allen Cook
BBC News

Nearly £2,000 has been donated to a council to help the victims of a fire that destroyed much of a retirement complex.

Image source, Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service

One hundred and twenty three residents were saved from the Beechmere residential apartments in Crewe when the fire took hold on Thursday.

Donations have poured in from across the town and the local council said on Facebook it would hold on to the cash, external until "things stabilise" and it would then manage how it's handed out to those affected.

The local authority's also said it could act as a central fund for other collections if organisers want to get in touch.

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Here are some of the stories from the Local Democracy Reporters in Staffordshire:

• Plans for a new link road between Wolstanton and the centre of Stoke-on-Trent have taken a big step forward.
• A council social worker in Stoke-on-Trent's been suspended for a third time and faces being struck off if she can't prove she is a "safe and capable" practitioner.
• Questions are being asked by Stoke-on-Trent City Councillors about how two local clinical commissioning groups have ended up in the red by more than £21m.

Image source, Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Enterprise Partnership

Telford Steam Railway is being accused of running too many trains, by people living near the track.

The heritage railway, which is volunteer-run and operates on Sundays and bank holidays, said it operated within "numerous" planning permissions, along the length of its track and would be checking its records.

The railway is looking to extend its line, after financial success of its Christmas Polar Express services.

It says it is working with Telford and Wrekin Council to see if it has breached any of the conditions.

Lee Thomas
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke

Plain-clothed police officers are being used as part of efforts to try and halt an increase in street prostitution in part of Stoke-on-Trent.

Staffordshire Police said it'd seen the rise in the past few years in the north of the city, external and, since 2012, had issued 270 cautions, with 12 people arrested and charged.

A further 188 people have been sent on a programme which aims to change the behaviour of kerb crawlers.

The force adds that sex workers are supported by other agencies to try and address their individual circumstances.

BBC Midlands Today

About 2,000 calls an hour are being taken by Birmingham City University's clearing department after students received their A-level results today.

Thousands of students who have done better or worse than expected will be seeking places on courses at universities through the clearing system run by Ucas.

Birmingham City University's unit's been open since 06:00 and has been speaking to people on the phone and via social media.

The man who founded the Birmingham Updates site says he's setting up a different news services for the city which will only be on social media.

Image source, Twitter

Luke Addis says he started Birmingham Updates in 2011 , externalduring the riots and now is followed by more than 230,000 people on Twitter.

He left the organisation in January and plans to start Hello Birmingham on Monday, external for people in city to get "news, lifestyle and more".

Shropshire Star

Here are three stories from the Shropshire Star today:

• Five injured in serious crash near Oswestry, external
• Suspected arson at The Countess's Arms, external
• ‘Fight not over’ for Ludlow maternity campaign, external

Local Democracy Reporting Service

Here are some of the stories from the Local Democracy Reporters in Shropshire:

• Two Shropshire councillors are facing questions after a tiny lane leading to one of their homes and a just a handful of others was relaid after a request, despite not being identified by the local parish council as a cause for concern.

• Seven homes and a public open space could be built on the site of the car park at the former Percy Thrower’s Garden Centre in Shrewsbury.

• A recreation area in Ellesmere is set to be given Nature Reserve status after councillors signed off the plans.

Image source, Google

BBC Midlands Today

A man has been stabbed in the head and stomach in the Handsworth area of Birmingham.

West Midlands Police said the 36-year-old man was attacked in Slack Lane shortly after 19:00 yesterday, but that his injuries aren't thought to be serious.

A second man, who came to his rescue, suffered injuries to his neck.

The fire at The Countess's Arms in Weston Heath saw the nearby A41 closed for several hours.