Around the web: Worries in Normacot over Covid-19 outbreakpublished at 17:37 British Summer Time 20 August 2020
Stoke-on-Trent Live
The Stoke-on-Trent Live website's headlines today include:
Summary
Updates from Monday 10 August to Sunday 16 August
Around the web: Worries in Normacot over Covid-19 outbreakpublished at 17:37 British Summer Time 20 August 2020
Leaders call for 'clear and simple' Covid messagingpublished at 17:23 British Summer Time 20 August 2020
The leaders of seven councils across the West Midlands are calling for "clear and simple" messaging from central government about Covid-19 restrictions as cases rise in the region.
Image source, ReutersIn a joint statement with six other councils in the West Midlands - Coventry, Sandwell, Solihull, Dudley, Walsall and Wolverhampton - Birmingham City Council urged people and businesses to remain alert to the risks of coronavirus.
Of "immediate concern" to the leaders, the statement says, is the enforcement of face covering use by supermarkets and the collection of customer details by bars and restaurants.
Birmingham council leader Ian Ward said: "It is now getting to the point where many people and businesses are confused and unsure about what they can and cannot do."
Dads write children's book to educate about Sikhismpublished at 17:10 British Summer Time 20 August 2020
A group of dads create a children's book which aims to combat racism and educate about Sikh culture.
Read MoreYour weather pictures: Blue skies aboundpublished at 17:08 British Summer Time 20 August 2020
Here's a selection of photos from some of the BBC's Weather Watchers in the West Midlands today.
Image source, Les at Large/ BBC Weather WatchersImage caption, Blue skies over the Molineux Stadium in Wolverhampton
Image source, JazzyDee/ BBC Weather WatchersImage caption, Sky reflections in a lake in Himley, Staffordshire
Image source, Jo/ BBC Weather WatchersImage caption, The morning sun at Edgbaston Reservoir
Image source, Suttonwalker/ BBC Weather WatchersImage caption, A beautiful day in Great Barr, Sandwell
Snobs nightclub owners have new venue approvedpublished at 16:41 British Summer Time 20 August 2020
Local Democracy Reporting Service
Tom DareThe team behind the iconic Snobs nightclub in Birmingham have been granted permission to open a new outdoor venue in the city centre.
On Monday, the council’s licensing committee approved the application by Nightscene Limited, which will see an area of Hurst Street and Ladywell Walk become a venue for things like films, live music, recorded music and performances of dance.
Alcohol will also be allowed to be served.
Image source, GoogleThe application faced objections from Environmental Health, which claimed another venue in a busy area would only add to the "intrusive noise" and "disturb local residents".
However, the committee said in its decision: "The members did not consider that there was any evidential or causal link to any risk of an increase in crime, disorder and antisocial behaviour."
Around the web: Work begins soon on new church projectpublished at 16:23 British Summer Time 20 August 2020
The Shropshire Star's headlines include:
Doncaster sign Stoke's Bursik on loanpublished at 16:14 British Summer Time 20 August 2020
Doncaster Rovers sign Stoke City goalkeeper Josef Bursik on a season-long loan deal.
Read MoreResignation calls over recording with racist slurspublished at 16:05 British Summer Time 20 August 2020
A Sandwell councillor claims her voice has been manipulated to make it appear she is racially abusive.
Read MoreCrowds gather to watch power station demolitionpublished at 16:02 British Summer Time 20 August 2020
Crowds of onlookers gathered in Rugeley, in Staffordshire, this morning, for the latest phase in the demolition of the town's former power station.
Image source, Mark FullwoodThe boiler house was brought down in a controlled explosion at 10:00.
Other parts of the site, including the cooling towers, are due to be demolished at a later date.
The site is being cleared for new housing.
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End of twitter postIn pictures: Students in Oldbury get their GCSE resultspublished at 15:44 British Summer Time 20 August 2020
GCSE passes for England's pupils, in the most disrupted academic year in UK history, have risen dramatically.
Grades have been awarded by schools, after exams were cancelled, and data shows 78.8% of papers were rated grade 4 or above. It was 69.9% in 2019.
Students at Bristnall Hall Academy in Oldbury were among thousands of teenagers opening their results earlier on Thursday:
Image source, PA Media
Image source, PA Media
Image source, PA Media
Image source, PA MediaResidents urged to get tested amid Normacot Covid-19 spikepublished at 15:19 British Summer Time 20 August 2020
BBC Radio StokePeople in a city borough are being urged to get tested for coronavirus as a temporary testing site is set up today in the area.
Image source, Stoke-on-Trent City CouncilStoke-on-Trent City Council said Covid-19 cases in Normacot were concentrated in about 15 houses in a number of streets.
A total of 57 residents in the area have tested positive since 5 August and people have been asked to stay within their household bubble.
Dr Paul Edmondson-Jones oversees public health in the city and said it was vital more people got tested.
"We are focusing on a small number of streets and we delivered letters last week to houses in those streets urging people there to come and be tested and that was where we got our 11 positives tests from at the weekend," he said.
Rotherham sign Blues defender Hardingpublished at 14:35 British Summer Time 20 August 2020
Rotherham sign defender Wes Harding from fellow Championship club Birmingham for an undisclosed fee.
Read MoreCall for greater protection for police from stopped driverspublished at 14:18 British Summer Time 20 August 2020
A police federation boss has written to the transport secretary, external calling for changes in legislation to better protect officers from drivers "who appear content to use their vehicle as a weapon".
Tim Rogers, the deputy chair of the West Midlands Police Federation, said police officers were being injured "more and more" by people speeding off after being pulled over.
Media caption, Police officer run over by thieves backs 'Andrew's Law'
Last year, PC Gareth Phillips nearly died when he was run over by thieves in Moseley, Birmingham, and more recently an officer was injured after being dragged 15m by a moving car through Sparkhill.
Mr Rogers is calling for officers to be given authority to demand drivers turn off their engines and step out of their vehicles to "minimise" the risk to the police force.
"Not having the extra powers we are asking for will curtail our members’ ability to safely and effectively police the roads," he said.
Business 'decimated' after town's Covid outbreakpublished at 13:51 British Summer Time 20 August 2020
A cafe owner in Craven Arms has said a coronavirus outbreak at a travellers' site in the town has "decimated" her business.
At its peak, 29 people tested positive at the caravan park in Long Lane in July and the town was given the all clear 10 days ago.
Image source, GoogleNaomi Denton, who runs Laila's Cafe, said she is "desperate" for customers to return and is doing all she can to reassure visitors when it comes to social distancing and hygiene.
Her message - that Craven Arms is "open for business" - was echoed by independent supermarket Tuffins, which reported a drop in sales of 40% following the outbreak.
Around the web: Parents struggle with uniform supplierpublished at 13:19 British Summer Time 20 August 2020
From the Worcester News today:
Calls for Cadbury social club to be rebuiltpublished at 12:47 British Summer Time 20 August 2020
About 1,500 people sign a petition calling for the fire-hit Birmingham club to be saved.
Read MoreCharity shop hunts for owner of WW2 medalspublished at 12:28 British Summer Time 20 August 2020
Allen Cook
BBC NewsThe owner of a box of World War Two medals is being urged to contact a charity shop in case they were accidentally donated.
Image source, John Taylor HospiceSeveral bags of donations were taken to the John Taylor Hospice shop in Castle Bromwich, Solihull, by a man on 8 August.
However, the charity said he didn't mention the medals were in the bags and didn't leave any details.
Shop manager Rachael Quinney said they will sell them if they were meant to be donated but wanted to trace the owner in case it was a mistake.
"They could be a precious heirloom which he didn’t realise were in the bag. We would hate to think that a few weeks or months in the future a family is hunting for these medals not realising they were given to us,” she said.
Your photos: Blue skies across the regionpublished at 11:57 British Summer Time 20 August 2020
We've had a morning of blue skies from the look of the photos sent in by our local BBC Weather Watchers.
Here are three from users Quinndrew in Oswestry, Shropshire, Mikes Lens in Hereford and Kath Snapper in Warwick:
Image source, Quinndrew
Image source, Mikes Lens
Image source, Kath SnapperNew-build homes vandalised in Herefordpublished at 11:35 British Summer Time 20 August 2020
Several new-build homes in Hereford have been vandalised.
Image source, West Mercia PoliceThe houses are under construction on St Andrews Close and were damaged on Monday night, West Mercia Police said, external.
Locks were broken, windows smashed, fire extinguishers let off inside the buildings and graffiti sprayed on walls.
BTec students 'incredibly resilient' after results pulledpublished at 11:13 British Summer Time 20 August 2020
BTec students at a college in Worcester have been praised for being "incredibly resilient" after their results were pulled on the eve of them being released.
Image source, GooglePearson said it would be re-grading all its BTecs to bring them in line with A-levels and GCSEs, which are now being graded via school-based assessments.
Neil Morris, head teacher of Christopher Whitehead Language College, said the move had left his pupils with no idea what they would do next.
"They have been amazing, they have been incredibly resilient and I suppose in the long-term, if we get the right results eventually they will cope with it. It's not any way to treat young people, certainly in a pandemic."
Pearson apologised and acknowledged the additional uncertainty the decision would cause.
