Updates from Monday 4 January to Sunday 10 January
Birmingham Live
Some of the Birmingham Live headlines today include:
Three Poundland stores in the West Midlands will be temporarily closed from the end of trading on Saturday, the company has announced.
Image source, GoogleFourty-four of its 800-plus stores will be put into "temporary hibernation," the retailer said, which "reflects the 80% drop in footfall at some shopping centres and high streets".
The company said in a statement: "In the first 2020 lockdown, Poundland hibernated around 120 stores in March and was able to start reopening them from the end of May."
These local stores are affected:
Where appropriate, staff would be placed on furlough in order to protect roles for the future, the company added.
Quote MessageWe learned valuable lessons during the lockdown in March about how buying patterns change as people stick to government advice to stay at home. Putting a small number of stores into hibernation helps protect them for the long term and focus our attention on the majority of stores that remain open to serve their neighbourhoods."
Austin Cooke, Poundland’s retail director
Plenty of you will have opened the curtains to snowy scenes this morning in the West Midlands, by the look of photos from our BBC Weather Watchers.
These are from users Earlobes in Birmingham; Olivia in Newcastle under Lyme, Staffordshire; Graham's Views in Telford, Shropshire; and MaidMarion in Bidford-on-Avon, Warwickshire:
Image source, Earlobes
Image source, Olivia
Image source, Graham's Views
Image source, MaidMarionA nurse in Coventry was among the first people in England to have the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab at a GP surgery.
Image source, PA MediaSue Toye, who had been vaccinating over-80s at the Priory Gate Practice in Coventry, received the injection on Thursday afternoon.
She said she was "absolutely elated" to get the vaccine and urged others to have the jab "so we can try and get life back to normal".
From the Express and Star today:
Ice is expected to cause travel disruption across the West Midlands this morning with some freezing fog patches also possible.
A yellow weather warning is in place for the whole of the region until 12:00., external
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Six people have been served with fixed penalty notices for breaching coronavirus regulations by gathering on the 46th anniversary of the Birmingham pub bombings last year.
They gathered outside the headquarters of West Midlands Police on 21 November.
Individuals, including campaigner Julie Hambleton whose sister died in the killings, have received letters informing them they're to be fined £200 each.
Lawyers acting for the six say the notices will be challenged.
The site in Lichfield will employ 2,000 people over the next three years, the fashion group says.
Read MoreBirmingham City University has said it will begin online teaching when the new term starts on 25 January.
Image source, Birmingham City UniversityA small number of students will be allowed face-to-face teaching, as government guidelines permit, including those studying healthcare, education and social work.
Some students have refused to pay their university accommodation fees for the new term, which are due this week, with the National Union of Students calling for rent refunds.
A University spokesperson said the safety of students and staff "continues to be of paramount importance".
"A number of University buildings remain open, providing essential services to students who do not have a safe space to study elsewhere, who need to access mental health support, who remain in term-time accommodation, or for international students already in the UK to ensure these groups have their specific needs met during this challenging period."
Shefali Oza
BBC Midlands Today
It will be a cold and cloudy day with patchy rain, sleet and snow and highs of 2°C (36°F)
Latest weather for the West Midlands
Vanessa Pearce
BBC News
Welcome 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 so share your news, thoughts and photos of the area with us via email, Twitter, external and Facebook., external
Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo fears the impact of Covid-19 on English football is only going to get worse.
Read MoreAston Villa are preparing to field a team of youngsters in Friday's FA Cup third-round tie at home to Liverpool.
Read MoreCharities claim thousands of children in Birmingham are suffering from "digital poverty".
Read MoreBirmingham City re-appoint ex-Blues player Craig Gardner to their coaching staff, two months after he left the club.
Read MoreLive updates have now finished for the West Midlands.
We'll be back with you from 08:00 on Friday with the usual mix of news, sport, travel and weather.
Shrewsbury Town's FA Cup third-round game at Southampton will not take place as scheduled this Saturday.
The club advised the Football Association this morning after a number of Shrewsbury players and staff members tested positive for Covid-19.
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Matthew Mason beat 15-year-old Alex Rodda to death to stop their sexual relationship being revealed.
Read More
BBC Sport
Striker Georgia Stevens has signed for Women's Championship club Coventry United after a stint in Iceland's top flight that she earned through an appearance on a football reality TV series.
Image source, Egill Bjarni FriojonssonLiverpool-born Stevens, 20, was part of BT Sport's six-part series Ultimate Goal where she was scouted by an agent to play professionally for the first time for Thor KA, a team based in Akureyri in north Iceland.
Stevens, who played for Liverpool and Everton as a youngster, spent just over three months at Thor KA, making four appearances before returning home following the league's suspension as a result of coronavirus.
"It was a mix of luck and opportunity. Training every day for three months was a new experience," Stevens told BBC Sport.
A Met Office warning, external for snow and ice has been extended until the end of Friday.
Ice is expected to cause travel disruption across the West Midlands with some freezing fog patches also possible.
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