Updates for Friday, 16 December 2016
Jonathan Ollivier: Dance project in memory of dancer in Northampton
Williams open to Valtteri Bottas joining Mercedes
A5 still closed and M1 problems
It's a cloudy and misty start but with some brighter intervals through the morning, and more widespread sunny spells developing in the afternoon.
It's still mild for the time of year, with a balmy 10C (50F) to enjoy.
Katy Lewis
BBC Local Live
Good morning and welcome back to another day of regular live updates of news, sport, weather, travel and more for Beds, Herts and Bucks.
Today we'll be reflecting on how the Cobblers have crashed out of the FA Cup to seventh-tier Stourbridge in the FA Cup.
Plus, in more positive local news, a teacher from Northampton has been included in the top 50 shortlist for a £1m teaching prize.
Image source, Getty ImagesSeventh-tier Stourbridge secure their first-ever appearance in the FA Cup third round after they stun League One Northampton Town with a 1-0 win in round two.
Read MoreManager Gary Hackett lauds his Stourbridge team as the seventh-tier side reach the FA Cup third round for the first time.
Read MoreNorthern Premier League club Stourbridge upset League One side Northampton Town in the second round of the FA Cup.
Read MoreDylan Hartley will be disappointed by red card, says Warren Gatland, but does not confirm if it will affect Lions captaincy.
Read MoreLive updates for Northamptonshire have now finished.
You can follow the action from Northampton Town's FA Cup tie against Stourbridge on BBC Radio Northampton and via the BBC Sport website.
And we'll be back tomorrow from 08:00. See you then.
Image source, Getty Images
Alex Dolan
BBC Look East weather
It'll stay cloudy tonight with further outbreaks of light rain and drizzle. Gradually clearing later, but staying cloudy and misty with some poor visibility, particularly on the coast.
Lows tonight of 8C (46F).
Tomorrow will start cloudy with some patchy mist and fog, but overall staying dry. Drier air moving in from the continent will push the cloud away.
Becoming brighter with decent amounts of sunshine by the afternoon. Highs of 11C (52F).
Get the full forecast where you live, at BBC Weather.
BBC Sport
Rugby Football Union boss Ian Ritchie has told BBC Sport that rugby should be "rigorous" around head injuries.
Northampton Saints have been under scrutiny after an incident involving Wales wing George North.
TV replays appeared to show North lying motionless after a fall in Saints' recent game with Leicester, but he returned to play after passing a pitch-side assessment.
Image source, Getty ImagesA concussion review group has now been formed to investigate the handling of the case and RFU boss Ritchie said: "They will come to a conclusion by the end of the week and we should learn lessons from that, where there are ones to learn.
"Concussion is definitely a big challenge. We have to address it head on."
We're not sure if the pun was intended...
Martin Borley
BBC Radio Northampton
The new boss of Kettering Borough Council is due to take up position on 1 January, three months after being appointed.
But the man he's replacing is expected to remain in charge until June next year.
The way Kettering Borough Council is managed is changing. Out goes the chief executive David Cook and in comes the new position of managing director, being filled by one of David Cook's deputies, Graham Soulsby.
Councillors are due to approve the start date tomorrow night, but although Mr Soulsby will be the council's new top official, he won't have the powers for another six months.
David Cook is remaining head of the paid staff and in charge of elections until he leaves. Council papers describe it as a "period of overlap".
Tom Percival
BBC Radio Northampton
The county council has agreed to stop funding places at two care centres for people with dementia.
The authority says by stopping care at the Drayton Centre in Kingsthorpe and Stephenson Court in Kilsby it will save the authority nearly half a million pounds a year.
Martina Kane from the Alzheimer's Society described them as "vital" and "what [people] need to live their lives on a day-to-day basis".
The council insists there will be care available for users at other centres, but the families I've spoken to at the Drayton Centre say the alternatives are not as good.
Caroline Densley
BBC Radio Northampton Sport
Cobblers manager Rob Page says tonight's FA Cup game at Stourbridge is on a "difficult pitch", but his side are "confident we can go and win the game".
Image source, Getty ImagesPage told me they are not "expecting to just turn up and have it our own way" against their non-league opposition.
He said: "We're up against a good team and we've got to respect that. We've got match their work rate and then the quality will come through."
Caroline Densley
BBC Radio Northampton Sport
Northampton Town boss Rob Page says his side have to be on their guard in the FA Cup tie against Stourbridge, but hope to carry on with their form from Saturday's League One win.
It's the re-arranged tie this evening at the War Memorial Ground for the Cobblers, after their original fixture was called off because of a frozen pitch.
Image source, Getty ImagesPage told me he knows Stourbridge "have got a goal in them and we have to nullify that threat".
However, he said if the Cobblers can recreate how they played in their 3-2 victory over Port Vale they are "in for a good night".
Pete Cooper
BBC Local Live
The government is promising extra help for the steel industry.
Ministers have updated their "procurement" policy in an effort to make sure more public sector contracts use as much UK steel as possible.
Last week, Tata Steel made a commitment to secure jobs and production across the UK, including in Corby.
Business Secretary Greg Clark told the Commons the aim was to assist British firms struggling against foreign competition.
Pete Cooper
BBC Local Live
The county council is expected to confirm later that two day care centres for people with dementia are to close.
It says shutting the Drayton Centre in Kingsthorpe (pictured) and Stephenson Court in Kilsby would save £440,000 a year.
The council insists that alternative provision will be arranged for the 50 people who use the centres.
Image source, GooglePaul Crofts from campaign group "Save Northants Services" says "almost every respondent to the county council's consultation on the two centres praised the services they get there".
Mr Crofts said he understood why the council was looking at closing centres, but there were other little-used centres it should look at first.
MPs have been debating a petition to ban big shops from opening on Boxing Day.
It follows a similar petition from Kettering man Ian Lapworth.
His local MP, Conservative Philip Hollobone, told the debate that forcing shops to close on Boxing Day could damage the livelihoods of the people it's trying to protect...
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Pete Cooper
BBC Local Live
Elsewhere in Northamptonshire:
We're looking at the challenges faced by Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom, the South Northamptonshire MP, who campaigned to leave the EU.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) brief covers farming subsidies and air quality policies, and Jo Coburn looks at some of the issues for a post-Brexit UK.
The film is part of the Daily Politics series of five Brexit trackers, examining the issues faced by key government departments in the run-up to the UK leaving the EU.
A look at the challenges faced by Environment Secretary Andrea Leadsom.
Pete Cooper
BBC Local Live
Labour wants to see retail workers given the option of not working on Boxing Day as the government rejected calls to stop large stores opening.
It came during a Westminster Hall debate when the government rejected a petition signed, external by more than 140,000 people to force large stores to close on Boxing Day.
The petition was sparked by a similar petition, external, currently signed by more than 230,000 people, started by Kettering baker Ian Lapworth.
Image source, PAKettering MP Philip Hollobone took part in the debate and said he had "an instinctive sympathy" with retail workers, but if the shops shut, millions of people would shop online anyway.
Mr Hollobone said: "I think it would be a fair compromise for the government to say no-one should be required to work on Boxing Day."
The idea supported by Labour's shadow business minister Bill Esterson.
Pete Cooper
BBC Local Live
Dylan Hartley's conduct as England captain must count in his favour when considering his future in the post, according to the Rugby Football Union.
Hartley faces an independent disciplinary hearing tomorrow to answer for the third red card of his career, after being sent off for tackling Sean O'Brien from behind with a swinging arm in Northampton's defeat by Leinster.
He could get an eight-week ban that would see him miss the opening game of the Six Nations.
Image source, ReutersRFU chief executive Ian Ritchie, however, has been impressed by the way he has led England during the 13 successive Test victories completed this year.
He insists the decision of who leads the team ultimately rests with head coach Eddie Jones.
"Dylan has clearly played a fantastic part in captaining the team, on and off the pitch just to be clear," Ritchie said. "His leadership credentials are very strong. He's made a huge contribution, as Eddie would say.
"So you view all these things in perspective and in perspective one looks at the totality of what he's done and what's happened over the years and I think we should be supportive of that."
