Joanita Musisi
Reporter, BBC Radio York

Some festive questions: What's the best Christmas tree to have at home? When's the best time to put it up? How do you look after it?

I'm a little staggered that some of my colleagues at BBC Radio York, and some of you, are so well-prepared you've already got the tree up and decorated. 

So today, being the little Christmas Angel that I am, I've been to a Christmas tree farm to get some advice, just on the off-chance that I'm not the last person in North Yorkshire to get one!:

David Ward
MatchDay Live presenter

York City may have been beaten once again at the weekend and they may have fallen to the bottom of the league, but there is a smidgen of good news for one player. 

Step forward Yan Klukowski who has been named in the Non-League Paper's Team of the Day:

Georgey Spanswick
Presenter, BBC Radio York

Plans to run many of North Yorkshire's libraries with volunteers have been defended by the county council which says it's confident it can recruit 600 people needed to keep them open. 

The authority hopes that by April, three quarters of its 42 libraries will be community-run after its library budget was cut by millions of pounds. 

The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals earlier told me on BBC Radio York that the plans are unsustainable. 

But county councillor Chris Metcalfe, the man in charge of libraries in North Yorkshire, disagrees:

More than 100 children have been arrested for drink driving in Yorkshire in the past five years, figures show.

BBC Travel

It looks like the A19 is blighted by delays today.

Earlier, there were problems at Fulford as you enter York after an accident very early this morning. 

Now, there are delays near Selby.

These delays, in both directions, are down to roadworks. But if there are delays now, they could get worse later in the afternoon as we get closer to rush-hour, so be aware.

Image source, Google

Paul Hudson
Weather presenter, BBC Look North

This afternoon will continue dry with hazy sunshine. 

The top temperature will be about 4C (39F) with a light southeast wind.

City of York Council says it's "disappointed" at the decision by York Community Stadium's main contractor to pull out from the £44m scheme.

Image source, City of York Council

ISG says delays and rising costs are behind its decision to withdraw from the project which would see the construction of a new 8,000-seater stadium and cinema complex in the city.

In October, a judge allowed the Vue cinema chain to mount a legal challenge, contesting the council's decision to approve plans for a larger cinema at the site than originally planned.

A spokeswoman for the council says it will continue to work with the consortium behind the project and leisure operator GLL to build the complex.

"We are fully committed to delivering the Community Stadium and leisure facility project, which will provide a wide-range of facilities.

"While the council has had no direct relationship with ISG, we are disappointed that they have withdrawn from the project and GLL will now seek to secure an alternative contractor through a competitive process to bring forward a scheme within budget."

Nathan Turvey
BBC Radio York News

The top stories from the York newsroom this lunchtime include:   

• The main contractor appointed to build York's much-delayed Community Stadium pulls out of the £44m project
• A 76-year-old man who it's believed was driving the wrong way down the A64 dies following a crash at the weekend
• Plans by North Yorkshire County Council to recruit hundreds of volunteers to run libraries across the county are criticised as "unsustainable"

Just weeks before it was hoped a judicial review would finally enable work to start on York's long-awaited Community Stadium, the main contractor who was to build the stadium has pulled out.

Rising costs and further delays are blamed by ISG for its decision to withdraw from the £44m Community Stadium scheme.

Image source, Artist's Impression

The planned 8,000-seater sports stadium in York is supposed to be the new home for York City Football Club and York City Knights rugby league club.

A judicial review over plans for the cinema element of the project was granted in October and will not be heard until early 2017.

A spokesperson for ISG says: "We've worked for over two years, alongside our consortium partners, to realise the vision for a new Community Stadium at York, and successfully delivered the enabling package for the scheme in late 2015. 

"Our commitment to the stadium has never been in question and we've worked diligently to explore every opportunity to bring the scheme to site."

David Ward
BBC Local Live, York

Police are appealing for witnesses to an accident on the A64 in which a 76-year-old man died.

Image source, North Yorkshire Police

He was driving a Toyota Corolla in the wrong direction on the westbound carriageway when it was involved in a collision with a green Mercedes A class close Grimston Bar junction.

The 37-year-old male driver of that car remains in Leeds General Infirmary.

Anyone who saw the collision, or either of the cars prior to it, are asked to contact North Yorkshire Police.

Can you believe it? Yet another delay to the Community Stadium project.

Four smartphones worth about £2,600 were stolen in the space of 10 seconds, external from a shop in Skipton, according to police.

Image source, Google

The theft took place at the O2 shop on Sheep Street in Skipton (pictured) at about 16:30 on Thursday 1 December after three men entered the strore.

Two of the suspects are described as white,  approximately 20-30 years old, wearing tracksuits and black "deerstalker"- style hats. 

The third suspect was wearing a dark baseball cap, and a dark long-sleeved top with light brown patches on the shoulders and upper arm.

Anyone with information about the crime or who witnessed the theft is being asked to contact police.

David Ward
BBC Local Live, York

Police have confirmed that a 76-year-old man has died following a crash on the A64 on the outskirts of York. 

It happened on Saturday evening near the junction with Grimston Bar (pictured below). 

Image source, Google

It's thought the man was driving in the wrong direction on the Leeds-bound carriageway when he was involved in a collision with another vehicle. 

The driver of the other car remains in hospital.

BBC Travel

Slow traffic's currently being reported on East Parade in Harrogate around the Hyde Park Road junction because of an accident.  

Elly Fiorentini
Reporter, BBC Radio York

It takes me a few hours to put up my Christmas decorations and I've just got a little tree in my living room and a few things to hang in the window and around the mantelpiece.

So imagine how long it takes Eric Marshall in Bagby near Thirsk...

Each year he puts on one of North Yorkshire's best displays outside the front of his home. I hate to think how big his electricity bill is!

Georgey Spanswick
Presenter, BBC Radio York

More now on the huge recruitment drive in North Yorkshire to get hundreds more volunteers to run our libraries. 

In fact, the County Council says about 600 are needed in 20 more community libraries. 

The local authority hopes three out of every four of its 42 libraries will be community-run, external in four months time.

This is all because over the last five years its library budget has been cut by £3.5m.

Nick Poole, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, has told me the plans aren't feasible:

Flooding across Britain last December was the most extreme on record, a new study says.

About 16,000 properties were damaged, hundreds of them here in North Yorkshire, and insurers were left with an estimated bill of £1.3bn.

On the first anniversary of Storm Desmond, experts say November to January were the wettest three months since UK records began in 1910.

The Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, in collaboration with the British Hydrological Society, also found many rivers across northern England, Scotland and Northern Ireland saw record peak flows during the three-month period.  

BBC Travel

It's not been the greatest of mornings so far if you're using two of the major routes in and around York.

There are still delays on the A19 in Fulford because of an accident near the junction of Broadway which happened at about 06:00.

And that is having knock-on effects now onto the eastbound carriageway of the A64, where queues are all the way back to Bilbrough Top. Certainly an area to avoid just now if you can...

David Ward
BBC Local Live, York

York Art Gallery is the only museum in Britain to be nominated for the prestigious European Museum of the Year Award.

There are 46 nominees from 24 countries and the winner will be announced at a ceremony in Croatia next May. 

This is the latest of several awards which the gallery has won or been shortlisted for since its re-opening after an £8m transformation last summer.

BBC Sport

York City will spend at least the next two weeks at the foot of the National League after a cruel defeat at Tranmere on Saturday. 

The Minstermen put in their best performance of the season, only to succumb to a 93rd minute goal at the league leaders. 

York boss Gary Mills admitted afterwards he was gutted at the 1-0 loss: