Colin Colthart
BBC Radio Scotland, Dumfries

Scotland's children's tsar has been invited to meet Dumfries and Galloway Council to discuss controversial plans to restructure services for pupils who need extra help in the classroom.

Image source, Thinkstock

Earlier this week Tam Baillie, the commissioner for children and young people, wrote to the authority asking that learning support proposals are put on hold, pending an "impact assessment".

The council has met today to set its budget, which could include cutting 52 learning support posts.

A council spokesman said they contacted Mr Baillie's office before receiving his letter to explain the background to the education review and to offer him the chance to engage directly with the authority.

Do you dream of having the spending power of Christiano Ronaldo or Wayne Rooney? Find out here how long it would it take you to earn a top footballer's salary.

Scotland last year recorded the highest number of house sales since 2008, according to figures released by Registers of Scotland (RoS).

Image source, PA

A total of 93,875 sales took place across the country in 2014 - an increase of 11.6% on the previous year.

The overall value of sales for the year exceeded £15.3bn.

However Dumfries and Galloway saw a drop in the number of sales.

In Galashiels, the A7 Bank Street is closed northbound for gas main work between Bank Street Brae and Sime Place.

Cameron Buttle
BBC Scotland

An investigation has been launched into why an ambulance took 26 minutes to reach a Berwick accident on Friday night.

Eyemouth teenager Kyle Lowes died at the scene after his scooter was hit by a car.

The 43-year-old driver was arrested on suspicion of causing death by careless driving and released on bail.

Colin Colthart
at Dumfries and Galloway Council

The Labour administration's budget has now been passed with 22 votes to 17 and two abstentions.

Colin Colthart
at Dumfries and Galloway Council

A previously ruled incompetent amendment from councillor Grahame Forster has been ruled as competent but voted down by 18 votes to two with 21 abstentions anyway.

Vale of Leithen couldn't halt Lowland League leaders Edinburgh City last night at Meadowbank.

Image source, Thinkstock

James Elliot did give Mark Lamb's team an early lead but a quick fire double from Ross Allum and a second-half strike from Grant Vanson gave City a three-one win.

Vale host Threave Rovers at Victoria Park on Saturday.

BBC Scotland Weather
Latest

It will be largely dry across the south of Scotland this afternoon, with patchy cloud allowing some good bright spells. The best of the sunshine will be in the east.

Winds will be mainly light and temperatures a degree or so up on yesterday, at 5 or 6 Celsius.

Colin Colthart
at Dumfries and Galloway Council

The SNP has tabled an amendment to its own budget to utilise unallocated policy development cash and increase target savings on road repairs to delay additional support for learning restructuring proposals.

A second recess has been called to consider the amendment.

Tune into BBC Radio Scotland at 12:30 for the latest news bulletins, broadcast from our studios in Dumfries and Selkirk.

Image source, Thinkstock

A teacher accused of touching pupils in an inappropriate manner which was "sexually motivated" has been struck off by his professional body.

Image source, Google

Gordon Mundie was alleged to have smacked one girl on the bottom and touched another on the leg at Castle Douglas High School.

He denied the claims which dated back to January 2011 and February 2012.

The General Teaching Council Scotland found the complaints proved and ordered he be removed from its register.

Dumfriesshire Tory MP David Mundell has refused to respond to a call for him to apologise for dismissing the views of the manager of a local food parcel charity because he campaigned for independence.

At a meeting of Holyrood's welfare committee, SNP MSP Joan McAlpine quoted evidence from Mark Frankland of the First Base Agency on the impact of welfare reforms on food bank use in south west Scotland.

But Mr Mundell told the committee that he took Mr Frankland's comments with a pinch of salt because, as a prominent YES campaigner, he couldn't be considered an objective witness.

Ms McAlpine branded his comments outrageous and called for an apology but Mr Mundell insisted he'd made his views clear at committee, which had included recognition of the work carried out by Mr Frankland, and that he wouldn't be adding anything further.

Borders Youth Theatre may soon makes its final curtain call after more than two decades.

Image source, Thinkstock

Board members meet today to consider whether to wind up the organisation or reform under a different constitution.

It has been running at a loss and secures only £8,000 of core funding from Scottish Borders Council.

It is estimated they need about £30,000 each year to break even.

Colin Colthart
at Dumfries and Galloway Council.

Both Labour and the SNP support plans to explore setting up an arms length trust or community hub to run all council sport and leisure facilities in the future.

Colin Colthart
at Dumfries and Galloway Council.

The SNP say the Additional Support for Learning proposals should be delayed to allow impact assessment as per advice from the Children's Commissioner, Tam Ballie.

Colin Colthart
at Dumfries and Galloway Council.

Grahame Forster's motion to delay Additional Support for Learning (ASL) cuts ruled out.

The administration say even with restructuring over next three years, ASL will still have an annual budget of at least £16m and a workforce of at least 500 full time equivalent staff.

Dumfries and Galloway Council

tweets, external: Council Leader says there have been unprecedented levels of public engagement in the #dgbudget

Colin Colthart
at Dumfries and Galloway Council.

The administration's budget includes a £500,000 contingency fund to cover any unforeseen circumstances from the planned restructuring of additional support for learning.

Fifty-two learning support posts are earmarked to go over next three years. A mitigation fund worth £1m, covering years two and three, will also set up to cushion future education savings.

@McNabb_Laurie tweets, external: Corsock - a week after snowfall. We have lost a bird feeder but not a single bit of snow!

Image source, McNabb Laurie