Jamie McIvor
BBC Scotland education correspondent

Councils are to receive nearly £6m of government cash to help young people prepare for the world of work and get jobs.

The Scottish government said the money will help it reach its target to cut youth unemployment by 40% by 2021.

William Brown emails: At certain times during the week it's a scramble to be first on to get seats and have best possible experience which has failed with the lack of seats as they try to do 2 coaches which isn't going to work and a longer train would give a better experience to the people who travel.

A few bus services on the X95 First Galashiels to Edinburgh service following the route of the Borders Railway are running rather empty at times and it's owed to the fact trains are overcrowded.

BBC Scotland Weather
Latest

A predominantly dry afternoon in Dumfries and Galloway with some bright or sunny spells at times especially across more inland areas.

The stronger winds we saw this morning around the Rhins of Galloway will ease, with light winds for all parts. Temperatures will rise to around 16C at very best

In the Borders, it will be a fairly cloudy afternoon with showers feeding in from the North Sea. We will see some brightness across the west of the region at times and it will remain dry here. Highs of 16C with light southeasterly winds.

Remember, it is nearly 12:30 - time for our local radio bulletins from Dumfries and Selkirk.

Tune in on 92-95FM or 810MW to hear the latest news, sport and weather for Dumfries and Galloway and the Borders.

Colin Colthart
BBC Radio Scotland, Dumfries

The organisers of a community-buy out of Portpatick Harbour, external say they have already sold 84% of shares in the port.

Image source, Thinkstock

The community benefit society, which has an investment target of £75,000, launched the share issue 10 days ago.

It will run until the end of October or until the maximum target is reached.

Debbie Muir
BBC Scotland, Dumfries

Dumfries and Galloway Council has been urged to make changes to a dog-leg junction near Eastriggs which villagers say has been the scene of a number of near misses.

Locals contacted South of Scotland MSP Joan McAlpine about their concerns over the Stapelton Cross Junction between the B6357 and the C43 roads.

She said the sharp angles and poor visibility make it dangerous and is now calling on council officials to visit the area to see it for themselves.

@carl_spackler74 tweets, external: @BBCSouthScot @BBCTravelScot @BBCNews scotrail dont have enough rolling stock full stop @ScotRail @transcotland

A number of projects in Hawick could be given the go-ahead by councillors tonight under the Neighbourhood Small Schemes programme.

Members of Teviot and Liddesdale Area Forum are recommended to give the green light to spending almost £1,100 on football goals at Green Terrace.

They're also advised to sanction more than £1,000 being spent on marking out parking bays at McLaren Court and Fairhurst Drive in Hawick. And just over £400 could be allocated to pay for a handrail at steps on Silverbuthall Road.

tweets, external: Congratulations to Gala in Bloom - 2015 Beautiful Scotland Silver Medal Award winners in the Medium Town Category!

Image source, @scotborders

Colin Colthart
BBC Radio Scotland, Dumfries

Dumfries and Galloway Council is today expected to agree further public consultation on options to create a flood protection system for the Whitesands in Dumfries.

The favoured design is a raised walkway.

However, the proposed height of the embankment has been lowered and a glass wall incorporated in response to earlier concern about the loss of river view.

An alternative solution based on a self-raising barrier is also examined in the options report.

Tony Lockey emails: My family took a trip to Edinburgh on the new Borders Train at the weekend. Why has such old rolling stock been put on this line?

The feedback from the trip was that it was excellent, good value for money but the seats had holes in them and it was dirty. Surely some cleaner stock could have been put on especially at this early stage when ''first impressions'' count.

Brian Stewart emails: Scotrail is wakening up to the idea that the new line might be popular. Well whosoever might be in charge of planning there should be down at the Job Centre by now because my two-year-old could see it would be busy, (extremely so at times).

The safety and comfort of passengers should have been paramount particularly since many would be new or nearly new to rail travel and their experience may have been a starter for much more. No, Scotrail have managed to get it wrong and it's management should be held to account.

MSP Joan McAlpine has joined volunteers in Dumfries who have been collecting donations to send to people caught up in the refugee crisis.

Image source, Joan McAlpine

The SNP politician said the efforts of organiser Moxie DePaulitte and her team were "fantastic".

She added: "This goes to show that local action really can make a big difference to an international problem."

BBC Scotland spoke to volunteers with Dumfries and Galloway Refugee Action last week. Read more here.

Extra carriages are being added to some services on the Border Railways after some passengers complained they were "packed like sardines".

Have you travelled on the new Borders Railway yet and was it an enjoyable experience?

Let us know your thoughts on its first days of operation on selkirk.news@bbc.co.uk or Tweet us @BBCSouthScot.

Police Scotland in Dumfries and Galloway tweets, external: Reports of spillage on #A75 at Newton Stewart bypass - causing roadway to be slippery. Police warning signs out. Sand/Grit en-route.

ScotRail is adding extra carriages to some Borders Railway services after complaints of passengers being unable to board trains and overcrowding.

Image source, Peter Devlin

A number of customers have raised concerns about the two-carriage provision on the line.

ScotRail said it had tried to allow for the "novelty factor" of the Edinburgh to Tweebank route but the level of interest had been "remarkable".

Giancarlo Rinaldi
South Scotland reporter, BBC Scotland news website

The change to a new multi-bin collection scheme in one part of Dumfries and Galloway has cost £435,000 more than forecast.

Image source, Thinkstock

The council introduced the service in Wigtownshire last year with a view to rolling it out to the whole region.

A report prepared for a Scottish Parliament committee has estimated that 10,600 people die in Scotland each year without appropriate end-of-life care.

Image source, Science Photo Library

The report for the health committee by Prof David Clark of Glasgow University's Dumfries campus, suggested that some 40,000 people would benefit from palliative care.

But it estimated that a quarter of them do not receive it.

On the A76 Dumfries to Kilmarnock road temporary lights will be in use at Newbridge from 09:30.

Further north on the same route you'll encounter traffic controls for patching at Auldgirth. There will be more lights between Kirkpatick and Thornhill and a convoy system will operate between Carronbridge and Drumlanrigg.

There are also long-term traffic controls at Enterkinfoot.

There will be stop-go boards again today on the A7 at Auchenrivock between Longtown and Langholm. And In Dumfries, four-way lights on the A701 for telecom work at the Auchencrieff Road junction at Locharbriggs.

BBC Scotland Weather
Latest

It will be quite a chilly start in places, any mist patches will clear this morning. There may be some showers in the far east of the area but otherwise it will be a dry day.

It will be fairly cloudy, however we will see some brightness coming through the cloud at times. Temperatures will reach around 15 or 16C.

Quite a fresh north-westerly at first this morning around the Rhins of Galloway, however the winds easing here, and light elsewhere winds will be light.

Nichola Rutherford
BBC Scotland

Good morning. Welcome to the South of Scotland Live page.

We'll be here until 5pm with the latest updates from Dumfries and Galloway and the Borders.

You can get in touch with us by emailing dumfries@bbc.co.uk or selkirk.news@bbc.co.uk or find us Twitter @BBCSouthScot.