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From Saturday 13th - Friday 19th
March
2004
(days in
reverse order)
Friday
19th March 2004
£2.3bn housing plans announced It is hoped a pathfinder
scheme - working under the name Renew North Staffordshire - could bring in millions
of pounds of government investment
in Stoke-on-Trent, Newcastle, Biddulph and the Moorlands.
See
full story from BBC News
Jail
'turns around' drug problem Featherstone
Prison in
Staffordshire which used to have the highest
rate of drug abuse in England and Wales, has been praised by the prisons watchdog.
See
full story from BBC News
No
future in waste People who scavenge at waste recycling centres are being warned
they could be guilty of stealing if they take anything away. Two men have been
fined after being routing through rubbish at a recycling centre at Station Road
in Rugeley.
Saving Izaak Walton A campaign group say they're hopeful
of securing the long-term future of one of Staffordshire's most historic landmarks
- Izaak Walton Cottage. Walton was author of The Compleat Angler, a seminal work
on fishing. Stafford Borough Council recently cut opening hours at the cottage
in Shallowford, a move which saved them nearly £20,000. It's long been threatened
with closure but the council's now spoken to representatives of the Izaak Walton
Chapter, who're looking to help fund it in the future.
See our Izaak
Walton Page
Cash
to free up police officers Staffordshire is one of ten pilot areas to take
on civilian staff in police stations to perform routine tasks such as paperwork
in order to free up officers to go out on patrol. See
full story from BBC News
Rail
delays over Easter weekend Rail passengers in Staffordshire are being urged
to plan ahead due to major engineering work by Network
Rail on the West Coast Mainline near Stafford
and Rugby from 9 to 13 April. See
full story from BBC News
Farmer
killed A 77-year-old farmer has died after being gored by a bull in Shocklach,
near Malpas, Cheshire. See
full story from BBC News
Thursday
18th March 2004
Drop in profits for Potteries firm Ceramic giants
Portmeirion have announced a drop in profits. The firm made £2m before tax last
year compared to £2.9m the year before. Figures show sales are also down. But
the firm has confirmed the building of a new distribution centre in Stoke-in-Trent
should start later this year.
BNP
names school A Staffordshire school governor says he's contacted the local
education authority to discuss legal action against the British National Party
after his school's name appeared on their website. The "Young BNP" site does have
disclaimer saying the schools only have students who support the party and there's
no actual link between the party and the school. But Ian Parry, who's chair of
the board of governors at the school, says he wants the name off the website and
he'll take whatever action's needed.
Fastest on two wheels Newcastle
in Staffordshire will soon have one of the fastest cycle tracks in the country.
Sport England is providing a quarter of a million pounds so the track at the Lyme
Valley Stadium in Newcastle can be resurfaced. It's hoped the work will start
at the end of next month and the track will be finished by the end of June.
Wednesday
17th March 2004
Bombardier to cut 1,250 UK jobs Nearly 100 jobs are to go at a train maintenance
depot in Crewe after its Canadian owner announces major cutbacks across the UK
and Europe. More than 400 staff are also employed at Barton under Needwood in
East Staffs. See
full story from BBC News
Women choose from 27 types The Manchild
and the hard-drinking Rottweiler are among 27 different types of man identified
in a dating guide by Dr Whitehead, who works at Keele University in Staffordshire.
See full
story from BBC News
Tuesday
16th March 2004
Muse
and Dido headline V Festival Dido, Muse
and the Pixies join The Strokes as headline acts at the V Festival in Staffordshire.
See
full story from BBC News
See full V
Festival 2004 coverage
Burton under threat... in 1942 An
East Staffordshire journalist's uncovered evidence that Burton prepared itself
to be invaded during the second world war. He found the plans in a file at Lichfield
Record Office which show that planners had discussed how to react to what they
thought might be an imminent German invasion in June 1942. It also pointed out
that a key line of defence for the Home Guard would be the crossing of the River
Trent and the Mersey canal over the Dove near Egginton.
Chocolate
thieves trick trucker A lorry driver's £80,000 chocolate cargo is stolen in
Lichfield after he was fooled into pulling over by two men. See
full story from BBC News
Phone
firms face costly future The UK mobile phone market is due for a shake-up,
according to Stoke-on-Trent tycoon and boss of Phones4U John Caudwell. See
full story from BBC News
Forging
ahead with 'green' route A new £24,000 bike path is being built in Stone in
an effort to get more people cycling to work. See
full story from BBC News
Monday
15th March 2004
Two men in court over shop murder Two more men appear
before magistrates in Stoke-on-Trent accused of the murder of an off-licence owner.
See
full story from BBC News
Flood text warning People who live in parts of Staffordshire which are
at risk from flooding will soon be receiving early warnings by text message. The
Environment Agency already uses an system which phones people with a recorded
message to give them a chance to put up flood barriers or move valuables out of
the house. They're also developing an e-mail system
Sunday
14th March 2004
Chapel to close A 200-year-old chapel in Stoke-on-Trent is due to close.
The Etruria Methodist Chapel on Old Etruria Road is going to be sold. Only five
people actually attend the church which is a listed building.
Saturday
13th March 2004
Paranormal
gets extra-normal response The
first accredited course into the paranormal - taking place in Stoke on Trent -
has been given the go-ahead. The popularity of the course has taken tutors
by surprise after it was accredited by the Open College Network. Forty students
are studying at Longton Neighbourhood College and two are going on to become fully-fledged
psychic mediums. The course is run by Yvonne Saint, a medium herself.
Three
charged over shop killing Three people,
including a man from Newchapel, are charged with the murder of Frank Bayley, an
off-licence owner found dead at his shop in Stoke-on-Trent. See
full story from BBC News
Airgun fired through pensioners'
window An elderly Stoke on Trent couple were left badly shaken after an airgun
pellet was fired through their window. Police said the couple were at home in
the Parkway area of Trentham on Saturday night when they heard the shot go off.
Another house also had a window broken by a pellet. Police are appealing for witnesses
George goes The Stoke-on-Trent South Labour
MP George Stevenson has announced he won't be standing at the next general election.
He's been an MP since 1992, and holds one of the largest majorities in the country.
Before standing for Parliament he'd been a city councillor, a county councillor
and a Member of the European Parliament.
In an interview with BBC Radio Stoke,
he said the government had to beware of any tendency to presidential-style management,
and that it must listen to Labour Party members. He added that if there were an
election for leader, he would vote for Gordon Brown.
See more on George
Stevenson MP
FULL
ARCHIVE OF 2002, 2003 & 2004 STORIES - CLICK
HERE
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Stoke-on-Trent
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