Councillor dies after being hospitalised with Covid-19
A councillor has died after being seriously ill with Covid-19.
Sandwell CouncilCopyright: Sandwell Council
Sandwell Council said Sandra Hevican, 55, had been in hospital for several weeks before her death.
She was first elected in 2014 and represented the Tividale ward.
The council said she was "a hardworking councillor, and a very good friend and a dear colleague to many people".
The MP for West Bromwich East, Nicola Richards, said in a tweet it was "really sad news" and her deepest condolences were with her friends and family.
Weather causes widespread disruption to bin collections
The number of places having their bin collections cancelled today due to the wintry weather is increasing.
Sandwell CouncilCopyright: Sandwell Council
Sandwell Council said pavement and road conditions have forced them to suspend household waste collections and recycling collections have already been suspended due to staff shortages.
Several councillors in Sandwell are being investigated for allegedly breaking Covid-19 rules.
ReutersCopyright: Reuters
A report to the local authority's Ethical Standards Committee says officers are investigating two councillors while assessing similar allegations against others.
People who have been shielding in Sandwell due to Covid-19 have been advised they can stop after new cases fell by a third in a week, the local council has said.
ReutersCopyright: Reuters
Latest figures from Public Health England (PHE) recorded 60 cases in the seven days to 3 August compared with 91 for the week before.
The council said while it was changing its advice on shielding, it was continuing to advise all visits to care homes take place behind windows or special arrangements for end-of-life.
People should also not have visitors to their homes except for those in their social bubble or for essential visits, it added.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service in the West Midlands has been covering these stories this week:
Council-run swimming pools and gyms in Sandwell which reopened last week could shut again over a pay dispute. Unions say they will ballot staff on strike action unless Sandwell Leisure Trust improves its offer of a 1% wage increase over the next two years. The trust says the proposed offer is about the financial viability of the leisure centres.
GoogleCopyright: Google
Children going to a pupil referral unit in Walsall are set to move to temporary buildings ahead of the construction of a brand new school. The council's expected to approve spending £850,000 on facilities for pupils of the New Leaf Centre while a new £7.5m new centre is built.
A new learning centre could be built next to a Sikh temple in Wolverhampton to teach younger members about the religion. Guru Nanak Gurdwara, in Wednesfield, has submitted a proposal to Wolverhampton Council for a two-storey building next to the temple.
Gazebo and barbecue abandoned at country park
Rubbish including a gazebo, a barbecue and a petrol can have been left at a country park.
Gyms and swimming pools will reopen in Sandwell next week despite a rise in the number of positive Covid-19 cases in the borough.
GoogleCopyright: Google
Public Health England said the rate of infection in the area was 27.2 new cases per 100,000 people for the seven days to 24 July, compared to 21.7 the week before.
The Sandwell Leisure Trust, which runs the nine centres in Sandwell for the council, said it would start by reopening four of them from 6 August and monitor customer confidence and demand.
Bridges and roads to be fixed thanks to £7.5m fund
Bridges will be repaired and potholes prevented with £7.5m from the government, a council's said.
The money's coming to Sandwell and the local authority said it would be split between three schemes.
The bulk of the cash, nearly £5m, will go on essential repairs to Dudley Street Bridge and Scott Bridge in Newton Road, Great Barr.
The council said it'll use more than £2m to fix roads and footpaths to try and stop potholes forming and make them safer and smoother.
The rest will go on emergency measures to temporarily widen pavements, bring in one-way systems and introduce pop-up cycleways to try and get more people walking and cycling.
West Brom fans ignore Covid-19 advice to celebrate
BBC Radio WM
Hundreds of West Bromwich Albion fans gathered to celebrate their team's promotion to the Premier League despite being urged to stay away.
Despite failing to beat QPR in their final league game of the season, a draw was enough for Slaven Bilic's Baggies to go up in second place after Brentford lost to Barnsley.
The only disappointment for Albion was that their latest promotion came behind closed doors, with no supporters allowed inside The Hawthorns because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Despite warnings from both the club and Sandwell Council to stay away and follow social distancing guidelines, a large gathering of supporters were soon showing their glee as car horns blew and blue smoke gusted outside the Jeff Astle gates.