Fire service plans for a £10m shake-up of 999 cover in Northumberland are finally to go ahead - three years after being approved amid a storm of controversy.
Work is expected to start early next year on the PFI-funded modernisation, which involves the closure of fire stations in Blyth, Cramlington, Morpeth and Ashington and the loss of about 28 full-time firefighter posts.
Landlords have been warned they could have their property seized under new moves to cut empty homes.
Council bosses say they are prepared to use compulsory purchase powers and enforcement action to ensure that long-term vacant properties are brought back into use to help ease a growing housing shortage.
Buying up empty and derelict houses and flats is seen as a last resort, but local authorities say they are planning to get tough to tackle the neighbourhood blight caused by private- sector properties left to go to rack and ruin.
A crackdown on car cruisers plaguing Morpeth saw police seize a vehicle.
Officers were joined by council officials to use new powers in the town for the first time to curb the nuisance posed by noisy young car enthusiasts.
But apart from seizing the car, police took a softly-softly approach and issued warnings instead of on-the-spot fines to offenders.
King Edward VI School has recorded its best ever GCSE results.
75% of students achieved five or more passes at grades A* to C, including English and maths, an increase of 6% on last year.
Headteacher Simon Taylor said: "We are delighted because these are our best results. The number of students getting five or more A* to C passes overall was 86%, which is also up 6% on last year. The core subjects of English, maths and science have been really strong and quite a number of students have achieved 10 A* passes."
A funding package is in place to allow a £1.2m riding centre for the disabled to be built in the heart of Northumberland.
The Pegasus Centre for Excellence in Disabled Riding, planned for the woodland hamlet of Tranwell near Morpeth, aims to tackle a shortage of facilities for disabled horse riders and help unearth equestrian stars of the future.
An inspirational photographer who refuses to allow profound disability to frustrate his creative talents is about to stage the biggest exhibition of his work.
Former art teacher Gordon Thompson, 62, has been paralysed and confined to a wheelchair since breaking his neck in a fall while rock climbing in Northumberland in 1986.
Despite being unable to move any part of his body from the neck downwards, he defiantly combines his vivid imagination with the help of friends and the use of personalised computer technology to devise, stage, shoot and process his own photographs.
Heavy rain failed to dampen the celebrations at King Edward VI School in Morpeth, which achieved a 98% pass rate and saw 25% of the 200 students earn three or more A grades.
The school's five students hoping to go on to study at Oxford or Cambridge all achieved what they required, and 80% of those picking up their results are heading for university.
POST Office bosses have been urged to open up the books so the financial case for closing individual North East branches can be properly examined.
Council chiefs in Castle Morpeth said they had not been given information about the finances of the eight sub-post offices in the borough earmarked for closure or replacement by reduced 'outreach' services.
BURGLARS, thieves and assorted criminals beware - a crack team of canine crimefighters is on your trail, and there is nowhere to hide.
In recent weeks, the 20 specially-trained dogs used by Northumbria Police officers have chalked up a string of impressive results in the battle against rural lawbreakers in Northumberland.
REPORTED UFO sightings over Northumberland on Saturday night may have been Chinese lanterns.
Peter Jackson, a 30-year-old gardener who lives near Morpeth, contacted The Journal yesterday after seeing 15 unidentified flying objects while enjoying a barbecue with his family on Saturday night.
He used a digital camera to capture video footage of the white objects, which later became a mix of orange and red, as they flew in formation below cloud level from 10.15pm to 10.30pm.
Click here to find some great days out and fantastic family attractions,
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