Family issue desperate plea as man, 21, left fighting for his life in Thailand
Zak Forsyth, 21, was involved in a collision with a car and is now fighting for his life. He was taken to hospital by the car’s driver, but had already sustained life-changing injuries. He is now in a coma and, because he did not have medical or travel insurance, his family must cover the cost of his treatment. A JustGiving page has been set up to help cover his medical costs and has already raised more than £9,000.
Source: Coventry Telegraph
Warwickshire family’s ‘sssurprise’ after finding snake in the garden shed
Matt Turner found a snake in his garden in Leamington, Warwickshire. Not a fan of snakes, he called his wife and son to come and see what he’d discovered. They then shared images on a social media page asking for advice. A local resident with experience with reptiles came and took him off their hands. Plans are now in motion to try and find its owner and get it home.
Source: Coventry Telegraph
Warwickshire house with links to Henry VIII sells for £1.3m
Grade II-listed Longbridge Manor in Warwick has been purchased by Hallmark Properties Ltd. The impressive manor buildings sits in nearly four acres of elegantly landscaped grounds with a circular fishpond dating back to Victorian times. The property was previously used as the UK corporate headquarters of the US-based Forever Living aloe vera products company. It was among many monastic properties confiscated by Henry VIII during the Dissolution of the Monasteries after the Church of England was founded.
Source: Coventry Telegraph
Convicted Coventry paedophile jailed after refusing to unlock his phone for police
Stanley Heames, 41, was jailed for six years in 2017 for a series of sexual assaults on a girl under 13. Officers discovered the device in a secret hideaway at his home in Coventry. Heames refused to tell officers the code to access the phone, even when a court order was obtained telling him he had to. He was charged for the refusal and then sentenced earlier this week.
Source: Coventry Telegraph
Robbery investigation launched after balaclava-clad pair threaten delivery driver in Coventry
Police are investigating after broad daylight robbery of a delivery driver in Coventry. The incident, which happened before lunch time in Wyken, saw a pair of balaclava-clad men approach a van driver. The alleged victim was threatened before the suspects made a speedy getaway in a black vehicle. Officers are keen to hear from anyone who is able to help the investigation. Details can be provided using the below reference number. Anonymous tip offs are also welcome.
Source: Coventry Telegraph
Tinnitus like ‘gas leak in head’, musician says
Andy Hall suffered the injury while gigging in Birmingham when he was 24. He now wears professional earplugs when practising but said he prefers not to wear them when playing live. Tinnitus UK is calling for safer sound levels at live gigs. 92% of gig goers had ringing in their ears after performances, while about six out of every 10 music fans said they wore hearing protection at concerts.
Source: BBC Coventry
‘Law firm closure has left us stuck in ongoing nightmare’
PM Law shut its doors on Monday, leaving clients and staff in the dark. Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has since said it had taken the decision to “intervene into the group of firms” The BBC has made repeated attempts to contact PM Law at their Sheffield headquarters in person, by telephone, via email and on LinkedIn. We have also put questions to the SRA and the law firm appointed intervention agents by the body.
Source: BBC Coventry
Safe school walking project to be launched
Kids Streets aims to make it safer for children to walk to and from school. The scheme is also designed to deliver health benefits and cut congestion at peak times. A pilot for the scheme would look at Birmingham and potentially Coventry. The West Midlands Combined Authority hopes to get necessary infrastructure works under way by the end of the year. The project is inspired by the Parisian model of School Streets.
Source: BBC Coventry
Artist to work with students on new sculpture
Charmaine Watkiss will work with Coventry University Fine Art students on the installation. It will feature in her solo exhibition The Things We Hold Sacred, which opens at The New Art Gallery Walsall on 2 October. Watkiss is best known for her research-based drawing practice, which focuses on plant knowledge passed through generations of Caribbean families. The project has been funded by a £71,226 Jerwood Art Fund Commissions grant.
Source: BBC Coventry
West Midlands news quiz of the week
Severn Trent Water says a burst affected a number of homes, but later they were largely back on. Op Resolve, which tackles anti-social behaviour, will no longer receive a £1m government grant. Residents’ pay is not keeping pace with tax rises, but critics say the party’s budget is unsustainable. The government survey will last seven weeks, with a decision expected on the chosen model by July.
Source: BBC Coventry
The XXV Winter Games kick off with the opening ceremony at the San Siro soccer stadium on Friday. Spread out over a vast swath of northern Italy, these Olympics are the first to truly embrace the International Olympic Committee’s reform plan of using existing venues no matter how far apart they are. Skating sports — including the return of NHL hockey players to the Olympics after more than a decade — will be held in Milan.
Source: Independent
IOC President Kirsty Coventry said it was ‘sad’ that stories were deflecting attention away from the upcoming Olympics. Hundreds of demonstrators gathered Saturday in Milan to protest the deployment of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents during the upcoming Winter Olympics. Coventry tried to fend them off by saying it was not the IOC’s place to comment on the issues. The upcoming Olympics run from Feb. 6-22.
Source: Independent
New summer events programme coming to Coventry city centre
Godiva in the City will be a two-day event on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 July. New events will take place in a year when the long‑running Godiva Festival is being paused to allow time for a full review of how it can be delivered sustainably in the future. The pause by Coventry City Council follows rising costs and industry challenges affecting festivals across the UK. The replacement programme will include events that support the city’s local creative sectors.
Source: Coventry Council