Evening news round-up for the Black Country and north Worcestershire

A 69-year-old who set fire to bedding at Sandwell Hospital has avoided spending time behind bars.

Dermot Francis Donnelly, of Wallace Close, Oldbury, was given a 12-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, following the incident on February 26.

Dudley Magistrates Court was told that Donnelly had put the public and staff at risk and his actions had caused the hospital to shut beds.

To see who else has appeared before the courts click here.

A van driver has been rushed to hospital in a serious condition after crashing into a house in Carters Lane, Halesowen, this morning.

Emergency services were called to the scene near to the junction of Royal Oak Road shortly after 9.45am.

To read more click here.

A popular former stable boss was given a surprise treat to remember to celebrate a milestone birthday.

Kinver resident Brian Bone was overjoyed with his 90th birthday gift of a ride around the village in a horse-drawn carriage, courtesy of Foxdell Carriages in Kidderminster.

And as if that wasn't magical enough - movie-scene like snowflakes began falling from the sky as striking white horses Pluto and Kurioso and their carriage pulled up to collect him.

To see images from the day and read more click here.

Kingsford Lane Country Park next to Kinver Edge is to have more than 300 extra ash, beech and spruce trees as part of a global scheme by the Rotary movement to plant more than 1.2 million trees across the continents – one for each member of the organisation.

Although the Rotary Club of Kinver has a membership of 45 the club has agreed with the National Trust to plant 300 of the broadleaved species as part of the Trust’s Woodland Trust initiative.

To read more about the project click here.

Bewdley was transformed into the wild west when Kidderminster band Dharma Bums filmed a music video in the town.

Kidderminster musician and award-winning filmmaker Nick J Townsend directed the video for ‘Ballad of El Chivato’ – which is one of five songs featured on their debut EP ‘Nothing to Lose Blues’.

The clip will be released on Saturday January 27 and follows on from the EP which was released in July last year to positive reviews as well as receiving airplay on BBC Introducing.

To read more click here.

Wyre Forest MP Mark Garnier has welcomed a report which says the county’s hospital trust has made some improvements.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) concluded Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust had improved in core services such as urgent and emergency and medical care but still had a lot of work to do, following the last inspection in November.

The trust was placed into special measures in December 2015 and has been subject to frequent inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) during this time.

To read more click here.

Councillors have been urged to unite cross-party and “do what is right” by ensuring a valuable respite centre for disabled young people is saved from the axe.

Worcestershire County Council has begun a consultation on the future of Ludlow Road Short Breaks Unit, in Kidderminster, with one possible option being its closure.

The centre offers a valuable service to families across the county, with parents from Bromsgrove voicing their concerns over its possible closure in the Advertiser last week.

To read more click here.

A Redditch soldier has created history after her Antarctica trek team of six became the first all-female group to cross the icy continent by muscle power alone.

Major Sandy Hennis and five others from the British Army’s ‘Ice Maiden’ Expedition team completed their feat on Saturday (January 20) just before 10am UK time.

To read the full story click here.