plymouth city council

1. Exeter horror expert Ashley Thorpe nominated for Rondo horror industry awards. The horror filmmaker, writer and aficionado Ashley is in the running for a classic Rondo award, and you can vote for him

2. Plymouth Jobless total in the city rise by 548 in the month of January, with latest government figures showing that on January 12 there were 6,944 people claiming Jobseekers Allowance in Plymouth. An equivalent to 4 per cent of the population.

3. West Devon Borough Council followed South Hams District Council and is increasing its share of the Devon Council Tax by 2.5 per cent.

4. A primary school receptionist in Crediton is facing a governors’ investigation after being caught up in an issue involving faith in school. The receptionist says her daughter was told off for ‘talking about Jesus’. The school says it encourages discussion, but “What we do not condone is one child frightening a six-year-old with the prospect of ‘going to hell’ if she does not believe in God.” The situation was exacerbated by a private email sent by the receptionist following a meeting with the headmaster calling for friends to pray for her and her daughter.

5. Regenerate Community Enterprise, based in Stonehouse, Plymouth, which recycles furniture, white goods and flat-screen televisions is set to expand.

6. After a long regeneration project the Plymouth Life Center is set to be open to the public on the weekend of March 23 to 25, 2012.

7. Plymouth City Council is unlikely to ban prayers at the start of its meetings despite the Hight Court ruling on prayers at Bideford meetings.

8. Totnes MP Sarah Wollaston, who was one of the first critics of the NHS Bill is now saying that stopping the Bill at this stage could be damaging. “We could end up with a worse service if we ditched the Bill now,” she said.

9. Two school building projects in Plymouth at a proposed new University Technical College and an expansion to the Marine Academy are set to get £17 m boost.

10. Exeter MP Ben Bradshaw has backed plans for women to become bishops, warning against a watering down of plans for their introduction.

11. The Hospital Ward at Home scheme, which is being piloted in parts of East Devon, could be the “nail in the coffin” for community hospitals, according to campaigners.

12. Exeter’s bus station is planned for a redevelopment which would see an addition of hotels, shops, restaurants and a swimming pool.

13. Former head of marketing for Paramount and Universal film studios, Ken Green from Liverton, will be having his say on Oscar winners. He’s been a member of American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences since 1985.