Author: Rhys Gregory

A 26-year-old Wrexham man has been jailed for strangling a female police officer. Callum Williams, of Coed Efa, New Broughton, appeared before Mold Crown Court today (Thursday, August 8th), where he was sentenced to 10 months in prison. He admitted a charge of intentional strangulation following an incident at his home on March 16th 2024 after officers were called to a report of a concern for a child at his address. Williams became aggressive and following an altercation, he put his arm around an officer’s neck, gripping tightly. At the time of the incident, Williams was serving a suspended sentence…

Areas of higher density linguistic significance at the heart of new policy recommendations. Welsh is a national language that belongs to all communities in Wales, and in the National Eisteddfod in Pontypridd this week, the Commission for Welsh-speaking Communities launched a comprehensive report recommending strategic policy interventions to strengthen the Welsh language in communities where a high percentage of the population speaks the language. The designation of ‘areas of higher density linguistic significance’ is central to the proposals to protect and strengthen Welsh as a thriving community language. The Commission makes 57 recommendations in several key policy areas, including: Designating…

“We are committed to creating a Wales that is a great place to grow older.” That is the message from the Minister for Social Care, Dawn Bowden, after hearing first-hand how Welsh Government funding is benefitting people to live and age well. The Minister met with members of the community group Dementia Friendly Pontypridd during a visit to the Eisteddfod. She also met with members of the Older Persons Advisory Group (OPAG) at Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council. The local authority is one of six councils in Wales to join the World Health Organisation (WHO) Network of Age Friendly…

A Gwynedd-based hydro scheme aimed at boosting a key Welsh Government renewable energy target has received support from high-profile politicians. Three brothers have submitted a planning application for a proposed hydro electric scheme on their land in Cwm Cynfal located close to Llan Ffestiniog. The brothers, Dafydd, Elis and Moi also run their family farm near Bala in Eryri National Park. Consultation at key stages has included Ffestiniog Town Council, which has confirmed its support, Cadw, Natural Resources Wales, Gwynedd Council, the National Park Authority, interest groups, and the public, who were invited to a drop-in event in February hosted…

Pembrokeshire County Show, Wales’ largest county agricultural show, promises it will have something for everyone during the two day event on 14 and 15 August. Visitors to the show, which takes place on Pembrokeshire County Showground in Haverfordwest, can marvel at the variety of livestock classes, including the long-awaited return of the poultry competition, be wowed by the showjumping, explore the horticulture, arts and crafts competition entries, be enthralled by the dog agility and shop until they drop. Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society (PAS) are pulling out all the stops as it celebrates its 240th anniversary. The two-day show will be an…

A young woman from Merthyr, who was unsure about her future career pathway, has now secured a place on the course of her dreams after embarking on the Jobs Growth Wales+ programme with Whitehead-Ross Education. Seventeen-year-old, Scarlett, felt despondent about her future after realising that the Public Services course she was studying at Coleg Gwent was not for her. She had secured a place on the course through a rugby scholarship and had her heart set on becoming a police officer. However, when she realised the course was not what she thought it would be, she started to question her…

The Development Bank of Wales has exited Camtronics, six years after funding a management buy-out of the Tredegar-based contract electronics business. An equity investment of £450,000 from the Development Bank’s Wales Management Succession Fund enabled Managing Director Paul Macleur to lead the management buy-out from Photonstar LED Group plc alongside colleagues Chris Gulliford and Linda Sterry in January 2018. Turnover has since doubled to £4 million and the business has had the strategic support of Mark Pulman as a Non-Executive Director. He was introduced to Camtronics by the Development Bank and remains with the business. Based on Tredegar Business Park, Camtronics offers…

A Cardiff man who was caught with drugs and cash when police raised his flat has been jailed. Caerion Chapman was showering when officers turned up at his apartment in Blaenclydach Street, Grangetown, on July 8 (2024). They carried out a search warrant under the misuse of drugs act and found 13.8 grammes of cocaine in street deal bags and £2480 in cash, stashed in a kitchen cupboard. Officers also seized and analysed mobile phones which put Chapman at the head of a drugs line which distributed cocaine to users. On Tuesday (August 6) – just weeks after his arrest…

Knighton town centre is to see improvements, that should make it a more attractive place to visit, after a funding bid submitted to Powys County Council was successful. Knighton Town Council is to receive up to £66,759.20 towards the cost of refurbishing 15 business frontages on High Street, Broad Street, West Street, Market Street, Bridge Street and Wylcwm Place. The funding is being provided in the form of a Welsh Government Placemaking Grant, through its Transforming Towns programme, for up to 70% of the total cost. The town council is working as a facilitator for the scheme, in partnership with…

House prices in Wales fell through the month of July according to the latest Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Residential Market Survey, but both supply and demand are reported to have increased and respondents therefore expect sales to rise. A net balance of -20% of surveyors in Wales reported that prices have fallen over the past three months. This balance is largely in line with the UK average which is reported to be -19%. This may be weighing on Welsh surveyors’ outlook for prices as a net balance of -34% of respondents anticipate that prices will fall over the…