An action group is hoping Northumbrians' generosity will help people to change their lifestyles for the better.

Mark Curr and Adam Bell, active travel co-ordinators for South-East Northumberland Sustrans, are aiming to get people cycling whenever they can, including offering to hire bikes out for free to help workers commute by bike.

But although they have a good supply of new bikes for community events such as group bike rides and car-less days at businesses, their fleet of donated and second hand bikes is limited.

Northumberland's new super council is to retain the existing county council's official logo when it takes over following local government reorganisation in April.

A working group has concluded there is merit in reviewing the 35-year-old logo to ensure it reflects the new unitary council's vision and values.

However, the need to prioritise effective service delivery from April 1 means it will be retained for the time being.

A Wansbeck housing association is putting up £45,000 for a package of neighbourhood improvements after conducting a series of estate walkabouts with its tenants.

Wansbeck Homes - which manages the district council's 5,300 houses and flats - is acting on improvements suggested by tenants.

Tomorrow will see the launch of a new free newspaper for Journal readers in Northumberland.

Journal Extra will come free with The Journal every Thursday with 36 pages of news and sport from around the county in addition to The Journal's normal service.

Regular features in Journal Extra will include a nostalgia page, readers' pictures of Northumberland and a weekly focus on one of the county's schools. There will also be weekly promotions and competitions exclusively for our Northumberland readers.

A funeral service was held this week for a former councillor who was a stalwart of local government in the Wansbeck area of Northumberland for more than 30 years.

Ken Roach, who was 83 when he died, was first elected to the former Bedlingtonshire Urban District Council in 1955, and was a founder member of Wansbeck Council when it was formed in 1974 under local government reorganisation.

A Stakeford man disabled in a horror road accident on a holiday island more than a decade ago has died.

The family of Dave Mattocks said his death at 45 was directly related to the injuries he had suffered.

In 1998 the former miner had just arrived with a pal in Tenerife when he was hit by a car. He was paralysed from the chest down and spent months at the spinal unit at Middlesbrough General Hospital and then Hexham General Hospital.

Traveller's Rest, Choppington returned to the top of the Morpeth Sunday League table with a 5-2 win over Bedlington Northumberland Arms.

Jonathan Doyle and Paul McGlen netted for the Northumberland Arms, whilst Jonathan Young, Simon Kilpatrick and Damien Mullen with a hat-trick saw the Traveller's to the three points.

Josh Haye also bagged a hat-trick for Amble Pier 81, and proved to be the major difference as they defeated Linton and Woodhorn SC 3-0.

Talks are continuing in a bid to resolve a long-running dispute over the fees paid to the owners of independent care homes for the elderly in Northumberland.

Officials from the county council and Care Trust have been in negotiations with dozens of private sector operators for 18 months over how much they should be paid for providing residential care for elderly and disabled people.

Firefighters are waging a war on chip pans.

The push in south east Northumberland will see some householders given a free thermostatically-controlled deep fat frier in exchange for their old fashioned chip pan.

And shopkeepers who sell chip pans for just a few pounds will be targeted and told of the devastation that can be caused by a kichen blaze.

A new £12m waste facility in West Sleekburn has successfully completed extensive commissioning tests.

SITA UK's new integrated waste management facility is a key part of the infrastructure for the company's 28-year private finance initiative contract with Northumberland County Council.