Volunteers have received a massive cash boost to help them continue to save lives in the North East.
The North of Tyne Search and Rescue Team went head-to -head with Blyth Star Enterprises for £50,000 funding in ITV's People's Millions.
They received the most telephone votes through the People's Millions via the Big Lottery Fund and will use the money to buy a Mobile Incident Control Centre vehicle.
People have spelled out their priorities for spending on town hall services - as council bosses prepare to make tough budget savings of up to £30m next year.
Caring for elderly people, mending the county's roads and potholes and cutting council bureaucracy have been flagged up as the top priorities in a survey carried out by the Conservative Party across Northumberland.
The results have emerged from a questionnaire sent out to 10,000 households in a bid to take the public temperature at a time when more service cuts and job losses are looming.
Below is a sneak preview of how tourism bosses believe Northumberland's identity could be portrayed in the future.
It follows an announcement from Northumberland Tourism that it plans to "present a new face to the world" in 2010.
As part of a re-focussing of advertising and promotion the travel chiefs are aiming to lure more big-spending holidaymakers to the area.
The football used in the annual Shrove Tuesday game at Rothbury until 1867 has emerged from an extensive collection left when a society in Newcastle quit its historic headquarters.
The Newcastle Society of Antiquaries has moved from the 13th Century Black Gate in the city, its home for more than 120 years, to the Great North Museum: Hancock.
There were still plenty of items left in the Black Gate which need new homes, so other museums in the North East were invited to see what was on offer. One of the most popular was a set of 50 First World War recruitment posters, many in mint condition, which were found rolled up in a drawer.
Upland farming in Northumberland is in crisis because of a lack of people with the training to carry it on. Brian Daniel reports on a new scheme that is aiming to pass on unique skills to a new generation.
Farming in some of the North's most rural areas has become a lonely existence. A drop in agricultural incomes has left most farms in upland areas unable to support more than one employee.
With few farms working together, that has meant an end to the old tradition that saw farmers pass on the unique skills needed to farm in those areas to their sons and daughters.
A leaked report has laid bare the full extent of a £16m package of cuts being drawn up by council bosses in Northumberland.
Details of Northumberland County Council's draft budget for 2010/11 will go to the Liberal Democrat controlled authority's executive later this month, with the anticipated savings coming in at £15.772m.
The document proposes a series of cuts across all council departments, with areas worst affected set to include highways, adult care, youth services, libraries, leisure centres, public transport and refuse collection.
The contribution made by the region's natural environment to the North East economy came under the spotlight during a recent 'moor to shore' tour by Natural England and regional development agency One North East.
From left, Alan Welby, Alan Clarke of One North East, Rob Aubrook and David Hill
ONE chief executive, Alan Clarke, and director of strategy Alan Welby, found out about ecosystem services on the tour along the River Coquet from Harbottle to Amble in Northumberland.
A Northumberland businesswoman whose family has links to the Dukes of Northumberland has come up with a tasty way of celebrating a special anniversary.
Heather Foggon, 49, who runs The Chirnells Farmhouse Kitchen, near Thropton in Northumberland, has come up with the Percy Special Christmas Pudding, to mark this year's 700th anniversary of dukes and duchesses living at Alnwick Castle.
The Percy Special is the name of a drink dukes have been known to enjoy, and therefore named after their family.
Around 600 more posts are set to be axed at Northumberland County Council as embattled town hall bosses seek a further round of budget cuts of up to £30m next year.
County leaders will meet later this month to examine a number of "financial scenarios" aimed at achieving the massive savings without having to slash front line services, bring in a big council tax hike or make large-scale compulsory redundancies.
Yesterday it emerged that the scale of the cuts required will mean between 400 and 600 posts being axed from the 8,500-strong workforce - on top of the 800 which were shed this year.
Chocolate treats hand-made in Rothbury will be appearing on Christmas wishlists this year, as Katharine Capocci reports.
Christmas Clarts and gold leaf chocolate bars hand-made in Northumberland will be appearing on Santa wishlists around the country this year.
The Clarts - chocolatey creations mixed with fruit and nuts - and gold leaf luxury Christmas bars are two of the new festive lines dreamed up by Roz Tinlin and Karen Bloxham of Coquet Chocolates.
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