Ferret Unlocked: what you missed in news last week

This past weekend, the Stray Ferret covered the widespread disruption caused by Storm Bert.

On Saturday, Harrogate woke up to a blanket of snow which was followed by persistent rainfall.

As part of our commitment to keep the public informed when it comes to adverse weather events, we published a series of articles on travel disruption and flood warnings.

We also published a gallery showcasing some our readers’ best photography on a day of wild weather.

Elsewhere last week, we took a closer look at how North Yorkshire Council is performing financially.

With the stark warnings in the budget of increased national insurance contributions for employers and living wage increases, we analysed how the council is performing service-by-service. You can read the article in full here.

Meanwhile, we sat down with the woman tasked with helping York and North Yorkshire grow.

Jennifer Wood, who co-founded Ripon-based O&3 Limited, will chair the newly created York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority business board — which had its first meeting on Friday (November 22).

Ms Wood spoke with the Stray Ferret to talk about her ambitions for the role and how she thinks the region can sell itself better. You can read the full interview here.

Last week, after a long-running freedom of information appeal, the Stray Ferret revealed some key figures about Harrogate Convention Centre.

With a major decision looming, and considerable public funds at stake, we submitted a freedom of information request in April asking how many days the centre’s 2,000-seat auditorium has been booked in the last five years.

The council refused to release the figures and upheld its decision in June when we requested an internal review. Now, it has been forced to reveal the information following a further appeal by the Stray Ferret — which you can read here.

Finally, subscribers to the Stray Ferret can also take advantage of a range of fantastic exclusive offers, discounts and giveaways from local businesses, which we regularly update.

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