BBC Local Live: York and North Yorkshire

North Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner Julia Mulligan today backed the findings of the Electoral Commission in its report on the administration of the 2016 Police and Crime Commissioner elections back in May.

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Despite winning the election, Mulligan has expressed her dissatisfaction with the process:

Quote Message: “I wholeheartedly support the Electoral Commission’s view that people weren’t given enough information about the elections. However, it is also clear the ballot papers were badly designed, which resulted in too many being rejected. In North Yorkshire, there were more than 11,000 rejected ballots. One rejected ballot is too many, but more than 11,000 is a real concern. from Julia Mulligan Police and Crime Commissioner

“I wholeheartedly support the Electoral Commission’s view that people weren’t given enough information about the elections. However, it is also clear the ballot papers were badly designed, which resulted in too many being rejected. In North Yorkshire, there were more than 11,000 rejected ballots. One rejected ballot is too many, but more than 11,000 is a real concern.

Sutton Bank has reopenedthis afternoon after North Yorkshire County Council completed essential annual maintenance earlier than expected.

The road, one of North Yorkshire’s most important transport links, carries the A170 up an extreme gradient, which means that annual maintenance is needed to ensure the road remains in good condition.

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The work this year included the annual inspection and maintenance of the rock face.

Sutton Bank was closed on Monday 5 September for work expected to take a week, but contractors made good progress, enabling the road to open in time for today’s peak time traffic.

Are you proud or maybe a bit ashamed of your local knowledge?

If it's the latter and you live in York there's an opportunity to put things right this weekend. 

Every half hour from 11:00 to 15:00 on Saturday and Sunday you can turn up to St Helen's Square and be taken on a 45-minute walking tour of the city.

There's no need to book and if you fancy making a small financial contribution the money will go to the Lord Mayor's Appeal.

It's a joint project between the Appeal, York Civic Trust and the team at Yorktours. The other day, Stephen Lusty from Yorktours took me on a short sample tour.....

The controversial taxi service Uber launches in York today at 4pm.

Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images

The ride-hailing company, which allows users to order a car via a smartphone app, is bringing its UberX service to the city.

It is the subject of ongoing protests and legal action from taxi drivers and companies who say that the service presents unfair competition to taxis because the company does not pay taxes or licensing fees.

The Paralympics is under way in Brazil, and the English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS) is focusing on the sports that you will see, hear or read about over the next two weeks.

With 22 different disciplines on show in Rio 2016, the EFDS wants people to be aware of grass roots participation back here in Britain.

Charlie Woodhead from Scarborough is a keen player of Goalball, and he's been telling the EFDS website why it's a great way for him to make friends while taking part in competitive sport.

English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS)Copyright: English Federation of Disability Sport (EFDS)

Did you have someone who looked out for you when you were a kid? 

Someone who encouraged you, someone you could talk to and look up to. Someone who wasn't from your family but you still respected?

Well, that's exactly what York charity, The Island, is all about. 

Part-funded by money from BBC Children in Need, The Island provides a mentoring service to vulnerable young people aged between 8 and 13, as well as disabled people aged 14 to 19.

I spoke to Nigel Poulton from the charity on the BBC Radio York Mid Morning Show and asked him how it worked....

A service will take place in France tomorrow to commemorate the life of Harrogate man Lt Donald Bell - the only English professional footballer to be awarded the Victoria Cross. 

The principal event of the weekend will be a service at Bell's Redoubt at 10:45 on Saturday 10 September to commemorate Donald's life, followed by the laying of wreaths at the Contalmaison War Memorial. 

There will also be an England v France football match to commemorate his achievement. 

The English team will be made up of members of Bradford Park Avenue FC (Bell's club at the time of the war) and the Yorkshire Regiment who will play against local side Albert.

Donald died at the Battle Of The Somme and earlier this year I found out about Donald's story from relatives and historians: 

It's Carnival weekend in Tadcaster giving the locals a chance to let their hair down and relax after months of hard work dealing with the aftermath of the Boxing Day floods.

Unfortunately one of Sunday's main attractions will be missing this year. The parade - which normally features lots of brightly-coloured floats - won't be happening.

The collapse of Tadcaster Bridge in the floods means that the floats wouldn't be able to cross from one side of the town to the other. 

Zoe Devine is one of the organisers and she wants people to come along because she believes the town needs the event more than ever:

I'm afraid there's more bad news for drivers in the Selby area who have been suffering traffic congestion recently as a result of the closure of the Selby Bypass on the A63 for maintenance work.

It seems unlikely that traffic flow in and around the town will improve anytime soon as there are further works about to start.

A new roundabout, designed to improve road safety, is to be built at the junction of the A19 and A163 at Barlby.

GoogleCopyright: Google

The work is part of the planning conditions for a residential development in Barlby and will be funded by the developer. Work is due to start on Monday 19 September and is scheduled to last for 24 weeks.

During the work, the use of temporary traffic lights will be restricted to outside peak hours. Residents and local businesses are being urged to sign up to a Barlby Roundabout newsletter which will be published every two weeks and contain information on the progress of the work.

Staithes has a long and celebrated history of art from the 19th Century Staithes Group of Artists to the present day and since 2011 that has been celebrated in the Staithes Festival.

This year's festival will celebrate the art of the village and more over this weekend (10/11 September) but eager beavers can get a sneaky look at the preview tonight.

ThinkstockCopyright: Thinkstock

That's when the villagers of Staithes open their cottage doors to the public as temporary galleries for a selling exhibition of work by some 30 resident and many visiting artists. 

Work includes painting, printmaking, textiles, ceramics, jewellery and crafts while visitors can take part in a programme of guided walks, workshops, talks and film shows. 

There will also be a programme of music ranging from street buskers to open-air concerts.

It's been a great start for Paralympics GB after they won 11 medals on day one of competition in Rio - five of them gold - putting them second in the medals table. 

Among the British athletes hoping to add to that medals tally is Northallerton rower Laurence Whiteley who is just a few hours away from the start of the biggest race in his life. 

Laurence got into rowing after recovering from bone cancer as a teenager - which left him with limited use of his right leg.

He's competing in the Trunk-Arms Mixed Double Sculls event with team mate Lauren Rowles.

The heats begin this afternoon and he's been talking to BBC Sport's Mark Shardlow about how much he's looking forward to getting on the water .....

Passengers on the East Coast main line have been experiencing delays and cancellations since Tuesday after damage to overhead wires.

Department of TransportCopyright: Department of Transport

Network Rail have issued the following statement:

“Following disruption caused by fallen power cables near Retford on the evening of Tuesday 6 September, a near normal service is now running on the East Coast Main Line, although some services between Doncaster and Retford may be subject to delays or diversions. 

Engineers will continue to work at the site to carry out a full repair until Sunday 11 September. Passengers are advised to check with their train operator before they travel until then. We’re sorry for the inconvenience this issue has caused.”

The number of people being taken to police cells in North Yorkshire while experiencing a mental health crisis has almost halved over the last year.

The figure dropped from 97 in 2014/15 to 51 in 2015/16, according to the Home Office. 

Since 2014, four health-based places of safety have been created in the county and mental health nurses now work alongside police in the control room.

Also, street triage teams covering York, Scarborough, Whitby, Ryedale, Selby and Easingwold have been introduced.

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Quote Message: “The significant reduction in the use of police custody as a place of safety is very welcome. However, more needs to be done to prevent people in mental distress being in such a position where their only option is to involve the police in the first place. from Deputy Chief Constable, Tim Madgwick

“The significant reduction in the use of police custody as a place of safety is very welcome. However, more needs to be done to prevent people in mental distress being in such a position where their only option is to involve the police in the first place.

People in Tadcaster have been reacting to the news that the government review, set up after the devastating floods over Christmas, says £12.5m is to be spent on flood defences in England.

Most of the money will be spent on mobile barriers and water pumps. 

Deputy Mayor of Tadcaster, Richard Sweeting thinks the money isn't enough and that the government aren't listening to the people affected:

York City Knights missed their chance to secure fourth place in League One last night after losing 28-36 at home to Doncaster. 

Although technically a dead rubber with a play-off place guaranteed, the result will affect who the Knights play in the Super 8s.

Despite the relatively low importance of the game, coach James Ford was still disappointed with the result and the performance:

Flood victims in Tadcaster say they want the government to spend more money on tackling flooding.

It comes after the official report into the devastating floods over Christmas was released yesterday - stating that £12.5m is to be spent on flood defences in England. 

David Bewley, from the Flood Action Group in Tadcaster, says that is just a drop in the ocean:

After two years and half a million pounds, Selby Abbey's organ has finally been restored. 

A team of four has painstakingly worked on more than 3,000 pipes - some of them more than 30 feet long! 

There's a concert tonight at the Abbey to celebrate the restoration - restorer Geoffrey Coffin explains why the work was needed:

• Flood victims in Tadcaster say they want the government to spend more money on tackling flooding
• Scarborough Borough Council ise exploring options on how to deal with seagulls which have been "mugging" people for food
• ... and after two years and half a million pounds, Selby Abbey's organ has finally been restored

GB Rowing/IntersportCopyright: GB Rowing/Intersport

North Yorkshire rower Laurence Whiteley (above right) is in action later today at the Paralympics in Rio. He's in the heats of the trunk and arms mixed double sculls with Lauren Rowles. 

In the cricket Yorkshire are in a strong position going in to the final day of their County Championship game with Durham at Headingley. The visitors are 39 for 3 in their second innings chasing another 382 runs to win. 

York City will have to make changes to their side for tomorrow's game at Torquay, after Jake Wright was injured playing for Sheffield United reserves. The loan player was called back to play for them midweek.

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... and York City Knights just missed their chance to secure 4th place in League 1 last night. They lost 28-36 at home to Doncaster.