Armed police were called to the scene

A man has been arrested after gunshots were heard in a Cheshire village. Armed police were called to reports of the incident in the Beauty Bank area of Whitegate near Northwich at around 5.45pm on Monday (August 24).

A 35-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm in a public place. An air weapon was also found during a search of the area.

Detective Inspector Ross Hamilton, of Northwich CID, said: “Firearms offences are rare in Cheshire, and we treat all reports we receive extremely seriously.

“While on this occasion there were no reports of any injuries, the use of firearms in a public place can be extremely dangerous and there are also a number of legal consequences, including significant custodial sentences.

“Enquiries in relation to this incident remain ongoing and I would urge anyone with any information or footage which may aid our enquiries to call us on 101 or visit www.cheshire.police.uk/tell-us quoting IML 2402957.”

Dolly Parton appeared on Michael Parkinson’s BBC chat show in 1979, speaking candidly about her childhood in rural Tennessee, her family’s poverty, and the determination that helped her rise to international stardom.

The iconic country musician has died at the age of 80, her family announced on her social media.

Perla Nera, on Hope Street in Crook, has served customers since 2020 and announced the news in an emotional message shared on social media.

In their statement, the owners said: “After six unforgettable years, the time has come for us to say goodbye to Perla Nera. Finding the right words to write this post isn’t easy.

“For the past six years, maintaining the standards that have always defined Perla Nera, day after day, has been one of our greatest sources of pride and satisfaction. At the same time, it has required an enormous amount of commitment and sacrifice, not only from us, but from our families as well.

“While saying goodbye is incredibly difficult, we’re also excited about what the future holds and the opportunity to begin this new chapter.”

They said the restaurant had become their “second home” over the last six years and had allowed them to achieve major milestones in their personal lives.

The post added: “Perla Nera has never been just a restaurant to us. It has been our second home, a place where we’ve spent some of the best years of our lives.

“We started this journey as young men in our twenties. Today, we leave it as adults, husbands and fathers. During these six years, we’ve grown not only as business owners, but as people.

“This restaurant has given us so much. It allowed us to buy our homes, start our families and build a future. But above all, it introduced us to thousands of incredible people that we’ll never forget.

“Every single day, we opened our doors with the same goal: to give you the best evening we possibly could.

“Whether you were celebrating a birthday, an anniversary, a graduation, a family gathering, or simply enjoying a meal with the people you love, we always felt the responsibility of making that occasion special.”

The owners said many customers had become “far more than customers” during the restaurant’s six years in Crook.

They added: “Some of you visited us so often that we recognised your voice the moment you called to book a table. We watched your children grow up, celebrated birthdays and anniversaries together, welcomed new family members, and shared so many special moments.

“Without even realising it, you made us feel like part of your families, and you truly became part of ours.

“Your support has meant everything.

“As we begin a new chapter in our lives, we truly hope that the next chapter of Perla Nera will be just as special, and that those who continue its story will be welcomed with the same warmth, kindness and support that you’ve shown us over the past six years.”

Since the announcement, long-standing customers have shared messages of support online.

One person wrote: “You created an amazing restaurant with a lovely atmosphere and fabulous food. So sad to see you closing but wishing you all the very best for the future.”

Another said: “Very sorry to hear this. At the same time, I fully understand. Unfortunately, all good things come to an end.

“You guys put your heart and soul into this place and as a result you created the best Italian restaurant in the North East region. You’ve made yourselves proud with your achievements.

“Above all, you are all lovely people who have made such an impact on the people of Crook and surrounding areas. I wish you all the very best in your future venture, whatever it may be.”

The restaurant will remain open until Saturday, September 5.

Dolly Parton passed away at the age of 80, after enduring a year of heartbreak with the loss of her beloved husband and brother – all while dealing with her own health problems. 

The singer was finally forced to abandon her comeback last year after an incredible six decades dominating the country music scene. 

Her cause of death has not been publicly disclosed, but Parton’s agents said previously that she had been forced to cancel a string of shows due to ‘health struggles.’

Parton’s Las Vegas residency – her first in 32 years – was initially postponed in September due to ‘health challenges,’ with six shows planned at Caesars Palace later moved before being officially canceled in May this year. 

At the time, the Queen of Country, best known for her hits Jolene and 9 to 5, reassured fans: ‘Don’t worry about me quittin’ the business because God hasn’t said anything about stopping yet,’ she said.

‘But I believe he is telling me to slow down right now so I can be ready for more big adventures with all of you.’

She also missed a Dollywood announcement due to kidney stone complications, telling fans she had an infection and was advised not to travel.

The following month, she swatted away rumors about her death with trademark humor, posting: ‘There are just a lot of rumors flying around. But I figured if you heard it from me, you’d know that I was OK.’

Her husband Carl Dean died in March 2025 at the age of 82 from undisclosed causes

She added: ‘I’m not ready to die yet. I don’t think God is through with me. And I ain’t done working.’

In an interview which aired just four days before she died, Parton also said she still had ‘so many things I want to achieve’.  

Compounding Parton’s struggles were the deaths of her beloved husband, Carl Dean, at the age of 82 in March last year, and her sibling, Coy Denver Parton, just last month, also aged 82.  

Notoriously private and not a famous face, Dean was barely by Parton’s side physically, often staying home for the hitmaker’s many milestones over the years due to his disdain for the industry. 

The singer’s brother, Coy ‘Denver’ Parton, also died last month. He was 82 years old

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But Parton credited him as her grounding force, and often traded the carpet for their quiet weekends at home with homemade breakfast, always pancakes or waffles.

‘I met my husband before I became a star,’ she once said, ‘and he doesn’t care about any of it.’

Despite having written some of the greatest romance ballads of the century – I Will Always Love You, later recorded by Whitney Houston, came from her pen – Parton was at a loss for words when Dean died from undisclosed causes. 

In a post announcing his death, Parton wrote: ‘Carl and I spent many wonderful years together. Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy.’

Parton was struggling with his death as she experienced several milestones without him this year, for the first time since she was 18. The couple met at a Nashville laundromat in 1964 when she was just a teenager. 

When Parton posted a video letting fans know about her decision to cancel her Vegas residency in May, it was clear that Dean’s death was still at the forefront of her mind.  

Parton was struggling with her husband’s death as she experienced several milestones without him this year, for the first time since she was 18. The couple met at a Nashville laundromat in 1964 when she was just a teenager

The singer had 11 siblings including Denver, who was a crane operator with two daughters and a grandson, according to his obituary

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Holding back tears, Parton said: ‘I want you to know also that a lot of you have been concerned about me and Carl, and you were so great about that.’

She continued: ‘After going through a year of firsts – I mean the holidays, and especially on our wedding anniversary, and the day of his death March 3, you know, that was hard for me.

‘But I will always love him and I’ll always miss him. But you would be surprised at how much your love and concern meant to me during that time. Lord, my house and my porch looked like the botanical gardens with all the flowers.’ 

Parton then suffered the loss of her brother, Coy ‘Denver’ Parton, on July 23 this year. 

The singer had 11 siblings, including Denver, who was a crane operator with two daughters and a grandson, according to his obituary.  

Denver’s sister, musician Stella Parton, told People magazine in a statement last month: ‘My brother Denver was a deeply private person. 

‘I appreciate the kind messages and expressions of condolences on behalf of my nieces Chris and Jennifer, and the rest of my family.’

Emergency services responded to the incident which involved a number of vehicles

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A person was taken to hospital after a crash closed a part of the A470 in North Wales. The road was closed at a section known as the Crimea Pass, between Dolwyddelan and Blaenau Ffestiniog, after the crash happened at about 11am on Tuesday.

Emergency services responded to the incident which involved a number of vehicles.

The Wales Air Ambulance attended the scene and it is understood one person was taken to Royal Stoke University Hospital, which has a specialist trauma unit. Stay in the know by making sure you’re receiving our daily newsletter.

The road reopened at around 3pm on Tuesday afternoon.

Get daily breaking news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here. We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice.

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The U.S. government issued a travel alert for Americans planning to visit Mexicali in northern Mexico and temporarily suspended consular activities in the border city due to a “potential threat,” without providing details.

The notice, released Monday night, said that because of information about “a threat,” consular activities and travel to the capital of Baja California state, across the border from the U.S. city of Calexico, were suspended.

The U.S. did not provide details about the threat or whom it was directed at and only urged its citizens to avoid government buildings, seek shelter in the event of an incident and remain aware of their surroundings.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Tuesday that “there was an alert about the possibility of a criminal group” and added that the report was based on information from U.S. agencies.

“There is no further information about what this alert could involve, but simply to remain alert and maintain surveillance in Mexicali,” Sheinbaum said at her regular morning news conference.

The city remained calm throughout the day Tuesday. Later that afternoon, Sheinbaum’s security cabinet said in a statement that authorities “have not identified any elements confirming a specific or imminent risk to the population” but that authorities had stepped up surveillance and patrols in Mexicali as a “preventative measure.”

Around midnight, Baja California Gov. Marina del Pilar Ávila said in a message on her X account that Mexican authorities remained active and that security operations would be reinforced in the state capital.

Mexicali, with more than 1 million residents, is one of the most populous cities along the Mexican border and is strategically important because of its close commercial and social ties with Calexico.

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Follow AP’s Latin America coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

Dolly Parton has died aged 80.

The legendary country singer’s death was confirmed Tuesday in an Instagram video posted by her nephew Bryan Seaver, who also served as her head of security.

She died that morning after being admitted Friday to Nashville’s Vanderbilt University Medical Center with autoimmune and kidney problems, according to TMZ. 

‘This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago before I fully absorbed it as a future reality,’ Seaver revealed.

He hailed his aunt for having ‘lived in the light’ and said she was now ‘in the arms of Jesus’ and the company of her late husband Carl Dean, as well as her parents and ‘countless others who have watched her and longed to meet her in the heavens.’ 

Parton, who is often referred to as the Queen of Country, enjoyed an illustrious music career that spanned an incredible six decades and was arguably best known for her hits Jolene and 9 to 5. 

Her passing came after months of health woes that saw her pull out of a string of public appearances, fueling fan fears for her wellbeing. 

Seaver fondly recalled joining Parton on tour when he was a child in the 1980s, sharing that she ‘opened doors not just for me but for her entire family to reach the potential we didn’t even know was possible.’ 

He characterized her as ‘a farmer, just like her daddy; he farmed the soil, she farmed songs and happiness. Dolly called me and said she wants to rest in a beautiful bed of plush cotton because after a life of wearing heavy rhinestones, she finally deserves to be comfortable and have some rest.’

In an interview published just four days before her death, Parton had declared she still had ‘so many things I want to achieve’ and vowed to continue ‘working as long as I can to see everything come to life,’ via People.

She explained that she had been grappling with ‘some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over Carl.’

The fourth of 12 children, Parton was born in Pittman Center, Tennessee, on January 19, 1946. 

She and her siblings – Willadeene, David Wilburn, Coy Denver, Bobby Lee, Stella Mae, Cassie Nan, Randel Huston ‘Randy,’ Larry Gerald, twins Estel Floyd and Freida Estelle, and Rachel Ann – were raised in the Great Smoky Mountains where they slept on beds made of straw and lived with no running water, gas or electricity.

Having developed a love of music at an early age, Parton sang frequently on the local radio and made television appearances in East Tennessee as a child before releasing her first single, Puppy Love, at the age of 13.   

In 2008, Parton told NPR that her 1973 song Jolene was partly inspired by a local bank teller who used to flirt with her late husband.

‘She got this terrible crush on my husband,’ she said at the time. ‘And he just loved going to the bank because she paid him so much attention. 

‘It was kinda like a running joke between us — when I was saying: “Hell, you’re spending a lot of time at the bank. I don’t believe we’ve got that kind of money.”‘

Parton is pictured in her final Instagram post, which was uploaded August 12

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Years later, she told a crowd at the Glastonbury Festival of the song: ‘I wrote that years ago when my husband… was spending a little more time with Jolene than I thought he should be.

‘I put a stop to that. I got rid of that redhead woman in a hurry.’

Parton’s 1974 hit, I Will Always Love You, was written about the experience of cutting ties with her former business partner and mentor Porter Wagoner as she set her sights on pursuing a solo career.

The song reached the top spot of the US Billboard Hot Country Songs chart: first in June 1974, then again in October 1982.

Parton famously refused to let Elvis Presley record his own version after his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, demanded she sign over half of the publishing rights.

‘I wouldn’t let Colonel Tom Parker,’ she recalled in an interview with BBC Radio 2 in 2023.

‘See, Elvis loved the song. In fact, I talked to Priscilla not very long ago. She said: “You know, Elvis sang that song to me when we were walking down the courthouse steps when we got divorced.”

The Queen of Country enjoyed a music career that spanned an incredible six decades 

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Parton’s famous hits include Jolene, 9 to 5, and I Will Always Love You  

The musician, pictured with her mother Avie Lee, won eleven Grammy Awards and three Emmy Awards in her lifetime 

‘He loved the song, wanted to do it, had it worked up, they’d already called me to come down to the studio to meet him, and to be part and hear the song.

‘And the night before, Colonel Tom Parker calls me and says: “Well, you know we don’t record anything with Elvis unless we have publishing on it, or at least half the publishing.”

‘Well, I said, because I had a number one song on it, I said: “This is the most important copyright in my whole publishing company, and I can’t do that.”

She added that Parker said they couldn’t do that, and the song fell apart, with Parton adding she was, ‘heartbroken’ because she always wanted to hear Presley sing it.

She was vindicated in her determination to retain the rights when Whitney Houston recorded the song for her 1992 film The Bodyguard, whereupon it became an thunderous international hit that carried the soundtrack album to 18 times platinum.

Parton went on to write and record the song 9 to 5 in 1980 for the comedy film of the same name, in which she starred alongside Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin.

The track, which she wrote on set by clicking her nails together and forming the beat, became one of her biggest hits of the decade.

It went on to win numerous awards, including the Academy Award for Best Original Song and Country Song of the Year and Female Country Vocal of the Year at the Grammy Awards.

In March 2025, Parton lost her husband Dean after nearly 60 years of marriage.

Parton married her husband Carl Thomas Dean in 1966 in Ringgold, Georgia 

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The couple never had children but helped raise several of her younger siblings in Nashville

Dean died in March 2025 at the age of 82. They were married just two months short of 59 years

Dean largely kept out of the limelight during their marriage, but was a supportive figure behind the scenes 

In her heartbreaking tribute, she reflected on the ‘many wonderful years’ the pair spent together as she expressed her deep love for Carl and thanked fans for their prayers.

‘Carl and I spent many wonderful years together,’ she said. ‘Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy.’

Parton and Dean first met at a laundromat in Nashville in 1964, when she was just 18 years old.

The couple married in 1966 and throughout the dizzy heights of fame, Dean remained a constant and supportive figure for Parton behind the scenes.

In 2023, she spoke about how they first met in her Channel 5 documentary, Dolly Parton: In Her Own Words.

‘I’d never been in a laundromat before,’ she recalled. ‘I walked outside there was this good-looking man that drove by the wishy-washy laundromat. And he pulled over to the side.

‘So, we started talking and we married two years later.’

In 2024, Parton gave a rare glimpse into her marriage and revealed the reason why her husband refused to attend events with her.

The iconic star released her debut album, Hello, I’m Dolly, in 1967, beginning her long-lasting career in the industry 

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Parton pictured at the Blockchain Creative Labs’ Dollyverse Event at SXSW in Austin, Texas, in March 2022 

Speaking on an episode of Bunnie Xo’s Dumb Blonde Podcast, she said that while her late husband loved her music, he was ‘not the least bit interested in being in it.’

Recalling a pivotal moment early in their marriage, Parton said she once convinced Dean to attend an awards show in 1967 when she won BMI Song of the Year.

Despite the big win, ‘homebody’ Dean told her: ‘I wish you the best, but don’t ever ask me to go to another one of these damn things because I ain’t going.’ And, she added, he never did.

Throughout their decades together, the couple, who renewed their vows in 2016 at their Nashville home, relied on their shared sense of humor to avoid conflict.

Speaking fondly of her ‘hilarious’ husband, the singer added: ‘He’s quiet and I’m loud, and we’re funny…we have a lot of fun.

‘Anytime [there is] too much tension going on, either one of us can like, find a joke about it to really break the tension, where we don’t let it go so far.

‘We never fought back and forth.’

At the end of September 2025, Parton raised fan concerns for her health by announcing that she would be postponing her Las Vegas residency — originally scheduled from December 4 to December 13 at the Colosseum Theater at Caesars Palace — until September 2026 due to ‘health challenges.’

She shared the news directly with fans on Instagram, explaining that she had been facing health challenges that required her to undergo several medical procedures.

Parton performed on the main Pyramid stage at Glastonbury music festival in 2014

‘I want the fans and public to hear directly from me that, unfortunately, I will need to postpone my upcoming Las Vegas concerts,’ Parton wrote.

‘As many of you know, I have been dealing with some health challenges, and my doctors tell me that I must have a few procedures.’

In her signature style, she joked that it felt like time for her ‘100,000-mile check-up,’ clarifying that it wasn’t her ‘usual trip to see [her] plastic surgeon.’

‘Don’t worry about me quittin’ the business because God hasn’t said anything about stopping yet,’ she said.

‘But, I believe He is telling me to slow down right now so I can be ready for more big adventures with all of you. I love you and thank you for understanding.’

In October, the hitmaker’s younger sibling, Freida Parton, worried fans when she asked for prayers for Parton.

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Parton’s death was greeted with a flood of tributes, including from her fellow country singer Maren Morris, who shared a video of herself singing with the late icon

‘Some people are so extraordinary, their existence feels almost impossible,’ wrote Khloe Kardashian: ‘Dolly was one of those people’

Lily Tomlin, who led the cast of 9 to 5 with Parton and Jane Fonda, posted a black-and-white photo of herself with the late country songstress and wrote: ‘No words…’

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Kacey Musgraves, who joined with Katy Perry and Parton to cover the latter’s classic song Here You Come Again at the 2019 Grammy Awards, expressed her grief on X

However, hours later Freida returned to Facebook with an update, sharing she didn’t mean to ‘scare anyone’ and adding that Parton has ‘been a little under the weather.’

She added that it wasn’t her intention to ‘make it sound so serious’ and that she made her earlier public appeal simply because she believes in ‘the power of prayer.’

Parton’s death was greeted with a flood of tributes, including from her fellow country singer Maren Morris, who shared a video of herself singing with the late icon in a private setting and wrote: ‘there will never be another. @dollyparton was who we could all agree on. she was and is such a light.’

Lily Tomlin, who led the cast of 9 to 5 with Parton and Jane Fonda, posted a black-and-white photo of herself with the late country songstress and wrote: ‘No words…’ 

‘Well, I just got the news that my buddy Dolly passed onto the higher and greater side,’ wrote Reba McEntire. ‘Dolly, thank you for all the wonderful things you did for us here on earth. Your love, your music and you gave so much with your huge huge heart. There will never ever be another you.’

McEntire vowed: ‘We will remember and cherish every memory and every note you ever played and sang. Thank you, Lord, for Dolly.’

‘Well, I just got the news that my buddy Dolly passed onto the higher and greater side,’ wrote Reba McEntire: ‘Dolly, thank you for all the wonderful things you did for us here on earth’

‘Dolly is gone and my heart is so broken,’ wrote Lauren Sanchez

The Does He Love You singer went on: ‘She’s gonna have a blast in heaven singing all her favorite songs with all her family and friends who have gone on before her. I’ll never forget the first time I met you and I’ll never forget our last conversation. I hold it with love in my heart. I will always love you, Reba.’

‘Dolly is gone and my heart is so broken,’ wrote Lauren Sanchez. ‘I grew up on her music. I knew every song by heart. I still do. She was there for the best days of my life and the worst ones, and she never even knew it. That’s what she did for millions of us.

The wife of Jeff Bezos added: ‘Then I got to know her, and somehow she was more than the legend. She gave our Courage and Civility award its meaning, not the other way around. She said she’d always tried to put her money where her heart is. 

The Fight Club actress continued: ‘Her heart was with kids. It always was. Free books in the mail to children who had none, month after month, for thirty years, because her dad never learned to read. The songs will keep playing. We all know the words. Thank you, Dolly. I will always love you.’

Kacey Musgraves, who joined with Katy Perry and Parton to cover the latter’s classic song Here You Come Again at the 2019 Grammy Awards, expressed her grief on X, writing ‘Dolly’ with a broken heart emoji and adding: ‘This really really hurts.’

In follow-up posts, she continued: ‘The world feels a lot less sparkly all of a sudden. So glad she’s with her Carl Dean. No one talk to me today.’ 

‘No!!!!!!’ exclaimed Sarah Jessica Parker. ‘I never met @dollyparton but my gosh, did I love her. I don’t think any of us had to know her to love her. One of the greatest this country ever produced. Legend. For real. Forever.’

Parker vaunted Parton for ‘always advocating for those she knew and understood needed a champion. What a loss. But aren’t we so lucky,so fortunate for the endless gifts she shared. With the world. Godspeed and RIP. You will be terribly missed.’

‘One of one,’ wrote Pedro Pascal with a broken heart emoji. ‘We must make more.’ 

‘Some people are so extraordinary, their existence feels almost impossible,’ wrote Khloe Kardashian. ‘Dolly was one of those people. A once-in-a-lifetime soul. A woman whose light, heart, talent and humanity changed this world forever.’

She continued: ‘To have admired her was a gift. To have met her, spent time in her presence, and somehow been lucky enough that Dolly Parton knew my name… I will never have words big enough for what that means to me. What an astronomical human being. What a legacy. What a loss. There will never be another Dolly.’

Margaret Joy Todd, 85, tragically died after the incident which took place in the town earlier this year.

A man has been arrested and charged after an elderly woman died in a crash in Dumfries and Galloway earlier this year. Margaret Joy Todd, known as Joy, died following the incident which took place in Stranraer on January 3.

The incident happened when the 85-year-old was walking along Sheuchan Street near the junction with Park Lane in the town at around 10.20am. The incident involved a white Vauxhall Vivaro van. No one else was injured.

Emergency services, including Police Scotland and Scottish Ambulance Service, raced to the crash site. Joy was rushed to hospital where she later passed away.

A 22-year-old man has now been arrested and charged in connection with a road traffic offence following the fatal crash. A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.

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The road was closed for nearly 10 hours for crash investigation work and reopened around 7.15pm later that day. Tributes soon poured in for Joy, who was described as a “wonderful woman,” after the tragic news was shared by cops.

Following her death, Dolly Parton’s PR team issued the following statement: “Global icon and humanitarian, Dolly Parton, known to the world as a beloved singer, songwriter, philanthropist, actress, playwright, and author died peacefully today in Nashville, Tennessee. She was 80 years old.