Headlines: Trams and ex-footballer jailed for drug smuggling
Here's our weekly round up of stories from across local websites in the West of England.We have a daily round up as well. Make sure you look out for it on the website and the local section of the BBC News app.
What have been the big stories in the West this week?
Former Bristol City footballer Jay Emmanuel-Thomas has been sentenced to four years in prison for his role in a £600,000 cannabis smuggling operation.Bristol Live said the 34-year-old was arrested after authorities intercepted 60 kilograms of cannabis at Stansted Airport, concealed in suitcases arriving from Thailand. Emmanuel-Thomas had recruited two women, including his girlfriend, to transport the drugs. While the women were cleared of charges due to lack of evidence, Emmanuel-Thomas pleaded guilty to the offence.The Swindon Advertiser published an interview with Wiltshire Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Wilkinson, who has supported calls to make cannabis a class A drug, which would bring it into line with drugs like heroin and crack cocaine.The Stroud News and Journal reported on an equine therapy centre in Stroud that is looking for a new home as its current one is up for sale.Could Bristol finally get a tram system? The current Metro Mayor Helen Godwin believes so. Bristol Live reported on a new government investment into the West of England's transport system earlier this week.Weston-super-Mare's club chairman stepped down this week after an incredible 39 years at the helm. The club said it believed he was one of the longest serving chairmen in English football.And if you're feeling flush with money, Somerset Live has reported on the luxury Glastonbury accommodation which will set you back £28,000 - though it comes with its own helicopter landing pad.
Top five local stories for the BBC in the West
Something longer to read
Bristol historian Eugene Byrne has written an article for the Bristol Cable, exploring the Bristolians who profited from the Confederate States of America during the Civil War.When Union soldiers blockaded American ports, the Confederates sent agents to the UK to purchase muskets and other weapons, and Bristolian ships were used as 'blockade runners' to try and evade patrolling warships.
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