In this week's Mercury:
Barclays Bank has announced the closure of its branch in Middleton-in-Teesdale
Proposals have been drawn up to refurbish a prominent retail complex in Barnard Castle town centre
A decision on the A66 dualling project will be in November – but the Planning Inspectorate's recommendations remain under wraps
Teenager Izzy Yeadon has launched a fundraising effort to help make her acting ambitions come true after she was accepted into oine the country's top drama schools
Organisers of Middleton Carnival are holding a public meeting in an effort to attrract more volunteers
Two young farmers from the dale were part of the County Durham team which pulled their way to a national tug o'war title
We've pictures from Sunday's classic car show in Barnard Castle, Teesdale Operatic Society's youth section summer school and Wild Wednesday activities at Bowlees Visitor centre
In sport, we've all the action from Barnard Castle FC's first game of the season and a full cricket round-up, including success for junior teams at Barney and Raby Castle
Reporter Sam Alexander experiences the calming effects of trekking with alpacas
Plus, all your events in our what's on guide, mart prices, readers' letters, family announcements, puzzles, including Bob Garton's quiz, and much more...
All in this week's Mercury, in the shops from today
