These are the latest ECHO headlines this morning.
Life in 'forgotten' and 'neglected' town where Lidl and B&M have just opened
A town many people felt had been "forgotten" now has hope for new beginnings.
Skelmersdale was the pioneering "new town" and was given this status in 1961. It was built to offer people new life away from Liverpool's post-war slums, but its history dates back even further with its name recorded in the Domesday Book.
Modern Skelmersdale is split in two with the new town dominating the landscape to the east and "Old Skem" representing a smaller portion to the west. Like many towns, Skem's town centre has been struggling for the past two decades, with the Concourse shopping centre, known locally as the Conny, being the focal point of the town.
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But a new development, now crowned Tawd Valley Centre, hopes to bring a "bright future" with major retailers moving into units, including Lidl which opened on June 9 and B&M which opens on July 6. The ECHO visited Skem to speak to residents about what they hope the development brings and whether it puts the town back on the map.
Read the full story here.
Faces of 23 people jailed in Merseyside this week
A list compiled by the ECHO's court reporter shows people from Merseyside who have been jailed for their crimes in the past week.
The cases include a woman who sexually abused a teen and had a baby with him and a pair of security guards who caused mayhem in a pub, assaulting guests and staff alike. The courts of our region also saw the cases of paedophiles who were caught out after sending sexual messages to accounts they believed were young girls but which were actually run by vigilantes.
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A thug who fled the UK after hitting a young child and leaving her with serious injuries was also locked up, as was an EncroChat dealer who moved cocaine, heroin and amphetamine in kilo amounts.
Here are the people jailed this week.
Dozens of jobs paying up to £80,000 at Merseyside's borough councils
All six local authorities in the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority are looking to hire for dozens of jobs across their remit.
The borough councils of Liverpool, Halton, Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton and Wirral, that make up the LCRCA, are currently looking for new hires for a range of roles in a range of industries. No two of the council job briefs are the same and you can apply today for jobs ranging from office roles at council buildings to engineering jobs or teaching positions.
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Many of the jobs pay handsomely and the vacancies are worth browsing if you are looking for a new job with responsibility and the potential to improve your local communities. Here are the best jobs for each council in the LCRCA which you can apply for today.
Read the full story and job listings here.
