Church, High Society, Media, University.
A new year brings new possibilities and ventures, a change from the old, or at least that is what Keele University hopes. The completion of the memorial to the students killed in Warrington Woods last summer was marked by a simple service before the area was fully opened for the student faculty to use. The area has become a quite place for reflection and study within the campus, away from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the campus. In addition to the memorial, the anthropology section of the library has also been renamed the Warrington Wing.
Church, Occult.
The sense of calm that you can feel at the new memorial to the Keele students is tangible, but it is much more than just a memory, it is a connection to what they have become, what they will be. The memorial is something else though; something that I cannot quite place my finger on, something important, although I feel that we will find out what it is sometime soon. ~ Caoilfhionn Ashen, Staffordshire Moorlands.
High Society, Occult.
All things return, all things; especially when they are called for. Endings are a temporary solution to the problem at hand, a means of getting through to the next part of the problem, a means of avoiding the journey along the way. Sometimes an ending is merely a false ending, a secondary step before the truth. Keep an eye out for changes in the next few months. ~ James Helmudson, Unification Theorists Elect.
High Society, Media, University.
A second, associated exhibition of students work running in conjunction with the Paint it Black exhibition as enjoyed limited success on the Keele campus over the Christmas period. The exhibition of new, politically inspired works was privately funded in an effort to draw attention to the future of the university at a time when a lot of its focus has been on past events.
Bureaucracy, Industry, Legal, Police, Politics.
Richard Speight continues to block all redevelopment within the city, much to the annoyance of a number of industrialists, and has now called for a commission to review the planning procedure in order to ensure that there are no breaches of current environmental policy. Darker rumours have begun to emerge about Speight’s decisions, about his possible involvement with an environmental terrorist group, although the Constabulary have been keen to deny this stating that they are asked to comment on the security status of all government employees within the city. Still, Speight is making a number of enemies both in and outside of the local government as his actions are being viewed as a major stumbling block for the city’s redevelopment.
Bureaucracy, Finance, Industry, Media, Politics.
Richard Speight has publicly stated that his current decision to stall all current planning applications is not the result of outside interference but is in fact in line with current government policy regarding the environment. The councillor is becoming a controversial figure in local politics and amongst the industrial lobby is ploughing a serious amount of cash into ensuring that he is not the favoured candidate come the next election. In the meantime the entire redevelopment of the city has been stalled (including an enforcement notice being placed on the works to construct the Audax tower), causing serious concern amongst the city’s money men.
Bureaucracy, Police, Politics.
The Constabulary continue to provide around the clock protection for Richard Speight after he continues to receive correspondence from an unknown terrorist organisation. The group has been linked to the recent firebombing of a number of petrol stations and oil facilities in the area over the last two months, although who is leading the group is still unknown. Rumour has it that a number of Constabulary detectives may now be working undercover to try and infiltrate the organisation, although this is as of yet unsubstantiated.
Finance, Media, Police, Underworld.
The Constabulary is rumoured to be offering cash rewards or immunity from prosecution depending on whom you talk to for anyone who can identify the leaders of the environmental terrorist group at large in the city. The Constabulary believe that they are being supplied with equipment by a local gang, although they don’t know which. Meanwhile it is also rumoured that the Sandernacht Group is offering a similar reward, this time for anyone who brings them the bodies, although understandably this is not as well substantiated.
Health, Media, Police, Politics, Transport.
Environmental terrorists continue to target petrol stations and oil facilities across the city, raising the price of fuel across the city as additional security is required to ensure that the fuel is delivered safely. On a more worrying note, the attacks have claimed their first victims when a family buying fuel at a station was burnt in one of the attacks. All five members of family were rushed to a local hospital but died from their injuries. The Constabulary has now added murder to the list of charges against the group.
Finance, Industry, Media, Politics, Transport.
The rise in petrol and oil prices has hit local industries hard, with many having to raise prices in order to offset production costs. Whilst some (legitimate) environmental groups have commented that this would be a perfect opportunity to switch to other, cleaner sources of energy, many companies have noted that this would not be financially viable even with the government grants available and would lead to major redundancy’s to cover the costs in the first six months. Local union representatives have understandably raised objections to this and are now pressurising local government and the Constabulary to rectify the problem.
Police, Street, Underworld.
The Consortium continues its push to try and gain further territory, but may have bitten off more than it can chew as they appear to have targeted a number of Constabulary controlled areas and are encountering greater problems than they have in other areas. Elsewhere it is rumoured that they may have entered into a deal with the remaining Gambinos, although understandably no one will confirm whether this rumour is true. Meanwhile disturbing rumours about the Sandernacht Group's activities over the last few months have begun to emerge, one that explains their lack of involvement in the local gang scene of late.
Health, Media, Police, Underworld.
The city’s streets are being flooded with hard drugs, despite an attempt by The Consortium to try and reduce the amount of product available. Major financial incentives are being offered to those who continue to sell despite external pressures (The Guardian remains a controversial figure in the criminal underworld), leading to conflict amongst the ranks of many of the city's gangs. The drugs are believed be coming into the city from the north, possibly Manchester, although this is still to be confirmed.
Street, Underworld.
The activities of The Sandernacht Group over the last few months have finally come to light as it has emerged that they have made links with a number of other gangs outside of the city (including it is rumoured, London and Manchester), consolidating their strength as a major national player. Whether this means that they will be looking to increase their local holdings or just maintain a local power base remains unknown, but as previously noted, it indicates that they can never really be written off no matter how quiet their activities seem.
Media, Police, Street, Underworld.
Whilst the Sandernacht Group appear once again to have returned, the big question remains who is actually in charge of the organisation. The Constabulary has once again revealed that after investigations of leads into the possible identity of the main man, they are no closer to making an arrest. As with previous cases the named individuals appear to have been the victims of either malicious intent or mistaken identity.
Bureaucracy, Industry, Media, Police, Politics.
The Constabulary have resumed sewer patrols after remedial works to the system were completed over the Christmas period. No further instances of strange events have been recorded over the last month and a sense of normality is once again returning to the city. Civil Engineers from both the city works department and the universities are now to investigate possible causes of the problems ahead of a report in the new financial year.
Media, Police, Politics.
Remember all of those rumours over the past few months of political dissidents using the sewers as a means of travel across the city? It appears that an investigation by the Constabulary has found that a number of gangs were using the sewers to move contraband across the city. Additional security is to be posted at all larger entrances in an effort to control unsecured access.
Church, Media, Police.
The Constabulary has closed its investigations into the possibility that members of the Todeskult were operating out of the city. The investigations into the activities of a number of individuals has determined that that none of them have or have had any involvement with the any terrorist or extremist groups in the past. All of the findings of the investigations have now been turned over to a number of intelligence agencies in order to bring closure to those investigations also. The Constabulary would like to thank everyone involved in the investigations for their help.
Click Here to be taken to December 2005 rumours.
Click Here to be taken to February 2006 rumours.