Friday 16th August

Friday, 16 August 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Eye surgery under general anaesthesia is now available at Yeovil Hospital for the first time. There's been an increase in the number of students in Somerset getting an A star or A grade at A level this year. Staff at the Jones building group in Yeovil are taking on a cycle challenge, raising money for Children’s Hospice South West...and more.

Eye surgery under general anaesthesia is now available at Yeovil Hospital for the first time. It follows the opening of a new state-of-the-art day theatre replacing the need for patients to travel to the Yeatman Hospital in Sherborne for general anaesthesia for eye surgery.

There's been a rise in the number of students in Somerset getting an A star or A grade at A level this year. The number of passes is up 26.5 percent on last year, with 82 percent of students getting places at their first choice university. Students at Holyrood Academy in Chard achieved a 100 percent pass rate in grades A star to E. At Sexey’s school in Bruton, 71 percent of students won a place at the university or college of their choice. Somerset’s FE colleges say they’ve seen more students choosing not to go to university but take up an apprenticeship or employment with training.

Chard councillor, Connor Payne, is urging the government to support a new railway station for Chard in the face of a review of major infrastructure projects. He says the new Labour government is giving mixed signals over its plans for building new railway stations, including plans to return a station on the main line through Somerton and Langport. Councillor Payne has written to the new transport secretary, Louise Haigh, asking her to commit funding to take the Chard project forward.

A new dance group from Ilminster, preparing for their first carnival season, is raising funds for sound equipment and lighting. The Ilminster Icons Carnival Dance Team are planning several fund-raising events over the next few weeks.

Staff at the Jones building group in Yeovil are taking on a cycle challenge to mark the start of a five-year partnership, raising money for Children’s Hospice South West. The cycle challenge which starts on September 25th, and is open to anyone wanting to take part, starts from the Little Harbour Children’s hospice in St Austell and finishes at Yeovil Rugby Club, a circuit of 280 miles.

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Friday 12th June

It's claimed the increasing availability of drugs such as ketamine and cocaine has normalised drug use among young people in Somerset. The trial of a man accused of killing his one-month-old son in Chard begins today at Bristol Crown Court. A stone pillar outside the Langport Arms Hotel in Langport has been replaced after it was destroyed in a car crash... and more
Thursday 11th June

Sir Keir Starmer has paid tribute to the three aircrew from RNAS Yeovilton who died in last week's helicopter crash in Devon. Two men have been arrested and stolen vehicles seized following a major multi-agency operation in South Somerset. An event highlighting opportunities for women in the aerospace industry has been held in Yeovil... and more
Wednesday 10th June

The public will be consulted on how best to spend fifty million pounds of government funding to tackle flooding in Somerset. Avon and Somerset Police are backing a new road safety campaign aimed at reducing motorcycle fatalities. New welcome signs have been installed at entrances to the Mendip Hills National Landscape... and more
Tuesday 9th June

The government has announced a £50 million investment to strengthen Somerset’s flood defences. A woman from Stoke-sub-Hamdon has been banned from driving for 14 months after admitting drink-driving. Somerset Council has been told it must improve its adult social care services... and more
Monday 8th June

Plans for a new railway station in Langport remain stalled in Whitehall, according to Somerset Council. Plans to build 50 new homes in Broadway, near Ilminster, have been refused. The new water fountains in Yeovil’s Triangle, in Lower Middle Street, are being switched off during very hot weather because of safety concerns... and more.
Friday 5th June

A new NHS dental practice in Crewkerne says it won’t start operating at full capacity until July due to staff shortages. Somerset Council says it has no plans to show England matches in the World Cup on the Big Screen in Yeovil town centre due to safety concerns. A Somerset family has been thanked after completing a 73-mile walk raising money for a third world charity... and more
Thursday 4th June

An investigation continues today into the crash of a Royal Navy helicopter, based at RNAS Yeovilton, in which all three aircrew were killed. Somerset Council has confirmed that a new operator will take over several leisure centres across the county. The new live-action Masters of the Universe movie, filmed in Somerset, is released this week...and more
Wednesday 3rd June

A Yeovil man has appeared in court charged with assaulting three police officers. Somerset Council has begun legal action to recover more than £320,000 owed by housing developers. The line-up has been announced for this year’s Ilminster Midsummer Experience...and more