Friday 6th December

Friday, 6 December 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Somerset Council is asking the government for permission to raise next year’s Council Tax by more than 5 per cent. Police are appealing for witnesses to an accident on the A3088 Cartgate Link Road in which a pedestrian was killed. A trainee at Leonardo Helicopters in Yeovil has been presented with a Rising Star award...and more.

Somerset Council is asking the government for permission to raise next year’s Council Tax by more than 5 per cent. Currently, Council Tax rises are capped at 5 per cent but Somerset Council says it needs the extra income to avoid bankruptcy.

Police, social services, and the NHS aren't working together properly on knife crime in Somerset, according to a new report. It says tackling youth violence is not being given a high enough priority, which is leaving children at risk of harm and exploitation.

Police are appealing for witnesses to an accident on the A3088 Cartgate Link Road in which a pedestrian was killed. It happened when a man collided with a Hyundai car last Tuesday night at around 9 pm. If you saw what happened or have dashcam footage please call the non-emergency number 101.

Somerset Wildlife Trust has launched a project aimed at combating a rise in non-native invasive plant species. The Trust says non-native plants, introduced through human activities, outcompete native species, disrupting natural ecosystems, and impacting the survival of native mammals, insects, and other wildlife. The charity is aiming to raise £20,000 to better manage non-native invasive plants on nature reserves through the Big Give Christmas Challenge, the UK’s largest match-funding initiative.

A trainee at Leonardo Helicopters in Yeovil has been presented with a Rising Star award at the Make UK’s Regional Manufacturing Awards. The judging panel said Brandon Weeks had impressed his employers with his work ethic and leadership skills. Before moving to Leonardo, Brendon worked as a volunteer sports therapist at Yeovil Town Football Club.

If you would like to travel to the North Pole without leaving Yeovil this Christmas, you can do so by hopping onboard a Santa Special at Yeovil Railway Centre. It’s the 30th year they’ve run Santa Specials with steam rides this Sunday, over the weekend of the 14th & 15th and 22nd & 23rd of December.

More from News

Wednesday 9th September

Police have released an image of a man they want to speak to following an assault in Yeovil. Businesses in Taunton say they're worried that planned changes to parking rules could put people off visiting the town. The Red Arrows will take to the skies near the Somerset border in a one-off display later this week... and more
Tuesday 8th September

Police in Avon and Somerset say they’re dealing with a big increase in reports of cloned vehicle fraud. A new video system designed to speed up stroke care has been launched in Somerset. Pilgrims are walking through Somerset this week to mark eight hundred years since the death of Saint Francis of Assisi... and more
Monday 7th September

Avon and Somerset Police are warning about a new scam involving criminals posing as police officers. Flu vaccinations are now available on the NHS ahead of the winter. Liverpool comedian John Bishop has cancelled his show in Taunton later this week after breaking his ankle... and more
Friday 4th September

Police are investigating a suspected arson attack on a vehicle near Shepton Mallet. New taxi charges come into force in Somerset later this month. The fire service is treating as accidental a blaze at a flat in Yeovil town centre... and more
Thursday 3rd September

Fifteen thousand people have signed a petition calling on Somerset Council to cancel plans for a huge data centre in Bridgwater. A nest of Asian hornets has been found in Somerset. More patients in Somerset are set to benefit from a hospital project aimed at restoring independence... and more
Wednesday 2nd September

Yeovil-based charity, School in a Bag, has started sending supplies to Nepal to help in the aftermath of the devastating floods. 6,000 people have signed a petition opposing plans for a new relief road in Chard. The Royal British Legion in Somerset is appealing for more volunteers to help run this year’s Poppy Appeal... and more
Tuesday 1st September

One person had to be cut free from a vehicle following a two-vehicle collision on the A30 near Chard. A Yeovil man has been jailed for 7-and-a-half years for supplying cocaine and cannabis. Two Somerset teenagers have become the youngest to swim the Bristol Channel... and more
Friday 28th August

An organisation that investigates loan sharks has opened a branch in Taunton. Free parking on Sundays in Somerset's main towns could end just before Christmas. Local communities in and around Draycott will be able to take advantage of a shuttle bus service... and more.