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.

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Friday 4th July

Charity shops in Somerset report that they have received donations of dirty clothing and even soiled nappies. Plans have been submitted to build a further fifty new homes in Crewkerne. The National Audit Office says extra government funding to improve bus services, including in Somerset, has failed to deliver an increase in passenger numbers...and more
Thursday 3rd July

Dorset County Hospital is preparing to handle an increased number of births from now until the end of the year, following the closure of Yeovil Hospital's Maternity Unit. A number of former and current serving military personnel are pursuing the Ministry of Defence for compensation. Vandals have damaged a wooden shelter at the recreation ground in Ilminster...and more
Wednesday 2nd July

Business owners in Chard say ongoing roadworks in Fore Street are hurting their trade. A vehicle has been destroyed in a fire at a farm at Charlton Mackrell. A new recycling scheme has been launched to support Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance. Castle Carey has created a Scarecrow Festival...and more
Tuesday 1st July

A murder trial starts today of the parents of a baby boy who died in Yeovil Hospital. Somerset residents are being asked to keep an eye on elderly neighbours, with temperatures expected to reach the high 20s again today. A tiny black kitten has been found inside a crate of laundry delivered to a cleaning business in Yeovil...and more
Monday 30th June

The Care Quality Commission has published its report into the running of the maternity unit at Yeovil Hospital. A public consultation has been launched into plans to build 150 new homes at Horton near Ilminster. A Chard man has embarked on walking 75 miles across Somerset, raising money for the Devon Air Ambulance...and more
Friday 27th June

Yeovil MP Adam Dance is calling for Yeovil Hospital to be included in the government's national review of NHS maternity services. A Yeovil man has appeared in court charged with four counts of fraud. Yeovil Town players will be modelling the club’s new home and away strip at Huish Park this evening...and more.
Thursday 26th June

Thousands more music fans will arrive at Worthy Farm for the start of Glastonbury Festival. The government has granted Somerset Council a stay of execution, allowing it to defer a spending deficit on special needs education. A party has been held to mark the 100th birthday of a Somerset woman who has lived in the same house for 100 years...and more.
Wednesday 25th June

Businesses at the Cartgate services off the A303 near Yeovil say they feel threatened by Welcome Break Ltd's plans to build a new, bigger services area right next door. A man who lives in Tintinhull, found nearly double the drink drive limit, has been given a 20-month driving ban. Police are warning of fake tickets being on sale for Glastonbury Festival...and more