Friday 7th March

Friday, 7 March 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

The Leader of Somerset Council has repeated his call for a reform of the way that councils are funded. Crimestoppers is stepping up efforts to help tackle violent crime in Somerset. A new radar satellite is playing a crucial role in collecting data about flooding in Somerset...and more

The Lib Dem Leader of Somerset Council, Councillor Bill Revans, has repeated his call for a reform of the way that councils are funded. It follows Somerset Council’s decision to increase its share of council tax by seven-and-a-half percent from next month.

A group in Somerset that supports men with prostate cancer says it is still important for men to get screened amid fears that rapid testing for prostate cancer might not always give an accurate result. Somerset Prostate Support Association says kits, sold as a way to make a quick check for prostate cancer at home, can give inconsistent and inaccurate findings.

A new radar satellite is playing a crucial role in collecting data about flooding in Somerset. The Sentinel-1C satellite, launched in December, has already delivered key data for monitoring the extent of flooding in the County with the data used to support local decision-making during emergencies.

Crimestoppers is stepping up efforts to help tackle serious violent crime in Somerset. It’s launched a new website and is asking people to report activities such as knife crime, gun crime, and the exploitation of vulnerable people. Crimestoppers is also asking people to use the website to report on illegally imported guns, converted blank-firing guns, and 3D-printed weapons and parts.

Ten nature reserves on the Mendips have installed a series of painted wooden adders to help prevent disturbance during the protected species' breeding season. At this time of year, the species comes out of hibernation and is more likely to be seen when out walking.

Entries are now open for this year’s Minster Miles 10K event, which takes place on Sunday, April 6th. Organisers hope to exceed last year’s record of 270 runners.

More from News

Thursday 30th October

Bird flu has been found at a nature reserve in Somerset, closing part of it down. St Margaret’s Hospice in Somerset is calling for the hospice sector to be given more central funding. The Barrington Boar in Barrington has been placed 12th in The Good Food Guide’s list of 100 best pubs in Britain... and more
Wednesday 29th October

Police are investigating a suspected arson attack on a mobile home near Yeovil. Somerset Council is suggesting people turn their pumpkins into soup this Halloween. People in Yeovil have until Sunday to comment on controversial plans to sell off four car parks in the town centre... and more.
Tuesday 28th October

Plans have been submitted to build 12 new homes in Chard. A nursery in Yeovil has been rated ‘overall good' by Ofsted. A Somerset mortgage broker has achieved national recognition. A stretch of the M5 at Wellington will be shut every night this week...and more
Monday 27th October

The Unite union has announced four days of strikes by its members at Leonardo in Yeovil. One of Yeovil’s busiest roads is closed to traffic today. Staff at the Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard raised £3,000 taking part in a Sleeping Ruff challenge at the weekend...and more
Friday 24th October

New figures show that 500 young people were either injured or killed on roads in Somerset and Devon last year. The Old School Community Centre in Queen Camel has reopened, thanks to a donation of £10,000 from Somerset Freemasons. Two Fleet Air Arm engineers based at RNAS Yeovilton have recreated a family moment from 26 years ago...and more
Thursday 23rd October

Yeovil-born actress Sarah Parish is supporting efforts to reopen the Octagon theatre. Mobility scooter campaigners in Somerset have welcomed a government review of the legislation governing the use of mobility scooters on public highways. Changes are being made to the dates when garden waste is collected in Somerset...and more
Wednesday 22nd October

A major house builder in the South West says government targets for new house building in Somerset are 'unrealistic'. Pizza Hut is closing its restaurant in Yeovil. Staff at the Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard will be taking part in a ‘Sleeping Ruff’ challenge tomorrow...and more .
Tuesday 21st October

Reckleford in Yeovil is to shut for 15 days for essential drainage works. Somerset NHS Foundation Trust has paid out compensation of £23 million for claims related to birth injuries. A Grade II listed building in Glastonbury has been converted into a health and wellbeing centre...and more