Local News Friday 16th September

Friday, 16 September 2022 at 06:00

A Chard man has appeared in court for possessing a bladed object. Police have found a body in their search for a missing Yeovil woman. Most foodbanks in Somerset will be closed on Monday for the Queen's funeral. Funding’s being made available in Somerset to provide people with learning disabilities with more opportunities to take part in social activities. The go-ahead has been given to build a new energy storage facility next to a Somerset beauty spot...and more.

A Chard man has appeared in court for possessing a bladed object. Taunton Crown Court was told that Sonny Fox, aged 19, waved a machete during a row in the car park at the Sainsbury’s store in Chard. Fox pleaded guilty to the offence and was given a nine-month suspended prison sentence with probation.

Police have found a body in their search for a missing Yeovil woman. The body was discovered at Bowleaze Cove in Dorset early yesterday. Police say no formal identification has yet been made, but next of kin have been informed and are currently being supported.

Most foodbanks in Somerset will be closed on Monday for the Queen's funeral. They say they always close on bank holidays and that agencies and supermarkets who they rely on for supplies will also be closed. Also, due to the period of official mourning for Queen Elizabeth, Super Saturday that was meant to take place in Yeovil town centre tomorrow won’t now take place. Yeovil Town Council says a new date to hold Super Saturday will be announced shortly.

Funding’s being made available in Somerset to provide people with learning disabilities with more opportunities to take part in social activities. According to the organisation 'Discovery’, only 30 per cent of people with learning disabilities in Somerset feel they are able to choose where and when they go out. The organisation’s now making grants available to fund projects to help make community spaces and services more accessible for people with autism and other learning disabilities.

The go-ahead has been given to build a new energy storage facility next to a Somerset beauty spot. Despite concerns that it would damage the character of the nearby landscape, councillors approved plans for the battery storage facility at King’s Farm at Shearston, near Bridgwater. Applicants, Conrad Energy Developments intend to store excess power at the site, to sell back to the National Grid at peak times.

A major photographic exhibition has opened at Barrington Court near Ilminster. The International Garden Photographer of the Year exhibition is on at the National Trust property until October 17th. Categories include Abstract Views, Breathing Spaces, Trees, Wildlife in the Garden and the World of Fungi.

The search is on to find a new Town Crier for Yeovil. Applicants must be aged 18 and over, and have the desire and loud enough voice to fit the job.

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Friday 30th October

Wells Cathedral says it's having to get creative to bring in more money as financial pressures continue to grow. A convenience store in Martock has been allowed to keep its alcohol licence despite an employee working there illegally. Police have seized an illegally ridden e-scooter in Yeovil in response to concerns from local residents... and more
Thursday 29th October

A Yeovil man has been detained under the Mental Health Act for attacking his mother with a knife. People in Chard are being reminded that it’s unlawful to attach flags to lamp posts and street furniture. Wincanton Racecourse has called off its 'Badger Chase Day' because the ground is too firm... and more
Wednesday 28th October

Leweston School near Sherborne has announced that it is closing with immediate effect. NHS Somerset could merge with neighbours in Bath and North-East Somerset and Dorset to cut costs. Somerset’s Lord-Lieutenant has launched a campaign to get more people nominated for national honours... and more
Tuesday 27th October

Work has started building a new six-million-pound flood defence scheme in Taunton. Plans have been submitted to build a new church hall in Martock. People are being asked to donate gifts to this year’s Chard Christmas Present Appeal... and more
Monday 26th October

Eligible groups in Somerset are being encouraged to get their flu jabs. There’s a rare opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look inside Avon & Somerset Police’s control room. Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader, Daisy Cooper MP, has visited Yeovil... and more.
Friday 23rd October

Somerset is the 11th most challenging place in England to be a child according to a report. Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire could have its own elected ‘Wessex Mayor’ by 2028. Cricketer, Ian Botham returns to the county this weekend... and more.
Thursday 22nd October

The NFU says that testing for the virus Bluetongue needs to be sped up. Construction of new flats on Yeovil’s Grimsby Corner site will officially begin next year. The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for wind tomorrow... and more.
Wednesday 21st October

The owner of campsite in Somerset says a two-thousand-seven-hundred percent increase in business rates will be 'catastrophic' for his business. Plans to build nearly 300 new homes on the outskirts of Chard have been given the go ahead. Yeovil Town are through to the first round proper of the FA Cup after beating Leatherhead 5-2 at Huish Park last night... and more