Local News Friday 17th June

Friday, 17 June 2022 06:00

Age UK in Somerset is urging elderly people to take extra precautions in today’s expected high temperatures. A former care home in Yeovil could become a shared home for up to twenty people. Children in Ilminster are to get a new play area. A new study suggests thousands of properties in Somerset may have to be abandoned due to rising sea levels and climate change. Yeovil singer-songwriter Dave Woan is hoping for musical success with a new album he’s brought out and the annual Petherton Folk Fest returns tomorrow after a gap of two years due to Covid.

Age UK in Somerset is urging elderly people to take extra precautions in today’s expected high temperatures, especially if they have breathing problems or a heart condition. Age UK says older people are at higher risk of dehydration and overheating when it gets very hot and should let family and friends know if they live alone and have concerns. Everyone else is asked to check in on older relatives and neighbours.

A former care home in Yeovil could become a shared home for up to twenty people. The Cool Running Too care home in The Park off Preston Road, formerly called Lyndon House, closed earlier this year after twenty years. New owners, Rob Cos of Bellvy Ltd, have now submitted plans to convert the property for multiple occupancy use. South Somerset District Council is expected to make a decision on the plans later in the year.

Children in Ilminster are to get a new play area. South Somerset District Council is giving twelve and a half thousand pounds to Ilminster Sports Club for the new, inclusive play area, that will be built on land at the town's recreation ground.

A new study suggests thousands of properties in Somerset may have to be abandoned due to rising sea levels and climate change. Scientists say sea levels could rise by as much as a metre by the end of the century with the Somerset Levels top of a list of twenty areas of England worst affected.

Yeovil singer-songwriter Dave Woan is hoping for musical success with a new album he’s brought out. The album Downside Up was launched with a live performance by Dave of all twelve tracks on the album at the Emporium in Princes Street, Yeovil, last night.

The annual Petherton Folk Fest returns tomorrow after a gap of two years due to Covid. Main organiser, Pete Wheeler, says if all goes to plan, it could be their best festival ever.

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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