Local News Friday 23rd December

    Somerset’s Director of Public Health

    Somerset’s Director of Public Health is asking people to take extra care not to spread infections within families over Christmas. Work is due to begin in January up-grading three skateparks in Yeovil. A Tatworth man has been fined £61 and ordered to pay compensation of £250 for breaking a shop window. GWR, who run trains through Castle Cary station, is asking people to not leave it late to travel on Christmas Eve and Chard Museum has been given £20,000 towards the costs of renovating the building.

    Somerset’s Director of Public Health is asking people to take extra care not to spread infections within families over Christmas. Professor Trudi Grant says that since Covid measures were relaxed, infection levels of flu, norovirus, Strep A, and the common cold, have returned to where they were pre-Covid. Professor Grant is advocating regular hand washing, keeping children at home if they develop a fever, and regular cleaning surfaces like bannisters and door handles, to prevent the spread of infections.

    Work is due to begin in January up-grading three skateparks in Yeovil. The state parks at Oak Tree Park, Yew Tree, and Milford Park, are being re-constructed using spray concrete to bring them in line with current health and safety regulations.

    A Tatworth man has been fined £61 and ordered to pay compensation of £250 for breaking a shop window. Magistrates in Yeovil were told that Antonio Gray of Waterlake Road was filmed on CCTV kicking out the window at Whites Fish and Chip shop in Boden Street following an argument with another man in April, earlier this year.

    GWR, who run trains through Castle Cary station, is asking people to not leave it late to travel on Christmas Eve. Customer Relations Manager, James Davis says due to ongoing industrial action by rail workers, their services will be greatly reduced from tomorrow and until the first week of January.

    Chard Museum has been given £20,000 towards the costs of renovating the building. The grant from the Architectural Heritage Fund will be used to turn Chard Museum into a modern visitor experience, representing the history of Chard and the surrounding area.

    More from News

    • Thursday 29th January

      Somerset Council has warned that more homes are likely to flood with further heavy rain forecast to end the week. Discount retailer, The Original Factory Shop, which has an outlet in Crewkerne, has gone into administration. A Barista at Costa Coffee in Ilminster has won a place in the finals of a national competition...and more

    • Wednesday 28th January

      Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance has announced plans to develop a new operational base on the Leonardo airfield in Yeovil. Several people have been rescued from their homes in Ilminster due to flooding. An £800,000 project is underway to restore two staircases at Montecute House...and more

    • Tuesday 27th January

      Last week was the wettest seven-day period in Somerset for twelve years. NHS Somerset says it’s working towards making access to dental care fairer for all. A scout leader in Somerset has been awarded the British Empire Medal for services to Young People...and more

    • Monday 26th January

      A new group has been formed to challenge plans to build 100 new homes in Keinton Mandeville. Bridgwater Town Council has voted to increase its share of the Council Tax by 5%. Organisers of Yeovil in Bloom are appealing for young people to get involved in this year’s competition...and more 

    • Friday 23rd January

      New data shows that South Western Ambulance is one of the worst-performing ambulance trusts in England. Plans to introduce improved accessibility at Yeovil Junction station have moved a step closer. A community centre in Street is providing vulnerable people with a warm, safe place to meet...and more.

    • Thursday 22nd January

      A new NHS diagnostic centre has opened in Yeovil. The go-ahead has been given to build a replacement school for Milford Junior School in Yeovil. A new 500-bed hotel-style campus is being planned to accommodate workers at the new Agratas car battery factory near Bridgwater...and more 

    • Wednesday 21st January 

      Councillors have approved controversial plans to build four large carnival club sheds near Ilminster. Somerset Council says there's an increasing gap between the cost of education and the amount the government provides to run local schools. The Bridgwater Tidal Barrier, aimed at protecting homes and businesses from flooding, has been reduced in size...and more

    • Tuesday 20th January

      Citizens Advice says thousands of people in Somerset have lost some or all of their council tax discount. The UK's first autonomous full-size helicopter, manufactured by Leonardo in Yeovil, has successfully completed its maiden flight. A new pharmacy has opened in Wincanton...and more

    Today's Weather

    • Yeovil

      Heavy rain shower

      High: 8°C | Low: 6°C

    • Chard

      Light rain

      High: 8°C | Low: 5°C

    • Crewkerne

      Light rain

      High: 8°C | Low: 5°C

    • Somerton

      Heavy rain shower

      High: 8°C | Low: 5°C

    • Wincanton

      Heavy rain shower

      High: 7°C | Low: 6°C

    Recently Played