Local News Friday 24th February

Friday, 24 February 2023 06:00

People in Somerset who undergo hip replacement operations are no longer having to stay in hospital overnight. The RSPCA in Somerset says it's dealing with a sharp rise in abandoned pet rabbits. The Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard is closing for two weeks. People are being asked to take part in a charity Swimathon organised by Olympic gold medallist Duncan Goodhew. Soldiers from the 1st Regiment Army Air Corps, based at RNAS Yeovilton, have marched through Wincanton...and more.

People in Somerset who undergo hip replacement operations are no longer having to stay in hospital overnight. It follows the launch of a pilot scheme to reduce waiting lists, with patients leaving hospital within just a few hours of being operated on.

The former Leader of Somerset County Council, Councillor David Fothergill, has expressed alarm at a sharp rise in children having teeth extracted in hospital. Councillor Fothergill, who‘s currently chairman of the Local Government Association's Community Wellbeing Board, was speaking after figures showed an 83 per cent increase in children having teeth taken out in hospital this year. His comments come amid claims that a lack of NHS dentists is leading to an increase in cases of people of all ages having rotting teeth.

The RSPCA in Somerset says its dealing with a sharp rise in the number of abandoned pet rabbits. The charity says it’s a result of overbreeding during the lockdown and the cost of living crisis.

Soldiers from the 1st Regiment Army Air Corps, based at RNAS Yeovilton, have marched through Wincanton. The parade was held to mark the Regiment being awarded the Freedom of the Town.

The Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard is closing for two weeks for improvement works to be carried out. The sanctuary will shut to visitors from Sunday, March 19th to Saturday, April 1st. Changes to the site include building a new entrance, and the opening of a new art, crafts and education centre.

People in South Somerset are being asked to take part in a charity Swimathon organised by Olympic gold medallist Duncan Goodhew. Goldenstones Leisure Centre in Yeovil, Chard Leisure Centre and Wincanton Sports Centre will be involved in raising funds for Cancer Research UK and Marie Curie over the weekend of May 12th to the 14th. You can enter the Swimathon as an individual or with a team via the MySwimathon website.

More from News

Friday 13th March

The first of the new medium lift helicopters being built by Leonardo in Yeovil for the RAF will be delivered in 2031. Somerset Council has launched a public consultation on planned new charges at its two hundred public car parks. More women in Somerset are said to be taking up walking football... and more
Thursday 12th March

A Yeovil headteacher says he’s concerned about plans to stop giving school holiday food vouchers to families on low incomes. The owner of Yeovil Town is calling on fans to be patient as he continues his overhaul of the National League side. A high voltage fault is being blamed for plunging 1700 homes into darkness in the Ilminster area... and more
Wednesday 11th March

Plans have been submitted to convert two properties in Yeovil into houses of multiple occupation. A new court date has been announced for a Yeovil man charged with attempted murder. An engineer who has worked at the Leonardo factory in Yeovil for 40-years has won a top industry award... and more
Tuesday 10th March

Police say a fire at the former Oscar Mayer food factory in Chard was started deliberately. Yeovil College says it would have been adversely affected had Leonardo not won the contract to build new medium-lift helicopters. A seven-foot dragon will be visiting towns and villages in our area during the next few weeks to promote Somerset Day... and more
Monday 9th March

Two Wildcat helicopters from 815 Squadron at RNAS Yeovilton have arrived in Cyprus to help protect RAF Akrotiri from further Iranian drone strikes. New figures show that 40 people were killed on Avon and Somerset’s roads in the last 12-months. A Somerset man has been recalling the day 60-years ago when he was a passenger on the last train on the Somerset and Dorset Railway... and more
Friday 6th March

Defence Minister Luke Pollard has been explaining why it took the government so long to confirm a contract for the Leonardo in Yeovil to build new medium lift helicopters for the RAF. Police are investigating a break in at a pet shop in Ilminster. Somerset Council is to stop using red ink on council tax reminder letters... and more
Thursday 5th March

Two military helicopters from RNAS Yeovilton are being sent to Cyprus to help bolster UK’s defences amid the US-Israel war with Iran. Yeovil Town Council is seeking legal advice over the closure of the hyper acute stroke unit at Yeovil Hospital. Flood warnings have been lifted on the Somerset Levels... and more
Wednesday 4th March

A man has died in a fire in Wincanton. Somerset Council is planning further cuts of twenty-one million pounds to help balance its books. A campaign to raise £30,000 for a minibus has been launched in Chard... and more