Local News Friday 26th February

Friday, 26 February 2021 07:30

Yeovil MP Marcus Fysh has criticised the government for asking children to wear facemasks in school. Yeovil Town’s season in the National League could end early unless agreement is reached over a loan with Sport England. A Yeovil GP surgery that had been at risk of closure has been put under new management and more ....

Yeovil MP Marcus Fysh has criticised the government for asking children to wear facemasks in school. Commenting on Twitter, Mr Fysh described the guidance as ‘appalling’ and said it shouldn’t be supported.

Meanwhile, the Head of Preston School in Yeovil, Greg Morrison, has welcomed the decision that teachers will decide grades for this year's GCSEs, A-levels and written vocational qualifications in England after the exams were cancelled because of the pandemic. The government has confirmed that unlike last year, no algorithms will be used to calculate pupils' grades and that exam boards will check random samples, and students will receive their results earlier than usual, to allow extra time for any appeals. Mr Morrison said given the circumstances of the pandemic, the government was doing the right thing.

Yeovil Town’s season in the National League could end early unless agreement is reached over a loan with Sport England. In a statement, Chairman, Scott Priestnall says Yeovil Town are heading for a 1-mllion pound loss this season due to supporters not being allowed into stadiums. The Chairman says an emergency government loan has been offered and that the Club are giving it consideration, but if the loan is found to be unaffordable, then players and staff will be furloughed and the club will not complete the season.

A Yeovil GP surgery that had been at risk of closure has been put under new management. Following a damning inspection, the Care Quality Commission described Ryalls Park Medical Centre on Marsh Lane as ‘inadequate’ and ‘requiring urgent improvement’. Ryalls Park will now be run by Symphony Healthcare Services, who operate 14 GP practices in Somerset, including Oaklands Surgery here in Yeovil.

A Somerset bride-to-be says she’s unhappy over the government’s plans to re-admit guests at weddings. Weddings can take place with 15 guests from mid-April and 30 from mid-May. But, Justine Clayton, who postponed her wedding last year and now plans to get married at the end of May says the limit on guests should be lifted sooner.

A crowd funding appeal to re-open a village pub in South Somerset has received donations of just under £90,000. The Green Dragon in Combe St Nicholas closed its doors permanently last September. Organisers are seeking to raise £400,000 to buy the building and run the pub as a social enterprise.

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