Local News Friday August 12

    With Somerset on amber alert for extreme heat today, South West Ambulance is asking people to only dial 999 in an absolute emergency. The main A30 road through Sherborne is still closed following a gas leak that shut the road yesterday. Extra funding is being given to pay for improvements at Yeovil Crematorium. More volunteers are wanted to help young people in care in Somerset and Work is yet to start building a new McDonald’s off the Southfields roundabout on the A303.

    With Somerset on amber alert for extreme heat today, South West Ambulance is asking people to only dial 999 in an absolute emergency, and for all other advice to use NHS 111 or local chemists. With temperatures expected to reach 36 Celsius this weekend a drought could be declared for Somerset, with water restrictions introduced for local users.

    The main A30 road through Sherborne is still closed following a gas leak that shut the road yesterday. It followed an accident between Marston Road and Bristol Road in which a combine harvester hit a gas pipe, causing gas to escape, and posing a risk to people living nearby.

    Extra funding is being given to pay for improvements at Yeovil Crematorium. However, due to rising costs, some of the planned work, including demolishing the existing chapel and building new toilets, won’t now take place.

    More volunteers are wanted to help young people in care in Somerset. The Advocacy 1 Team is looking for adults to act as friends to young people, offering them advice and guidance throughout their teenage years. 

    Work is yet to start building a new McDonald’s off the Southfields roundabout on the A303 Ilminster by-pass. The drive-thru and restaurant, creating sixty-five new jobs, was due to open before Christmas last year. In a statement, McDonald’s says they don’t have an opening date in mind, nor a date for when construction work will begin.

    More from News

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      There’s been a call for the Somerset Levels to be designated a National Landscape. A Yeovil man has raised £2,000 for a new school minibus at Fairmead School in Yeovil by running the London Marathon. Exmoor Ales, which provides cask ales across the region and beyond, is closing its Somerset brewery and moving the business to Surrey...and more.

    • Wednesday 30th April

      The long-awaited refurbishment of Yeovil police station is finally to get underway this summer. Plans have been approved to build 185 new homes off Bunford Lane in Yeovil. Police have arrested three men in Yeovil for being involved in the supply of Class A drugs. A Somerset jockey has been named Champion Conditional Jockey of 2025...and more.

    • Tuesday 29th April

      New figures have shown that registering as a new patient with an NHS dentist in Somerset is still just as difficult as it was six months ago. The go-ahead has been given to build 160 new houses on Station Road in Castle Cary. A sailor from South Petherton has been chosen to lead a team in the round-the-world Clipper Race...and more.

    • Monday 28th April

      Somerset Council is being criticised for taking too long to re-open Yeovil's Octagon Theatre. The Liberal Democrats have won a seat on Chard Town Council by one vote. Dates have been announced for this year’s illuminated carnival processions in South Somerset...and more.

    • Friday 25th April

      Police are investigating the theft of a motorbike in Ilminster. Tributes have been paid to the former Yeovil Town player-manager, Cecil Irwin, who has died aged 83. Town criers from across the South West will be in Yeovil tomorrow competing for the loudest voice in the Yeovil Town Crier Competition 2025...and more

    •  Thursday 24th April

      Police are appealing for witnesses to an accident in which a child was struck by a car in Yeovil. This week, a planning inquiry is being held into plans to turn a Somerset shopping centre into a retirement complex. A Somerset woman is planning to walk the 70-miles of Hadrian's Wall to mark her 90th birthday...and more.

    • Wednesday 23rd April

      Tourism bosses in Somerset say they feel confident the County will have a good summer for visitors this year. A group representing care providers in Somerset is warning that some residential homes are at risk of going out of business due to rising costs. A Somerset animal charity has taken into care, three orphaned badger cubs...and more.

    • Tuesday 22nd April

      The Care Quality Commission has given two GP practices in Yeovil a 'good' overall rating. According to insurers, AXA, thefts at commercial premises in Somerset are on the rise. Bus users in Somerset could see changes to the frequency of services when the new West of England mayor takes office. Martock is to host its first Pride event in June...and more.

    Today's Weather

    • Yeovil

      Sunny intervals

      High: 27°C | Low: 11°C

    • Chard

      Sunny intervals

      High: 25°C | Low: 10°C

    • Crewkerne

      Sunny intervals

      High: 25°C | Low: 10°C

    • Somerton

      Sunny intervals

      High: 27°C | Low: 11°C

    • Wincanton

      Sunny intervals

      High: 27°C | Low: 11°C

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