Local News Monday 4th April

Monday, 4 April 2022 06:00

Emily outside 10, Downing Street with her mum, Louise, and sister Grace.

A girl from Yeovil has helped deliver a petition to Downing Street calling on the government to recognise the problem of long Covid among children. Dorset Council says it could be eighteen months before the A30 at Kitt Hill in Sherborne is re-opened to traffic. A woman from Yeovil has died in a road traffic accident in the Scottish borders. The 40th anniversary of the start of the Falklands War is being marked this week...and more.

A girl from Yeovil has helped deliver a petition to Downing Street calling on the government to recognise the problem of long Covid among children. Emily, who’s nine, contracted the virus last September and must rely on a walking aid, to get around. Through the charity, Long Covid Kids, she’s asking the government to do more to help suffers. In response, the government has pledged fifty million pounds for research into the impact of long Covid.

Dorset Council says it could be eighteen months before the A30 at Kitt Hill in Sherborne is re-opened to traffic. The road was closed following a landslip in early September. The diversions put in place have caused long delays for drivers. On their website, Dorset Council says work to repair the damage at Kitt Hill might not be completed until September 2023.

A woman from Yeovil has died in a road traffic accident in the Scottish borders. Patricia Kim Common, aged 61, was killed when her vehicle collided with another vehicle on the A968 Kelso to Hawick road, on Saturday.

The 40th anniversary of the start of the Falklands War is being marked this week. Personnel from RNAS Yeovilton, flying helicopters built in Yeovil, played a big part in defeating the Argentinians in 1982. Commander of RNAS Yeovilton, Tim Gedge, says in the same way the conflict in the Falklands conflict resulted in tragic consequences, the same is now happening in Ukraine.

The holy month of Ramadan has started for Muslims in Somerset with Muslims fasting for the next four weeks. Meraz Aziz is from the Muslim Community in Somerset. He says Muslims are looking forward to marking Ramadan, without Covid restrictions.

Somerset's recycling centres will stay open for longer from this week. Summer opening hours are now in operation, 9 am to 6 pm weekdays and 9 am to 4 pm at weekends. Somerset Waste Partnership says Chard recycling centre has been equipped with online queue cameras, to help people to avoid busy times.

More from News

Thursday 1st May

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.