Local News Thursday 15th December

Thursday, 15 December 2022 06:00

One hundred and sixty-nine motorists have been arrested in the first three weeks of the Avon and Somerset Police Christmas crackdown on drink and drug driving. A consultant in public health at Somerset County Council says it's important to keep homes warm during the day. 8.6 million pounds is being spent refurbishing five schools in Crewkerne and Ilminster. This winter, an appeal to support vulnerable people in Somerset has raised more than 100 thousand pounds...and more.

One hundred and sixty-nine motorists have been arrested in the first three weeks of the Avon and Somerset Police Christmas crackdown on drink and drug driving. ‘Operation Tonic’ with officers carrying out roadside checks as part of the campaign was started earlier this year to coincide with the World Cup. Last year’s campaign resulted in the arrests of 246 drivers.

A consultant in public health at Somerset County Council says it's important to keep homes warm during the day, particularly for people who are vulnerable to the cold. Alice Munro says not keeping rooms well heated can lead to serious health problems.

8.6 million pounds is being spent refurbishing five schools in Crewkerne and Ilminster. Ashlands Primary School is getting a new classroom built. Herne View Primary School is having its classrooms refurbished. Wadham School is getting a new food classroom and dining space built. Maiden Beech Primary School is getting a new classroom for reception children. And, new windows, doors and a new heating system are being fitted at Wadham School, together with a refurbishment of the science block.

This winter, an appeal to support vulnerable people in Somerset has raised more than 100 thousand pounds. The Somerset Surviving Winter Appeal, organized by Somerset Community Foundation runs every year with the public donating their winter fuel payment for giving to those in greatest need.

There is just over one week left to comment on a new plan for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities in Somerset. The Somerset SEND Partnership is urging families to share their thoughts before the 23rd of December. The strategy will set out the next steps to improve the lives of children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities in Somerset.

A sprig of thorn from Glastonbury is on its way to King Charles to include in his Christmas table display. Legend has it that the holy thorn in Glastonbury was planted by Joseph of Arimathea when he brought the Holy Grail to the town and established Glastonbury’s first Christian church. The tradition of taking a cutting to give to the Monarch was started by the Bishop of Bath and Wells back in the reign of King James the First.

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Monday 16th June

The new owner of Yeovil Town says he’s in talks with Somerset Council about buying back Huish Park. Water levels at some of Somerset’s reservoirs are below what they should be for this time of year. A Chard woman has been recognised in the King's Birthday Honours... and more.
Friday 13th June

Police are appealing for witnesses to a road traffic accident near Chard, which left one person with life-threatening injuries. Texas Rocks in Middle Street, Yeovil, has closed temporarily following a significant fire. A Yeovil dental hygienist has been named as a finalist in the Ms Great Britain competition...and more.
Thursday 12th June

Yeovil MP Adam Dance has criticised the Chancellor’s Spending Review for not delivering real change for Yeovil and South Somerset. The CEO of Leonardo UK states that they’re working towards closing the gender pay gap within the company. Yeovil Town is relocating its first-team training camp to Bristol... and more.
Wednesday 11th June

People in Somerset are being asked for their views on the state of the county’s roads and footpaths. A trial is being conducted at Yeovil Hospital to investigate whether administering shorter courses of antibiotics to patients can effectively treat sepsis. Somerset Council says it has no plans to reopen a block of public toilets in Chard...and more.
Tuesday 10th June

A mother from Chard says schools need to do more to identify students with dyslexia. A fire in a van that caught alight at Stoke-sub-Hamdon is being treated as accidental. A former Yeovil-based police officer, who made it appear he was working when he wasn’t, has been barred from policing...and more
Monday 9th June

Somerset Council is giving £1.5m to Hill View Special School at Ash near Martock to prevent it from closing. Two men have been convicted of killing a Yeovil man they mistakenly believed to be a convicted paedophile. People across Somerset are being asked to make a note of any wildlife they see...and more
Friday 6th June

Community Speedwatch volunteers in Keinton Mandeville have stopped monitoring the local traffic because of online and verbal abuse. Redstart Primary School in Chard has been rated as ‘Good’ by Ofsted. A care home resident in Glastonbury has raised more than one thousand pounds for Children's Hospice Southwest by knitting soft toys...and more.
Thursday 5th June

Yeovil MP Adam Dance says he’s been told the temporary closure of the maternity unit at Yeovil Hospital will not be made permanent. Firefighters have dealt with a fire on a coach carrying passengers at Vagg Hill in Yeovil. The authorities in Chile are holding a man who lives in Milborne Port after being found with class-A drugs in a suitcase...and more.