Work has begun building an extension to the A & E department at Yeovil Hospital. Somerset County Council has approved its budget for the next financial year. Farmers in Somerset are being encouraged to speak about their mental health and Yeovil professional boxer Dean Dodge is making final preparations for the biggest fight of his career.
Work has begun building an extension to the A and E department at Yeovil Hospital. The development will double the capacity of the department's services, increasing the number of cubicles for assessment and treatment. The extension, costing just over one-million pounds, is due to be completed by the early summer.
Somerset County Council has approved its budget for the next financial year, including an almost 5% increase in its share of council tax. It will add £64 a year to the bill for an average Band D home. The budget also includes significant funding increases for adult social care and children’s services, both of which have subjected to additional pressure during the pandemic.
Farmers in Somerset are being encouraged to speak about their mental health. The Farm Safety Foundation has launched a new campaign, Mind Your head. It's as a new research project led by the universities of Reading, Sheffield and Exeter.
Yeovil professional boxer Dean Dodge is making final preparations for the biggest fight of his career. Dean is taking on Danny Carr, current holder of the South of England Super-featherweight title, at the University of Bolton Stadium tomorrow, Friday. The fight will only go ahead if Dean and his opponent test negative for Coronavirus. Dean, who fights under the name El Diablo, has been on a special diet and says that if he wins, he will dine out on a giant pizza.
Avon and Somerset Police say they'll be carrying out enhanced patrols for drink and drug driving during and after England's opening World Cup game tonight. Somerset Chamber of Commerce is warning that the conflict in Iran is having a serious impact on local businesses. A master thatcher based in Ilminster says the traditional craft of thatching is under threat because of a lack of training opportunities...and more
Police are appealing for witnesses to a fatal two-vehicle crash on the A358 near Ilminster. A man from Norton-sub-Hamdon has appeared in court charged with drink driving. An original Mr Blobby costume from the former Blobbyland theme park at Cricket St Thomas has been put up for sale... and more
People in Somerset are being asked to take part in a new survey about alcohol use. Yeovil's MP Adam Dance will lead a debate in Parliament today on NHS dentistry. A Yeovil runner has been selected to represent England at a national endurance championship... and more
It's claimed the increasing availability of drugs such as ketamine and cocaine has normalised drug use among young people in Somerset. The trial of a man accused of killing his one-month-old son in Chard begins today at Bristol Crown Court. A stone pillar outside the Langport Arms Hotel in Langport has been replaced after it was destroyed in a car crash... and more
Sir Keir Starmer has paid tribute to the three aircrew from RNAS Yeovilton who died in last week's helicopter crash in Devon. Two men have been arrested and stolen vehicles seized following a major multi-agency operation in South Somerset. An event highlighting opportunities for women in the aerospace industry has been held in Yeovil... and more
The public will be consulted on how best to spend fifty million pounds of government funding to tackle flooding in Somerset. Avon and Somerset Police are backing a new road safety campaign aimed at reducing motorcycle fatalities. New welcome signs have been installed at entrances to the Mendip Hills National Landscape... and more
The government has announced a £50 million investment to strengthen Somerset’s flood defences. A woman from Stoke-sub-Hamdon has been banned from driving for 14 months after admitting drink-driving. Somerset Council has been told it must improve its adult social care services... and more
Plans for a new railway station in Langport remain stalled in Whitehall, according to Somerset Council. Plans to build 50 new homes in Broadway, near Ilminster, have been refused. The new water fountains in Yeovil’s Triangle, in Lower Middle Street, are being switched off during very hot weather because of safety concerns... and more.