Local News Thursday 21st October

Thursday, 21 October 2021 06:00

By Steve Haigh

The Director of Public Health for Somerset, Trudi Grant, says Covid cases will carry on rising in the county as the fallout from false-negative PCR test results continues. The manager of the Ambulance Service which covers Somerset says he's doing everything he can to improve the service in the County. Two Sea King helicopters, built-in Yeovil, that for the past 30-years have been in service with the Belgian Air Force, are being flown back to Somerset today. The lineup’s been announced for this year’s Ilminster Literary Festival...and more.

The Director of Public Health for Somerset, Trudi Grant, says Covid cases will carry on rising in the county as the fallout from false-negative PCR test results continues. Bath & North East Somerset and Somerset West & Taunton have the highest rates of COVID in England. The Mendip area has the fourth-highest number of cases. Trudi Grant says it’s vital that people act responsibly to limit the further spread of Covid.

The manager of the Ambulance Service which covers Somerset says he's doing everything he can to improve the service in the County. Response times in the South West were the worst in England last month. Chief Executive of the South Western Ambulance Service Will Warrender says he's working hard to recruit more staff.

Two Sea King helicopters, built-in Yeovil, that for the past 30-years have been in service with the Belgian Air Force, are being flown back to Somerset today. The helicopters have been acquired to add to the collection of military aircraft at Historic Helicopters in Chard.

One of the oldest pubs in South Somerset has been put up for sale. The Wyndham Arms at Kingsbury Episcopi, built-in 1640, has two beer garden areas, a large car park, and a living area with three bedrooms.

The lineup’s been announced for this year’s Ilminster Literary Festival. More than twenty published authors have been booked to appear at the Festival that runs from the 10th to the 14th of November with a variety of venues in Ilminster taking part.

Farm buildings, converted for accommodation at the Newt Hotel near Bruton, have been voted the ‘Best Place to Stay in the South West’ in a poll conducted by the Sunday Times. ‘The Farmyard’ at the Newt has 17 bedrooms and an indoor oak-framed swimming pool and has only been open for bookings since June this year.

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Wednesday 30th April

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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

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