Local News Tuesday 13th June

Tuesday, 13 June 2023 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Chinnock Hollow which links East Chinnock and Odcombe is to stay shut permanently. An Ilminster man has been fined four hundred and sixty pounds for mistreating his pet dog. The Chairman of the National Farmers Union in Somerset says the warm weather is having a big impact. A 20 mph speed limit has been introduced outside Manor Court Community Primary School in Chard...and more.

Chinnock Hollow which links East Chinnock and Odcombe is to stay shut permanently. It was closed on a temporary basis two years ago following a landslide. An engineer's report has estimated it would cost two-point-seven-million pounds to re-open the road. Somerset Council says it cannot justify spending that amount of money when there are other pressing maintenance priorities on the road network in Somerset.

An Ilminster man has been fined four hundred and sixty pounds for mistreating his pet dog. Taunton Crown Court was told that Samuel Rigby of Riverside in Horton failed to provide adequate food to his Mastiff cross-breed dog and also failed to provide veterinary treatment for the dog’s weight loss. Rigby, who pleaded guilty to the charges, was also banned from owning a dog for two years.

The Chairman of the National Farmers Union in Somerset says the warm weather is having a big impact. Lindsay Isgar says farmers are having to use their winter feed because the grass has been affected by the heat and are worried about the damage the heat is doing to their crops.

People with Type-2 diabetes in Somerset are being invited to join a free NHS programme to lose weight. The ‘Path to Remission’ programme offers one year of support from trained coaches as well as three months of meal replacements like soups and shakes.

A 20-mph speed limit has been introduced outside Manor Court Community Primary School in Chard. It follows safety concerns over children crossing the busy Crowshute Link.

A man from Drayton, near Langport, is preparing to row seven hundred miles across the Atlantic Ocean. Giles Johnson will be heading for Northern Ireland when he sets off from Newfoundland later this month. He and his rowing partner Matthew Ponsonby have already raised ten thousand pounds for three charities.

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Friday 12th December

The Chief Executive of Somerset Council, Duncan Sharkey, has admitted to making mistakes in cutting jobs. Yeovil MP Adam Dance is supporting a Lib Dem initiative to introduce a new ‘Farm First’ training scheme. Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance has launched an appeal to help buy a second helicopter... and more.
Thursday 11th December

A man has appeared in court in connection with an attack in Wincanton. A member of Somerset Council, jailed for 26 months for taking part in a Just Stop Oil protest, may not have to stand down as a councillor. NHS Somerset has announced that changes to stroke services at Yeovil Hospital will "go live" in the spring of next year...and more
Wednesday 10th December

Avon and Somerset Police say 62 drivers were arrested in the first week of the Christmas drink and drug driving campaign. A reindeer farm near Yeovil thinks it may have to close after being told it needs a Zoo licence. Father Christmas has made a special delivery of presents to Charlton Farm Children's Hospice in Somerset...and more
Tuesday 9th December

The Police and Crime Commissioner for Avon and Somerset has criticised the government for axing the role. Police are appealing for witnesses to a road traffic accident near Ilminster in which a woman was seriously injured. Residents of Freedom Avenue in Yeovil are raising funds for charity with a big display of Christmas lights...and more.
Monday 8th December

Plans to build 150 new homes in Ilminster have been scrapped. A Somerset councillor has been jailed for 26 months. Marks & Spencer wants to build a new Food Store in Ilminster. Poundland has announced that it’s shutting its store in Middle Street in Yeovil...and more
Friday 5th December

Police are appealing for witnesses after an assault on a man in Chard. Lloyds Banking Group has announced a date for closing the Halifax in Yeovil. Train journeys on the Castle Cary to Taunton line will be disrupted next week due to engineering work. The mental health charity MIND in Somerset has produced a Christmas advent calendar... and more.
Thursday 4th December

The Chief Constable of Avon and Somerset Police says her force is doing all it can to reduce anti-social behaviour. Somerset Council has deferred a decision on introducing Sunday car parking charges. People living in deprived areas in Somerset are being fast-tracked for hospital treatment...and more
Wednesday 3rd December

Fire crews have rescued the driver of a car that got stuck in floodwater near Ilminster. Avon and Somerset Police are urging people going out to celebrate this Christmas to book a taxi or use public transport. A woman from South Petherton has come top at the British Down Syndrome Swimming Championships...and more,