Local News Tuesday 16th February

Thursday, 18 February 2021 17:32

Police are appealing for witnesses following a fatal crash. Citizens Advice in Somerset is calling on the government to better regulate broadband companies. A Sherborne man has been charged with an alleged offence related to the Hunting Act and Yeovil College is celebrating the work of 50 of its apprentices as part of National Apprenticeship Week.

Police are appealing for witnesses following a fatal crash between a car and a lorry on the A303 Ilminster by-pass at the weekend. The collision happened close to the South Petherton roundabout at around 5:30 pm on Sunday. The driver of the car, a 24-year-old man, was pronounced dead at the scene. Anyone who can help is asked to call 101.

Citizens Advice in Somerset is calling on the government to better regulate broadband companies, in a bid to make it more affordable and more accessible to people in rural areas. The charity is arguing that it is an essential utility that people need for not just home schooling and shopping but also to claim benefits and apply for jobs.

A woman whose body was found in a lake at Yeovil Country Park has been named as Jean Osborne, aged 78, of Rivers Road, Yeovil. An inquest has been opened and adjourned into her death. The inquest was told that the cause of death remains unclear but they are no suspicious circumstances and general enquiries by the police are on going. The inquest is scheduled to resume in May.

More than 1,000 homes are standing empty in South Somerset, according to latest figures. 133 of the properties have been empty for between two and five years and 62 empty for more than five years. South Somerset District Council is taking the opportunity of ‘Empty Homes Week’ to raise awareness of the support it provides to owners to bring empty properties back into use.

A Sherborne man has been charged with an alleged offence related to the Hunting Act following an investigation by Devon and Cornwall Police. Mark Hankinson is due to appear before Plymouth Magistrates’ Court on March 4th charged with intentionally encouraging or assisting others to commit an offence under the Hunting Act 2004. (Story courtesy of Chard and Ilminster News).

Yeovil College is celebrating the work of 50 of its apprentices as part of National Apprenticeship Week. Each student has been given a National Apprenticeship Week Award including 39 health and social care apprentices who’ve been working on the front line during the pandemic at Yeovil Hospital.

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Monday 15th June

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
Friday 12th June

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
Thursday 11th June

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
Wednesday 10th June

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
Tuesday 9th June

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
Monday 8th June

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.
Friday 5th June

A new NHS dental practice in Crewkerne says it won’t start operating at full capacity until July due to staff shortages. Somerset Council says it has no plans to show England matches in the World Cup on the Big Screen in Yeovil town centre due to safety concerns. A Somerset family has been thanked after completing a 73-mile walk raising money for a third world charity... and more
Thursday 4th June

An investigation continues today into the crash of a Royal Navy helicopter, based at RNAS Yeovilton, in which all three aircrew were killed. Somerset Council has confirmed that a new operator will take over several leisure centres across the county. The new live-action Masters of the Universe movie, filmed in Somerset, is released this week...and more