Tuesday 19th September

Tuesday, 19 September 2023 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Police are investigating an attack on an elderly man in Ilton. Sixty-five local jobs have been created with the opening of a new McDonalds near Ilminster. A recruitment campaign has been launched for gritter drivers, to keep Somerset’s roads safe this winter...and more.

Police are investigating an attack on an elderly man in Ilton. It happened in Ilton Play Park off Copse Lane on Wednesday, August 23rd but has only now been made public. The man, in his seventies, was treated in hospital after falling onto play equipment when he was pushed to the ground by a youth said to be aged seventeen, white, six foot tall, of slim build with short dark hair, and wearing a black T-shirt. Anyone who witnessed the attack or who can help the police with information is asked to call the non-emergency number 101.

A man from Somerset - whose mother took her own life when he was just fifteen - says more conversations about mental health need to be had to prevent young people from considering suicide. Guy Locke is preparing to run the southwest coastal path next month in memory of his mother and to raise money for the suicide prevention charity Papyrus.

Sixty-five local jobs have been created with the opening this week of a new McDonalds near Ilminster. The restaurant and drive-through on the Southfields Enterprise Park off the A303 starts serving customers on Thursday at 11 a.m.

People in Somerset are being urged to check their electoral registration details or risk losing their chance to vote. Letters are being sent to all households as part of the annual canvass by Somerset Council to keep the register up-to-date and identify those at risk of losing their voice at elections.

A recruitment campaign’s been launched for gritter drivers to keep Somerset’s roads safe this winter. Drivers will be offered temporary contracts to cover the winter maintenance season, starting in November. Applicants should have a valid winter maintenance qualification or experience.

Yeovil disabled athlete, Jules Allen, has won both bronze and silver in wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby at the Invictus Games. Jules says this will be his last Invictus and is looking for a new role to stay involved with the event.

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Somerset Council has warned that more homes are likely to flood with further heavy rain forecast to end the week. Discount retailer, The Original Factory Shop, which has an outlet in Crewkerne, has gone into administration. A Barista at Costa Coffee in Ilminster has won a place in the finals of a national competition...and more
Wednesday 28th January

Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance has announced plans to develop a new operational base on the Leonardo airfield in Yeovil. Several people have been rescued from their homes in Ilminster due to flooding. An £800,000 project is underway to restore two staircases at Montecute House...and more
Tuesday 27th January

Last week was the wettest seven-day period in Somerset for twelve years. NHS Somerset says it’s working towards making access to dental care fairer for all. A scout leader in Somerset has been awarded the British Empire Medal for services to Young People...and more
Monday 26th January

A new group has been formed to challenge plans to build 100 new homes in Keinton Mandeville. Bridgwater Town Council has voted to increase its share of the Council Tax by 5%. Organisers of Yeovil in Bloom are appealing for young people to get involved in this year’s competition...and more
Friday 23rd January

New data shows that South Western Ambulance is one of the worst-performing ambulance trusts in England. Plans to introduce improved accessibility at Yeovil Junction station have moved a step closer. A community centre in Street is providing vulnerable people with a warm, safe place to meet...and more.
Thursday 22nd January

A new NHS diagnostic centre has opened in Yeovil. The go-ahead has been given to build a replacement school for Milford Junior School in Yeovil. A new 500-bed hotel-style campus is being planned to accommodate workers at the new Agratas car battery factory near Bridgwater...and more
Wednesday 21st January

Councillors have approved controversial plans to build four large carnival club sheds near Ilminster. Somerset Council says there's an increasing gap between the cost of education and the amount the government provides to run local schools. The Bridgwater Tidal Barrier, aimed at protecting homes and businesses from flooding, has been reduced in size...and more
Tuesday 20th January

Citizens Advice says thousands of people in Somerset have lost some or all of their council tax discount. The UK's first autonomous full-size helicopter, manufactured by Leonardo in Yeovil, has successfully completed its maiden flight. A new pharmacy has opened in Wincanton...and more