Local News Tuesday 24th May

Tuesday, 24 May 2022 06:00

Yeovil MP Marcus Fysh has welcomed the decision to give four local schools a share of an improvement fund worth nearly £500 million. People in Somerset are being advised to check their blood pressure by borrowing a monitor from their local library, including Yeovil Library. Ilminster is planning to stage a mass singing of the National Anthem to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. A Yeovil man has moved to Tanzania to teach English and Maths at a school in the town of Arusha...and more.

Yeovil MP Marcus Fysh has welcomed the decision to give four local schools a share of an improvement fund worth nearly £500 million. The Redstart Primary School in Chard will use its allocation for a leaking roof replacement project. Manor Court School in Chard will replace a temporary classroom with the funding. Winsham Primary School in Chard and St Michael's Academy in Yeovil have also been given funding for infrastructure projects.

People in Somerset are being advised to check their blood pressure by borrowing a monitor from their local library, including Yeovil Library. More than 200 blood pressure monitors are now available for people to borrow at local libraries. It's part of a drive by the county council’s public health team to get people to check their blood pressure, with 3 in 10 adults affected by high blood pressure.

A Sherborne woman has been ordered to undertake 100 hours of unpaid work after pleading guilty to selling counterfeit goods on Facebook and e-bay. Weymouth Magistrates' Court was told that Tracey Hampson of South Avenue, Sherborne, was found in possession of fake clothing, footwear, cosmetics and handbags bearing names like Nike, Adidas and Armani, when police made a search of her property.

Ilminster is planning to stage a mass singing of the National Anthem to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. The community sing-along takes place on Saturday, June 4th at 7 pm with the whole town invited to join in. Deputy Clerk at Ilminster Town Council, Julie Earp is hoping the mass singing the National Anthem will be as well supported as ‘Clap for the NHS’ was during the pandemic.

An online selling site says Somerset is the fourth-best county in the country for buying antiques. The rating was based on reviews on Trip Advisor.

A Yeovil man has moved to Tanzania to teach English and Maths at a school in the town of Arusha. George Clark left Yeovil back in January and travelled overland to Tanzania to take up a voluntary position with the charity SATINO.

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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
Monday 19th January

The government is facing increasing pressure to clarify whether it will order new medium-lift helicopters from Leonardo in Yeovil. Somerset Council is spending £5 million on new laptops. A new singing group is being set up in Yeovil for people living with dementia...and more
Friday 16th January

The go-ahead has been given to build 200 new homes at Ilchester. Taunton Town Council is increasing its share of the Council Tax by 3 per cent a year. Somerset is featured in a new Agatha Christie drama being shown on Netflix from this week...and more
Thursday 15th January

The company behind a proposed tidal lagoon between Watchet and Minehead says it could create up to eight thousand jobs. A third councillor on Somerset Council has joined Reform UK. St Margaret's Hospice says this year’s Christmas tree collection scheme raised forty-seven thousand pounds...and more.
Wednesday 14th January

The union representing workers at Leonardo in Yeovil says it needs a clear answer from the government on whether the Yeovil factory will be awarded a contract to build new medium-lift helicopters for the RAF. Somerset Council says more support will be provided to foster carers. A bird flu surveillance zone remains in place over the Somerset Levels...and more
Tuesday 13th January

The Government says it won’t bring forward a decision on buying new helicopters from Leonardo in Yeovil. A bird flu surveillance zone remains in place over the Somerset Levels. Yeovil’s temporary police station on Horsey Lane is to close at the end of the month....and more