Local News Tuesday 27th September

Tuesday, 27 September 2022 06:00

Some teaching staff at Yeovil College have gone on strike in a pay dispute. The government has announced that work to turn the A358 between Ilminster and Taunton into a dual carriageway is to be fast-tracked. Somerset County Council has launched a campaign to raise awareness about head trauma in babies. Police are asking the public to help find Daniel Kellaway, aged 27, who’s wanted on a warrant for breaching his probation and in connection with a number of offences...and more.

Some teaching staff at Yeovil College have gone on strike in a pay dispute. Members of the University and College Union claim the pay of their members has fallen behind inflation by 35 percent since 2009 and that the pay gap between school and college teachers now stands at around £9,000. The UCU says the strike action will continue for 10 days unless their members are made a serious pay offer. (This story is courtesy of Somerset Live).

The government has announced that work to turn the A358 between Ilminster and Taunton into a dual carriageway is to be fast-tracked. It says it wants to speed up the planning process and get building work started by next year.

Somerset County Council has launched a campaign to raise awareness about head trauma in babies. The "Babies cry, you can cope" campaign is aimed at getting parents to open up about stress and seek help and advice.

Police are asking the public to help find Daniel Kellaway, aged 27, who’s wanted on a warrant for breaching his probation and in connection with a number of offences including theft, public order and assault. Kellaway is described as white, around 5ft 7ins tall, with short, dark brown hair and is known to frequent Yeovil, Castle Cary and Sherborne. A photo of him can be viewed on the Avon and Somerset Police website. If you see Kellaway or know of his whereabouts you’re asked not to approach him and to call 999.

Two students at Holyrood Academy in Chard are fundraising for a school trip to Cambodia to help build sustainable housing and schools. Milly Tucker and Megan Wrenn, both aged 15, plan to travel to Cambodia next year as part of the Camps International scheme. So far, Milly and Megan have held a cake sale, two garage sales, and a tombola to raise funds for the £4,000 they each need to raise to pay for the trip.

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A new operator has been found to run a Chard care home that has been at risk of closure. A licence has been granted to run a new music festival in West Dorset. People have until midnight tonight to register for a vote in the election for a Police and Crime Commissioner for Avon and Somerset...and more.
Monday 15th April

Four people have been arrested as part of an investigation into the illegal supply of prescription-only drugs in Yeovil. A Yeovil man has appeared in court in connection with two burglaries in Langport. A well-known farm and restaurant business in South Petherton has been put up for sale. New figures have shown a further decline in the number of House Sparrows in Somerset...and more.
Friday 12th April

Yeovil Town will play National League football next season after beating Truro 2-0 last night to win promotion and the National League South title. Somerset Council says the cost of keeping Yeovil’s Octagon Theatre closed has risen to £140,000 a year. A holiday website has reported a 31 percent upturn in visitor numbers to Somerset...and more.
Thursday 11th April

Yeovil Town get another chance tonight to clinch promotion when they play away against Truro. Citizens Advice in Somerset says people are continuing to struggle with the cost of living. Some of England’s loudest voices will be heard in Yeovil later this month when the town's annual town crier competition takes place...and more,
Wednesday 10th April

A former sub-postmaster from Wincanton says she's having to work a 70-hour week to pay off debts she incurred due to the Post Office IT scandal. Two people have been fined for illegal fishing in Yeovil. Images of wildlife taken by a photographer in Somerton have been chosen to feature on a new set of charity cards...and more.
Tuesday 9th April

Lloyds Bank is being asked to reconsider closing its branch in Ilminster, leaving the town without a bank. A stretch of the A303 will close later this month as part of dualling the road between Sparkford and Podimore. A dragon parade is to be held in Chard later this month to mark St George’s Day...and more.
Monday 8 April

Plans have been approved to upgrade Chard Police Station at a cost of £900,000. Plans to build four new homes in Wincanton have been turned down due to a lack of parking spaces. A Yeovil woman has raised more than eighteen hundred pounds for the mental health charity Mind, ahead of running this year's London Marathon...and more.
Friday 5th April

A potato farmer in South Petherton claims he’s heading for losses of one hundred thousand pounds due to climate change. Somerset Council has launched a new partnership to help refresh the county’s roads. A Yeovil Town fan who fell ill during Easter Monday’s game against Weymouth has returned to the Bob Lucas stadium to thank everyone who helped her...and more