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.

More from News

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
Wednesday 3rd June

A Yeovil man has appeared in court charged with assaulting three police officers. Somerset Council has begun legal action to recover more than £320,000 owed by housing developers. The line-up has been announced for this year’s Ilminster Midsummer Experience...and more