Local News Wednesday 15th December

Wednesday, 15 December 2021 06:00

Trudi Grant, Director of Public Health at Somerset County Council

Somerset’s Director of Public Health is urging people to do Covid tests before meeting with other people and to meet up in well-ventilated spaces. South Somerset District Council has confirmed that two senior members of staff have left the organisation after an investigation into multiple potential breaches of their code of conduct. A teaching union is calling for a staggered start to the return to school in January and for additional on-site testing facilities to help deal with the spread of Omicron...and more.

Somerset’s Director of Public Health is urging people to do Covid tests before meeting with other people and to meet up in well-ventilated spaces. Trudi Grant says it's only a matter of time before the Omicron becomes the dominant Covid variant in Somerset.

South Somerset District Council has confirmed that two senior members of staff have left the organisation after an investigation into multiple potential breaches of their code of conduct. Earlier this year the council says it was made aware of allegations against two senior team members. The investigation was kept confidential to ensure that the appropriate evidence was gathered and any disciplinary proceedings resulting from the investigations were fair and legal. The names of those involved and the exact reasons for their departure have not been made public

A teaching union is calling for a staggered start to the return to school in January and for additional on-site testing facilities to help deal with the spread of Omicron. The NASUWT in Somerset says in some schools up to half of the teaching workforce is not at work due to Covid related illnesses.

Chard’s Emily Greenway has taken the bronze medal at the European Powerlifting Championships in Sweden. Her final score in the three categories was 190kg squat; 92.5kg bench and a 200kg deadlift that was a new personal best. Next for Emily is the British Championships in March, where she will compete for a place in Team GB, but before that and perhaps more importantly for Emily, she will be getting married early in the New Year.

Another artist has been announced for Live in Somerset in Taunton next year. Rag and Bone Man will perform at Vivary Park on Saturday 27th August. Ollie Murs and Simply Red have already been confirmed for the late Bank holiday weekend live event.

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