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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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