Local News Wednesday 8th December

Wednesday, 8 December 2021 06:00

The UK Health Security Agency is investigating two confirmed cases of the Omicron Covid variant linked to a private party held in Somerset. A survey’s been launched asking people in South Somerset if they would pay more for local policing. Children and young people in South Somerset, who are eligible for free school meals, are being offered free sports sessions during the Christmas break. South Somerset District Council has opened three new employment and skills hubs to help local people find jobs and receive training...and more.

The UK Health Security Agency is investigating two confirmed cases of the Omicron Covid variant linked to a private party held in Somerset. It says there are further suspected cases under investigation linked to the same event. The agency says wherever Omicron is identified or suspected, they will follow up with contacts to emphasise the importance of self-isolation and testing.

A survey’s been launched asking people in South Somerset if they would pay more for local policing. Avon and Somerset’s Police and Crime Commissioner, Mark Shelford says if households paid an extra £10 a year in council tax, it would mean savings in running the force would be less likely. Home Office grant funding to the Avon and Somerset Police will increase over the next financial year but the Crime Commissioner says it won’t be enough to manage inflationary pressures, like pay rises. You can take part in the online survey via the Avon and Somerset Police website, until the 21st of January.

Children and young people in South Somerset, who are eligible for free school meals, are being offered free sports sessions during the Christmas break. It's part of the Marcus Rashford school meals initiative and is being run by Somerset Activity and Sports Partnership in conjunction with the County Council.

South Somerset District Council has opened three new employment and skills hubs to help local people find jobs and receive training. The opportunities hubs at Chard Library, the Balsam Centre in Wincanton, and at Yeovil Library, are being run in partnership with the social housing provider Abri.

Production of the sparkling pear drink Babycham is about to return to Somerset. Brothers Drinks have re-acquired the Babycham brand and will re-launch it next year with production based at their Shepton Mallet factory. To celebrate the re-launch, the famous yellow Babycham Bambi, which has stood outside in Shepton Mallet for sixty years, has been re-painted and moved to a more prominent location at Kilver Court on the A37.

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Tuesday 29th April

New figures have shown that registering as a new patient with an NHS dentist in Somerset is still just as difficult as it was six months ago. The go-ahead has been given to build 160 new houses on Station Road in Castle Cary. A sailor from South Petherton has been chosen to lead a team in the round-the-world Clipper Race...and more.
Monday 28th April

Somerset Council is being criticised for taking too long to re-open Yeovil's Octagon Theatre. The Liberal Democrats have won a seat on Chard Town Council by one vote. Dates have been announced for this year’s illuminated carnival processions in South Somerset...and more.
Friday 25th April

Police are investigating the theft of a motorbike in Ilminster. Tributes have been paid to the former Yeovil Town player-manager, Cecil Irwin, who has died aged 83. Town criers from across the South West will be in Yeovil tomorrow competing for the loudest voice in the Yeovil Town Crier Competition 2025...and more
Thursday 24th April

Police are appealing for witnesses to an accident in which a child was struck by a car in Yeovil. This week, a planning inquiry is being held into plans to turn a Somerset shopping centre into a retirement complex. A Somerset woman is planning to walk the 70-miles of Hadrian's Wall to mark her 90th birthday...and more.
Wednesday 23rd April

Tourism bosses in Somerset say they feel confident the County will have a good summer for visitors this year. A group representing care providers in Somerset is warning that some residential homes are at risk of going out of business due to rising costs. A Somerset animal charity has taken into care, three orphaned badger cubs...and more.
Tuesday 22nd April

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