Monday 18th May

Monday, 18 May 2026 06:00

By Steve Haigh

The RSPCA is investigating after eleven newborn puppies were abandoned in Snowdon Park in Chard. Major funding has been announced for a new two-year arts programme in Yeovil. Plans have been unveiled to improve sports facilities at Somerton Recreation Ground...and more

The RSPCA is investigating after eleven newborn puppies were abandoned in Snowdon Park in Chard. Three of the dogs, believed to have been only hours old, had already died when they were discovered by a member of the public, who took the surviving puppies to a vet. RSPCA Chief Inspector Lewis Taylor is appealing for anyone with information about the puppies, or the person responsible for abandoning them, to come forward.

Major funding has been announced for a new two-year arts programme in Yeovil. ‘Yeovil Reimagine’, led by Yeovil Art Space, has secured four hundred thousand pounds to bring inclusive arts and cultural events to the town centre. The project includes public art commissions, community partnerships and opportunities for young people to lead creative enterprises. Funding includes two hundred thousand pounds from Arts Council England, with additional support from Somerset Council and local partners. Organisers say the programme will help revitalise Yeovil’s high street and strengthen community pride.”

Plans have been unveiled to improve sports facilities at Somerton Recreation Ground. Proposals include a new pavilion, a sports hall and additional parking. Somerset Council is expected to decide by the autumn whether to fund the project.

A historic ship’s bell has been put back on display in Chard after undergoing a thorough restoration and polish. The bell, from HMS Campion, had been displayed in the Guildhall for more than forty years before being removed for cleaning after losing its shine. It was originally presented to the town after the vessel was decommissioned, in recognition of the people of Chard and their efforts in helping fund the ship’s construction at the beginning of the Second World War.

Four members of the same family from Crewkerne completed the London MoonWalk at the weekend. Evie, Chris, George and Rob took on the twenty-six-mile overnight challenge to raise money for cancer research. Rob said the cause is one that means a great deal to the whole family.

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Friday 31st July

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service says July has been its busiest month ever for emergency calls. Police have recovered a 1970s Austin Mini pick-up stolen in Shepton Mallet. A specialist spinal injuries service at Yeovil Hospital has treated three hundred patients in its first year... and more
Thursday 30th July

The Environment Agency has declared a drought across Somerset as the hot weather takes its toll on the county's water supplies. Police are appealing for witnesses following a fatal road traffic accident near Crewkerne. A bowls player from Yeovil has won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow...and more
Wednesday 29th July

Police have arrested two suspects in connection with a series of moped thefts in Chard. A combine harvester has been destroyed in a farm fire at Forton, near Chard. A bowls player from Yeovil has won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow... and more
Tuesday 28th July

The former Beales department store in Yeovil could be brought back into use as part of a wider masterplan for the future of the town. A yellow heat health alert is in place across Somerset from nine o’clock this morning until nine o’clock on Friday morning. A Somerset farmer says this year is the driest on his land since 1976... and more
Monday 27th July

Gooch and Housego, based in Ilminster and one of the town’s biggest employers, has been sold in a multi-million-pound deal to an American private equity firm. A father who shook his four-week-old baby to death at a house in Chard has been sentenced to life in prison. A doctor who works for the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance is one of five people to have jointly set a new world record for rowing around Great Britain... and more
Friday 24th July

Avon and Somerset Police are warning people to watch out for scammers posing as Amazon. The CEO of the company that provides Somerset's recycling is warning of a major incident if people continue to put used batteries in waste bins. A former Yeovil pub could be demolished to make way for a major hotel expansion.
Thursday 23rd July

The West Country is officially one step closer to being declared in drought. Somerset Council says it's remodelling its service after a children's home was closed following an inspection. A new McDonald's planned off the M5 at Bridgwater could create up to 120 local jobs... and more
Wednesday 22nd July

Two men have been jailed for stealing electrical items and cash from a property in Yeovil. Somerset Council has defended its use of Yeovil’s new performance area in The Triangle, in Lower Middle Street. Tintinhull Primary School, near Yeovil, has won a top national award for outdoor play... and more