Monday 20th November

Monday, 20 November 2023 06:00

By Steve Haigh

A man from Galhampton near Castle Cary has been jailed for six years for causing death by dangerous driving. Next year’s Great Dorset Steam Fair has been cancelled due to increased costs. Volunteers in Chard, led by the Mayor, Gary Shortland, have been putting up the town’s Christmas lights...and more.

A man from Galhampton near Castle Cary has been jailed for six years for causing death by dangerous driving. Anton Hull, aged 21, of Long Street in Galhampton was twice over the legal drink limit when his van hit a car being driven by Sarah Baker at Anchor Hill in Wincanton. Sarah who was 29 was pronounced dead at the scene. Moments before the crash, Hull had filmed himself on his mobile phone saying he was ‘smashed’. In a statement read in court, Sarah's family said the pain of losing her had been immeasurable.

Two men have been jailed after police found them with tens of thousands of pounds worth of drugs in Yeovil. Kyle Kennedy and Bartosz Gorczyca, both aged 21, were sentenced to nine years between them for being in possession of drugs with a value of £50,000 when arrested. Both men pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine, ketamine and MDMA.

Business owners in Somerset are being offered the chance to be paired up with successful leaders and entrepreneurs for support. Forty mentors have been lined up by Somerset Council to offer six hours of free mentoring to anyone running a business that is over a year old and employs more than two people. Anyone interested in taking part should apply online via somerset.gov.uk

A Somerset man has written a book capturing the experiences of his grandfather during World War One. David John says his grandfather talked about many things in life but it wasn’t until he had turned 80 that he opened up about his experiences of fighting in the First World War.

Volunteers in Chard, led by the Mayor, Gary Shortland, have been putting up the town’s Christmas lights. The display consists of six cross-street decorations and twenty illuminated frames on lamp posts. The lights will be officially switched on at 7.30 pm next Saturday with a Christmas craft fayre held in the Guildhall during the day. Radio Ninesprings will be hosting the Christmas lights switch-on in Chard with a live broadcast starting at 6 pm.

Next year’s Great Dorset Steam Fair has been cancelled due to higher costs of staging the event. The show is one of the most popular on the Dorset calendar but organisers say with costs rising to £5 million, ticket prices having to go up, and a risk that fewer people would attend, the event has become unaffordable.

More from News

Monday 15th June

People in Somerset are being asked to take part in a new survey about alcohol use. Yeovil's MP Adam Dance will lead a debate in Parliament today on NHS dentistry. A Yeovil runner has been selected to represent England at a national endurance championship... and more
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