A woman motorist, convicted of drug driving and causing the deaths of two people on the A303 near Wincanton, has been jailed. Yeovil Hospital has been criticised for what it charges visitors to park on the hospital site. A woman in Chiselborough is participating this week in the Global 6K Walk for Water challenges...and more.
A woman motorist, convicted of drug driving and causing the deaths of two people on the A303 near Wincanton, has been jailed for three and a half years. Thelma Huse and Tony Mist both died after a Mercedes driven by Jessica Higgs struck their Fiat 500. Appearing at Taunton Crown Court, Higgs of Imber Road in Warminster, was also banned from driving for six years and eight months. In a statement, Avon and Somerset Police said the accident was yet another painful reminder that driving under the influence of drugs is a deadly decision that puts innocent road users at serious risk.
Yeovil Hospital has been criticised for what it charges visitors to park on the hospital site. It follows a Freedom of Information request by the Royal College of Nursing that showed Yeovil Hospital collected £40,300 in parking charges last year from motorists using the multi-storey car park, opposite the main hospital building. Speaking at a meeting of the NHS Somerset integrated care board, Ray Tostevin, a Yeovil and District Trades Union Council member, called for parking charges at Yeovil Hospital to be reduced, and eventually abolished.
A Somerset woman has swum the English Channel from Dover to France raising money for Yeovil Hospital. Hannah Litchfield completed the crossing in 12 hours and four minutes and raised £1,500.
A best scarecrow competition is taking place in the village of Barrington with rivalry between homeowners to win first prize. Scarecrows on display include Woody from Toy Story, Spiderman, and Beefy Botham.
A woman in Chiselborough is taking part in the Global 6K Walk for Water challenge. Hannah Lefeuvre is walking 6 kilometres every day this week, helping to bring clean water to vulnerable children and their communities. Hannah has so far raised £500 for World Vision UK who organise the Global 6K Walk for Water challenge.
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
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
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
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
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.
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
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
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