Thursday 31st October

Thursday, 31 October 2024 05:00

By Steve Haigh

Yeovil MP Adam Dance is raising new questions about closing the hyper-acute stroke unit at Yeovil Hospital. Somerset Council Leader Bill Revans says yesterday's Budget failed to address local government's financial challenges. Chard High Street will be closed to traffic this evening for a trick-and-treat event to be held...and more

Yeovil MP Adam Dance is raising new questions about the decision to close the hyper-acute stroke unit at Yeovil Hospital. It’s due to shut in two years with services transferred to Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton and the County Hospital in Dorchester. But Mr Dance, who’s fighting to save Yeovil’s hyper-acute stroke unit, says it has a stable workforce that is doing a good job, so why spend £4 million to close? Meanwhile, Mr Dance says he’ll continue to pressure the Health Secretary, Wess Streeting, to review the closure decision.

Somerset Council Leader, Bill Revans says yesterday's Budget did not go far enough to address the local government's fundamental financial challenges. He says he was pleased the Chancellor referenced some areas of concern, but on the bigger issue of funding adult social care, no proper help was given. Councillor Revans says a major disappointment was confirmation that dualling the A358 between Ilminster and Taunton has been dropped.

Ilminster-based systems manufacturer, Gooch and Housego, has acquired the component manufacturer, Phoenix Optical for £6.8 million. Gooch and Housego, who employ around 250 people say the acquisition will accelerate its reach in the UK and European aerospace and defence markets.

Chard Community Hub is appealing for donations of food and toiletries to its Community Fridge project. It says with rising living costs and changes to Winter Fuel Payments, the appeal is more crucial than ever. Items they’d like donated include tinned vegetables, meat, such as ham and tinned tuna, tea, coffee and sugar, and toiletries. All items must be unopened and in-date.

Chard High Street will be closed to traffic this evening for a trick-and-treat event. The night kicks off with a dance performance by the Kelly Leigh School of Dance, followed by a pumpkin carving competition and a spooky disco at the Guildhall.

A new boarding facility for dogs and cats has opened at Ferne Animal Sanctuary near Chard. To make it comfortable, the dog kennels are fitted with under-floor heating, while gentle music plays in the cattery to calm the cats.

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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