Tuesday 27th May

Tuesday, 27 May 2025 at 06:00

By Steve Haigh

The Government is to look at the circumstances behind the decision to close the maternity unit at Yeovil Hospital. The Royal Bath and West Show opens this week with concerns being raised about the spread of Blue Tongue disease in farm animals. An 86-year-old Somerset man is preparing for his fourth skydive to raise money for the Alzheimer's Society...and more.

The Government is to look at the circumstances behind the decision to close the maternity unit at Yeovil Hospital. The baby ward closed suddenly last week due to safety concerns raised in an inspection report by the Care Quality Commission. Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Yeovil Hospital, says the unit will remain closed for six months while a review is conducted. Expectant mothers due to give birth in Yeovil have been asked instead to attend the Royal Hospital in Bath, County Hospital in Dorchester or Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton. The government’s promise to intervene follows a public protest against the closure and a question asked of the Prime Minster by Yeovil MP Adam Dance in the House of Commons.

The Royal Bath and West Show gets underway this week, with concerns being raised about the spread of Blue Tongue disease, which affects farm animals. The show states that it has procedures and rules in place to protect against the spread of the disease, including a ban on cattle from affected areas.

Trains that run through Yeovil, Sherborne and Crewkerne stations have become the first in the country to be brought back into public ownership. South Western Railway, who operate services on the Exeter to Waterloo line, was transferred at the weekend to Great British Railways, a company wholly owned by the government.

A woman who fatally stabbed her husband at their home in Baltonsborough near Street last year has been jailed for a minimum of 15 years. Christine Kekkonen claimed she hadn't intended to injure 41-year-old Henri Kekkonen but was convicted of his murder following a trial at Bristol Crown Court.

A Somerset florist is celebrating after winning gold at last week’s Chelsea Flower Show. Georgie Newbery of Common Farm Flowers in Charlton Musgrove was awarded the top prize as a member of the Farewell Flowers Collective for their interpretation of a funeral scene, which featured flower displays and a wirework sculpture of a man and his dog visiting a graveyard.

An 86-year-old Somerset man is getting ready to do his fourth skydive to raise money for the Alzheimer's Society. Brian Standring will be jumping from 15,000 feet for the charity, which he started supporting after his close friend Alan was diagnosed with dementia in 2012. He says despite the potential risks of skydiving at his age, supporting the Alzheimer’s Society is what is important.

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Friday 30th October

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Thursday 29th October

A Yeovil man has been detained under the Mental Health Act for attacking his mother with a knife. People in Chard are being reminded that it’s unlawful to attach flags to lamp posts and street furniture. Wincanton Racecourse has called off its 'Badger Chase Day' because the ground is too firm... and more
Wednesday 28th October

Leweston School near Sherborne has announced that it is closing with immediate effect. NHS Somerset could merge with neighbours in Bath and North-East Somerset and Dorset to cut costs. Somerset’s Lord-Lieutenant has launched a campaign to get more people nominated for national honours... and more
Tuesday 27th October

Work has started building a new six-million-pound flood defence scheme in Taunton. Plans have been submitted to build a new church hall in Martock. People are being asked to donate gifts to this year’s Chard Christmas Present Appeal... and more
Monday 26th October

Eligible groups in Somerset are being encouraged to get their flu jabs. There’s a rare opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look inside Avon & Somerset Police’s control room. Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader, Daisy Cooper MP, has visited Yeovil... and more.
Friday 23rd October

Somerset is the 11th most challenging place in England to be a child according to a report. Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire could have its own elected ‘Wessex Mayor’ by 2028. Cricketer, Ian Botham returns to the county this weekend... and more.
Thursday 22nd October

The NFU says that testing for the virus Bluetongue needs to be sped up. Construction of new flats on Yeovil’s Grimsby Corner site will officially begin next year. The Met Office has issued a yellow warning for wind tomorrow... and more.
Wednesday 21st October

The owner of campsite in Somerset says a two-thousand-seven-hundred percent increase in business rates will be 'catastrophic' for his business. Plans to build nearly 300 new homes on the outskirts of Chard have been given the go ahead. Yeovil Town are through to the first round proper of the FA Cup after beating Leatherhead 5-2 at Huish Park last night... and more