Tuesday 28th January

Tuesday, 28 January 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Work continues to clean up from the floods in Chard, Ilminster, Somerton, South Petherton, and parts of Yeovil. A man who threatened to kill a support worker at the mental health unit in Yeovil has been sentenced to a community order. A competition that gives new musicians the chance to play at this year's Glastonbury festival has opened for entries...and more

Work continues to clean up from the floods in Chard, Ilminster, Somerton, South Petherton, and parts of Yeovil. The major incident, declared by Somerset Council, remains in force this morning to ensure a multi-agency approach to the emergency. 12 flood warnings for Somerset, including along the catchments of the Rivers Isle, Parrett and Brue, issued by the Environment Agency also remain in force. Yeovil MP, Adam Dance, is asking for people’s experiences of dealing with floods, as part of his campaign to get more money invested by the central government in flood prevention.

A man who threatened to kill a support worker at the mental health unit where he lived in Yeovil has been sentenced to a community order. Matthew Hunniset, aged 23, of Bladen Valley, Briantspuddle, in Dorset, pleaded guilty to assaulting Hannah Martin and using or threatening unlawful violence towards her. After receiving a pre-sentence report from the Probation Service, magistrates in Yeovil told Hunniset they had come close to sending him to prison. Instead, they sentenced him to a 12-month community order, with 30 rehabilitation activity days, and a 120-day tagged alcohol treatment order. He was also ordered to pay the victim £250 compensation.

A former 40 Commando and triple amputee from Somerset is waiting for a new world record to be verified by the Guinness Book of World Records. At the weekend, Mark Ormrod became the first person to pull a two-and-a-half-ton truck more than 100 metres.

Somerset Sight is looking for volunteers to support blind and partially sighted people in Yeovil. The roles involve visiting people at home for companionship, helping with their correspondence, and accompanying them on shared outings. Details of how to apply as a volunteer can be found on the Somerset Sight website.

The first of a series of face-to-face dementia clinics takes place in Yeovil today. The sessions, hosted by Dementia UK's Admiral Nurses, offer practical and emotional support for dementia patients. The clinics are taking place at the Yeovil branch of Nationwide in Middle Street over the next 3-days, starting from today.

A competition that gives new musicians the chance to play at this year's Glastonbury festival has opened for entries. The winners of the Emerging Talent Competition will play one of the main stages and be awarded a five thousand pound Talent Development prize. The closing date to apply is February 3rd.

More from News

Friday 13th March

The first of the new medium lift helicopters being built by Leonardo in Yeovil for the RAF will be delivered in 2031. Somerset Council has launched a public consultation on planned new charges at its two hundred public car parks. More women in Somerset are said to be taking up walking football... and more
Thursday 12th March

A Yeovil headteacher says he’s concerned about plans to stop giving school holiday food vouchers to families on low incomes. The owner of Yeovil Town is calling on fans to be patient as he continues his overhaul of the National League side. A high voltage fault is being blamed for plunging 1700 homes into darkness in the Ilminster area... and more
Wednesday 11th March

Plans have been submitted to convert two properties in Yeovil into houses of multiple occupation. A new court date has been announced for a Yeovil man charged with attempted murder. An engineer who has worked at the Leonardo factory in Yeovil for 40-years has won a top industry award... and more
Tuesday 10th March

Police say a fire at the former Oscar Mayer food factory in Chard was started deliberately. Yeovil College says it would have been adversely affected had Leonardo not won the contract to build new medium-lift helicopters. A seven-foot dragon will be visiting towns and villages in our area during the next few weeks to promote Somerset Day... and more
Monday 9th March

Two Wildcat helicopters from 815 Squadron at RNAS Yeovilton have arrived in Cyprus to help protect RAF Akrotiri from further Iranian drone strikes. New figures show that 40 people were killed on Avon and Somerset’s roads in the last 12-months. A Somerset man has been recalling the day 60-years ago when he was a passenger on the last train on the Somerset and Dorset Railway... and more
Friday 6th March

Defence Minister Luke Pollard has been explaining why it took the government so long to confirm a contract for the Leonardo in Yeovil to build new medium lift helicopters for the RAF. Police are investigating a break in at a pet shop in Ilminster. Somerset Council is to stop using red ink on council tax reminder letters... and more
Thursday 5th March

Two military helicopters from RNAS Yeovilton are being sent to Cyprus to help bolster UK’s defences amid the US-Israel war with Iran. Yeovil Town Council is seeking legal advice over the closure of the hyper acute stroke unit at Yeovil Hospital. Flood warnings have been lifted on the Somerset Levels... and more
Wednesday 4th March

A man has died in a fire in Wincanton. Somerset Council is planning further cuts of twenty-one million pounds to help balance its books. A campaign to raise £30,000 for a minibus has been launched in Chard... and more