Tuesday 8th October

Tuesday, 8 October 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

A mother has pleaded not guilty to murdering her two-week-old baby son at Yeovil Hospital. A Yeovil man with two previous drink driving offences has escaped being sent to prison after refusing to take a breath test. Somerset gymnast Laura Gallagher has announced her retirement after 20 years in the sport...and more.

A mother has pleaded not guilty to murdering her two-week-old baby son at Yeovil Hospital. Brendon Staddon was born prematurely at thirty-three weeks in February and died in March. His mother, Sophie Staddon, aged 20, was appearing at Bristol Crown Court where she pleaded not guilty to murder and to causing or allowing the death of a child. This story is courtesy of BBC.

A Yeovil man with two previous drink driving offences has escaped being sent to prison after refusing to take a breath test. Appearing at Yeovil Magistrates Court, Jordan Maggs of St Michael’s Avenue pleaded guilty to failing to provide a specimen of breath when stopped by Police while driving in Crewkerne. Maggs was sentenced to a 12-month community order with an Alcohol Abstinence programme and banned from driving for 18 months with a £200 fine. This story is courtesy of Chard and Ilminster News.

An organisation representing water users in Somerset says a new way of charging households isn't likely to make a difference to what people pay for water. Bristol Water will lower prices in the winter but increase them in the summer to persuade people to use less water. Head of Engagement at the Consumer Council for Water, Cath Jones, says it’s doubtful the new charging scheme will have much impact.

The Somerset gymnast Laura Gallagher has announced her retirement after 20 years in the sport. Laura, who represented Team GB on the trampoline at the Olympics in Tokyo in 2021 and is a World and European Medalist, says she wants to spend more time with her family.

St Margaret's Hospice is asking people to put on an item of yellow clothing this week to help raise awareness of the work of the hospice. The Wear It Yellow campaign is part of Hospice Care Week with money raised supporting the charity's hospices in Taunton and Yeovil.

A new volunteer-run community café has opened in Chard. The CommuniTEA Waffle in Holyrood Street is described as a free space for people of all ages to meet, offering a family room and community bookshelf.

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