Wednesday 18th February

Wednesday, 18 February 2026 05:00

By Steve Haigh

New figures have shown a rise in cases of suicide involving farmers, including in Somerset. Plans to merge the parishes of Castle Cary and Ansford have been scrapped. A Somerset-based charity working to end homelessness is marking its 50th anniversary... and more

New figures have shown a rise in cases of suicide involving farmers, including in Somerset. Nationally, 47 farmers were recorded to have taken their own life in 2024; a seven percent increase on 2022. The Farm Safety Foundation is urging farmers to seek help and to do more to support each other.

Plans to merge Castle Cary with its neighbour Ansford have been scrapped due to "insufficient support" from residents. Following a petition calling for the merger, Somerset Council held a public consultation with the results debated at a meeting of the council's constitution and governance committee. They showed support at 53.6 per cent for the merger but with 35.3 per cent of people living in Ansford not wanting it. After being told the results, the committee voted against merging the two parishes at the present time.

Businesses on the A361 in Somerset say trade has collapsed due to flooding. Despite the A361 remaining open, traders say motorists think they're closed and that Somerset Council should do more to support businesses affected by flooding. Somerset Council says it's happy to review road signs on the A361 but that its priority is to keep people safe and away from roads which are flooded.

Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service has set its budget for the new 2026/27 financial year. From April, its share of the council tax will increase by £5 a year, equivalent to a 4.8 per cent rise. Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service says the increase is needed to meet existing demands and to persuade the government to give it better funding.

The new owner of the Plaza cinema in Wincanton, which re-opened this week after years of standing empty, says he hopes local people will give it their support. The Plaza began life as a cinema 90 years ago and after closing in the 1990’s became a community church. Pat Scott, who’s invested heavily in restoring the Plaza says he’s glad to be bringing cinema back in Wincanton.

A Somerset-based charity working to end homelessness is marking its 50th anniversary. Formed in Taunton in 1976, ARC supports people experiencing housing insecurity and is staging a year-long programme of events to highlight its good work.

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Tuesday 17th March

The government is being asked to help fund Somerset's carnivals. Bridgwater Town Council wants more trains to stop at the town’s railway station. A fund raising pie throwing event is taking place for Red Nose Day in Chard... and more
Monday 16th March

Drivers are being told that it could take several more weeks yet before Hendford Hill in Yeovil reopens to traffic. A new bus service between Glastonbury and Castle Cary railway station is to start on a trial basis. Children in Chard are being given free reading books as part of a scheme founded by Dolly Parton... and more
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