Wednesday 4th December

Wednesday, 4 December 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Two weeks after Storm Bert, people in the village of Chaffcombe near Chard still do not have broadband and landline phones. A new report warns that drivers are far more likely to be killed or seriously injured on rural roads in Somerset than on urban roads. Staff and children at Tatworth Primary School near Chard are celebrating after winning the annual Somerset School's Maths Challenge.

People in the village of Chaffcombe near Chard are still without broadband and landline phones two weeks after Storm Bert. A tree that fell on cabling during high winds left more than 200 homes without broadband and phone connectivity, and no date for when normal service will be resumed. Residents say with communications cut off and a mobile phone signal virtually non-existent in the village, their main concern is not being able to contact the emergency services, should a local emergency arise (story and photo courtesy of Chard and Ilminster News).

A new report is warning that drivers are far more likely to be killed or seriously injured on rural roads in Somerset, than on urban roads. NFU Mutual, which is behind the report, says 107 people in the South West died on rural roads in 2023, compared to 34 in urban areas. NFU Mutual has now produced a Code for Countryside Roads to try and improve safety.

New times have been issued for recycling and rubbish collections over the festive period. If your usual collection day is Wednesday 25th of December it will change to Friday 27th of December. If your usual collection day is Thursday 26th of December it will change to Saturday 28th of December and if your usual pick-up day is Friday 27th of December it will change to Sunday 29th of December. All of Somerset’s recycling sites, including the one at Houndstone in Yeovil, will be open over the Christmas and New Year period, except on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. Garden collections will be suspended from Wednesday, 25th of December and will resume on Wednesday 8th of January.

Somerset Council is asking for comments on proposed changes to admission arrangements to schools in the County. This includes proposed changes to catchment areas, the number of school places available and how they are allocated. If you have a child due to start or transfer school in September 2026 you may wish to make a comment. The consultation is open now and runs until January 20th.

A Somerset business has been talking about its involvement with the hit film Wicked, which is currently showing in cinemas. Coates English Willow made a balloon basket for the movie.

Staff and children at Tatworth Primary School near Chard are celebrating after winning the annual Somerset School's Maths Challenge. 60 schools took part in the day-long competition with Tatworth's Year-six team, led by teachers, Mrs Hewitson and Mrs Webb, emerging as the overall winners

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Wednesday 22nd January

Somerset Council is to pay for fifty-bed spaces in nursing homes so that patients can be discharged from hospital quicker. Yeovil MP, Adam Dance, is calling for improved disabled access at Pen Mill and Yeovil Junction railway stations. Crewkerne could soon get a new farm shop...and more.
Tuesday 21st January

A Yeovil man, who drove while on drugs, injuring two children, has been given a one-year suspended prison sentence. Somerset cider maker, Thatchers, has won a trademark battle against Aldi. Secret World Wildlife Rescue Centre is looking for more land for its animals...and more.
Monday 20th January

Somerset Council says a government review of adult social care could cause the Council to go bankrupt. A pilot scheme in Somerset aimed at cutting hospital admissions to A&E by the most vulnerable patients has shown a 50 per cent reduction in visits. Somerset celebrity chef Josh Eggleton is converting a double-decker bus to help promote healthier eating in schools...and more.
Friday 17th January

Bruton Primary School is the latest to have a barrier installed outside the school to stop parents parking when dropping off and picking up children. A man has appeared in court charged with being drunk and disorderly at Yeovil Hospital. A veteran of World War Two in Castle Cary has been awarded France’s highest military and civil distinction...and more
Thursday 16th January

A Chard woman has appeared in court after driving her car towards a crowd of people who, she claimed, were causing a disturbance. Crewkerne residents will soon be provided with a new banking hub. Work has started removing 14 trees along the embankment of Chard Reservoir...and more
Wednesday 15th January

A Yeovil man has been arrested on suspicion of engaging in sexual communication with a child. A Community Fridge in Shepton Mallet says it saved ten tonnes of unwanted food from going to landfill in the run-up to Christmas. Somerset Council has started collecting empty toothpaste tubes for recycling at the kerbside for the first time...and more
Tuesday 14th January

Police are appealing for witnesses after two people died in a car crash near Shepton Mallet. A new passing loop could be introduced on the rail line between Castle Cary and Yeovil Pen Mill stations. St Margaret’s Hospice has thanked the public for making this year’s Christmas Tree Recycling project their most successful ever...and more
Monday 13th January

Plans to build forty-six new homes in Castle Cary have been rejected for a third time. Yeovil MP Adam Dance says he has no plans to step down from his dual role as a member of Somerset Council. Rug Ratz in Yeovil is closing permanently today, leaving the town without a children's soft play space...and more.