Local News Monday 17th May

Monday, 17 May 2021 06:00

A woman who lives in Chilthorne Domer is due in court charged with the murder. Great Western Railway says from today, trains on the London Paddington line through Castle Cary, should run as ‘near normal’. A company set up by South Somerset District Council has run into financial problems. Police are advising drivers to take precautions, after a big rise in catalytic converter thefts. Chard Rotary Club is celebrating 75 years since it launched...and more.

A woman who lives in Chilthorne Domer is due in Yeovil Magistrates Court today (17-05) charged with the murder. Hayley Keating, aged 31, of Forts Orchard, Chilthorne Domer is accused of killing Matthew Wormleighton, aged 45. Mr Wormleighton died following an incident at a property in Forts Orchard, Chilthorne Domer, last Friday, 14th May.

Great Western Railway says from today, trains on the London Paddington line through Castle Cary, should run as ‘near normal’. It follows a week of cancellations on the line after cracks were found in the chassis of GWR’s trains and these trains were withdrawn from service.

A company set up by South Somerset District Council has run into financial problems. Elleston Services Limited delivers landscaping and horticulture services and was formed by the Council to bring in extra income. SSDC says Elleston Services has been running at a loss caused by the Covid pandemic. It plans to suspend the company from trading for one year to avoid further losses.

Police are advising drivers to take precautions, after a big rise in catalytic converter thefts. Avon and Somerset Police say reported thefts have soared from 21 in 2018 to 142 in the first four months of this year alone.

People in South Somerset are being invited to apply for a scholarship to train as a Community Nurse. It’s part of a new scheme run by the Queen's Nursing Institute and the National Garden Scheme aimed at connecting gardening with people's mental health.

A firm of estate agents in Castle Cary has won a top award. Roderick Thomas Estate Agents’ has been given first prize for customer service in the annual British Property Awards.

Chard Rotary Club is celebrating 75 years since it launched. The club held its inaugural meeting at the George Hotel in Chard on July 11th in 1945 and was granted its Charter on the 7th November the same year.

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Somerset Council is planning to open twelve new Special Educational Needs units in mainstream schools. Yeovil Hospital is participating in a trial that could revolutionise the treatment of sepsis within the NHS. A 55-acre site in Chard, with plans approved to build 295 homes and a new football ground, has been put up for sale...and more
Tuesday 22nd July

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Monday 21st July

A GoFundMe page set up to support families of last week’s Exmoor bus crash, in which a 10-year-old boy died, has raised over forty thousand pounds. A local councillor is calling for the introduction of speed cameras on the A30, from Yeovil to Sherborne. A group from a school in Ilchester have hiked 26 miles across the Jurassic Coast to fundraise in memory of a school colleague...and more
Friday 18th July

EDF has completed another milestone in constructing the new 'Hinkley C' nuclear power plant near Bridgwater. The Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire opens today with helicopters built in Yeovil on display. A road leading to Chard reservoir, shut two months ago for strengthening work to a dam wall, has re-opened...and more
Thursday 17th July

Yeovil MP Adam Dance says he has serious concerns about plans that could see the closure of inpatient beds at Crewkerne Community Hospital. Ilminster residents are being asked to vote in a referendum on adopting a new neighbourhood plan for the town. An event in which people take part in a race against horses is returning to Somerset later this year...and more
Wednesday 16th July

A children’s play area in Ilminster has been closed on safety grounds after badger setts were found on the land. Somerset Council sold off £90m of property assets last year to help fight off bankruptcy. Crewkerne Community Hospital could be turned into a neighbourhood health centre...and more.
Tuesday 15th July

The fire service has blamed a discarded portable barbecue for starting a blaze at Ham Hill Country Park. A care home for people with autism and complex needs in Crewkerne has been rated 'good'. A seven-year-old Yeovil boy has set a new world record for completing the most number of consecutive sit-ups for his age group...and more
Monday 14th July

Somerset Council is warning motorists against scanning QR codes at its car parks payment meters. Chard Town Council is spending £10,000 on short-term youth provision over the summer months. Former Yeovil Town player Marcus Stewart says he wants to continue raising money towards finding a cure for motor neurone disease...and more.