Dog owners in South Somerset are being advised to prepare their pets for the end of lockdown. A Yeovil man who committed a string of sexual assaults spanning nearly 40 years has been jailed for 17-years. Extra volunteers are needed at Somerset's Covid vaccination centres. Avon and Somerset's new police and crime commissioner is seeking to recruit a deputy...and more.
Dog owners in South Somerset are being advised to prepare their pets for the end of lockdown. The RSPCA says suddenly leaving a dog at home without company can encourage destructive or aggressive behaviour as part of a stress reaction.
A Yeovil man who committed a string of sexual assaults spanning nearly 40 years has been jailed for 17-years. Barry Dunthorn, of Hendford Grove, was found guilty of nine counts of sexual assault on four males following a trial at Taunton Crown Court. The court heard how Dunthorn groomed his victims by giving them cash payments.
Extra volunteers are needed at Somerset's Covid vaccination centres. Although no appointments have yet been cancelled, fewer people are volunteering because they're returning to work or taking a holiday.
Avon and Somerset's new police and crime commissioner is seeking to recruit a deputy. Mark Shelford, who took over the role in May, says he wants the post holder to help him seek the views and concerns of local people.
People in the Bath and Wells diocese are being asked in a questionnaire who they would most like as their new Bishop. Peter Hancock retired as Bishop of Bath and Wells in May. The process to find his successor is expected to take a year to complete. People are asked to express their preferences in a survey on the Bath and Wells diocesan website.
Tourism leaders in Somerset are hoping to reverse last year’s downturn in visitor numbers now that the six-week-long school summer holiday is underway. A Chard woman who was driving a van without insurance that crashed has been given a 16-month driving ban. A Somerset hedgehog rescue centre says a lack of rain and hard ground conditions are making it difficult for hedgehogs to survive this summer...and more.
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
Somerset Community Foundation has launched a "Together for West Somerset Appeal" to help families affected by last Thursday's school coach crash on Exmoor. People in Somerset are being encouraged to improve their recycling of food waste. Free family cooking sessions are being held in Chard. A new children’s soft play area is soon to open in Yeovil...and more
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
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
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
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.
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
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