Local News Monday 7th March

Monday, 7 March 2022 06:00

There’s renewed concern over the safety of pregnant ewes and newborn sheep in Somerset. The Liberal Democrats have taken a seat from the Conservatives after a by-election in South Somerset. A Yeovil care home has been put up for sale and could be redeveloped by a new owner. A Somerset man who gave up one of his kidneys to help a friend says it was an easy decision to make. A local man has been fined £400 after being caught driving at twice the speed limit on Tunnel Road at Beaminster...and more.

There’s renewed concern over the safety of pregnant ewes and newborn sheep in Somerset. Insurers, NFU Mutual, say farm animals with a value of £228,000 were either killed or injured by dogs in the South West last year. Rebecca Davidson from NFU Mutual says too many owners still let their dogs roam free in the countryside when they should be keeping them on a lead.

The Liberal Democrats have taken a seat from the Conservatives after a by-election in South Somerset. Ray Buckler was elected after receiving 390 votes, the Conservatives got 315. It's the first time the Lib Dems have held the Neroche seat on South Somerset District Council. Councillor Buckler will serve as a member of SSDC up to May 2023 after which the Council will cease to exist and be replaced by Somerset’s new unitary council.

A Yeovil care home has been put up for sale and could be redeveloped by a new owner. Cool Runnings Too, on Preston Road, is advertised with a guide price of £450,000.

A Somerset man who gave up one of his kidneys to help a friend says it was an easy decision to make. Jason Wide shared a house with his friend Philip Church and saw how ill he became due to kidney failure. When Jason discovered he was a match, he says it was obvious he had to help.

A local man has been fined £400 after being caught driving at twice the speed limit on Tunnel Road at Beaminster. Benjamin Docherty of Compton Pauncefoot, near Wincanton, was clocked travelling at 61 mph in a 30-mph zone. Apart from the fine, he was also given six penalty points by local magistrates.

The British Red Cross in Somerset is appealing for more volunteers to come forward. They’re looking for drivers to take cancer patients to and from appointments.

Baby eels that have travelled thousands of miles have started to arrive in Somerset. The Glass Eels started life near the Caribbean, and are now being given extra protection on rivers in Somerset by the Environment Agency.

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Friday 3rd May

Labour’s Clare Moody is the new Police and Crime Commissioner for Avon and Somerset. Somerset Council is looking to buy the Glovers Walk Shopping Centre in Yeovil, including Yeovil Bus Station. One of the biggest events in Yeovil’s outdoor calendar, the Abbey Hill Steam Rally, starts today...and more.
Thursday 2nd May

Voting is taking place today to elect a new Police and Crime Commissioner for Avon and Somerset. NHS Somerset says the hyper-acute stroke unit at Yeovil Hospital will stay open until a new replacement unit is built in Dorchester. A supermarket worker has retired after spending 52 years working at the same store in Ilminster...and more.
Wednesday 1st May

SUEZ, the company that collects Somerset’s waste is warning it may cease operations. Twenty thousand pounds is being spent cleaning red paint off the front of County Hall in Taunton following a series of pro-Palestinian demonstrations. An occupational therapist at Yeovil Hospital has won an award for her smart appearance at work...and more.
Tuesday 30th April

Somerset Council is taking legal action to remove an arms company from one of its commercial properties. Waste collection days across Somerset are set to change next month due to two impending bank holidays. An archaeological survey has begun on the proposed site of a new skate park in Bruton... and more.
Monday 29th April

Somerset’s busiest speed camera in 2023 has been revealed as the camera on the westbound carriageway of the A303 between the Podimore Roundabout and the Hazelgrove Roundabout. Bus campaigners are calling on Somerset Council to keep the public toilets open at Yeovil bus station. The funeral has taken place in Yeovil of D-Day veteran, Bill Tolley, who has died at the age of 97...and more.
Friday 26 April

A man has been arrested in Castle Cary and charged with stalking, harassment and making threats to kill. The NHS in Somerset says its staff retention rate has improved over the past two years. A farmer in South Petherton is preparing to cycle 1,000 miles to raise money for charity...and more.
Thursday 25th April

The NHS is offering spring COVID-19 vaccines to people in Somerset who are at increased risk of serious illness from the virus. A new way of making roads safer for children in Somerset has started this week. A Yeovil-based apprentice has been named as a winner in the JTL Regional Awards. Haselbury Mill near Crewkerne has been put up for sale...and more
Wednesday 24th April

Yeovil Town FC have sent a strongly worded letter to the Football Association asking for plans to end FA Cup replays to be dropped. A Somerset woman who's spent the last 32 years living with Hepatitis C, says better support is needed for those affected by the contaminated blood scandal. A new school of musical theatre has opened in Chard...and more.