Monday 11th March

Monday, 11 March 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

A man and a woman are due in court today charged with the murder of a baby boy at Yeovil Hospital. Somerset Council is to stop providing free sandbags to homeowners at times of major flooding. Students at Holyrood Academy in Chard have been invited to perform one of their shows at the Bristol Old Vic...and more

A man and a woman are due to appear at Bristol Crown Court in connection with the death of a baby boy during an incident at Yeovil Hospital. Brendon Staddon who was just two weeks old died in Yeovil Hospital last week. Daniel Gunter and Sophie Staddon both of no fixed address have been charged with his murder and of causing or allowing the death of a child.

Communities affected by flooding will no longer be given free sandbags by Somerset Council. The move is part of a raft of cost-cutting measures at Somerset Council, with homeowners being told that it’s their responsibility to protect their properties in the event of a flood.

It’s believed that a blaze in an empty property in Crewkerne was started deliberately. The three-storey derelict house on Abbey Street went up in flames last Wednesday. A short time earlier, Police received a call from a member of the public saying that a group of youths had broken into the property. Anyone who can help Police with enquiries is asked to call the non-emergency number 101.

Keeping Somerset's streets and public toilets clean could become the responsibility of town and parish councils as Somerset Council seeks to cut costs. The Council currently has contracts with IDVerde for street cleaning and grounds maintenance, which were inherited from the four district councils upon their abolition in April 2023. Rather than extending the agreements, Somerset Council plans to bring the services in-house as the contracts expire, saving between £200,000 and £300,000 a year. But the council believes it could save even more if the services are devolved to town and parish councils - something which could lead to further rises in local council tax bills.

A Somerset-based photographer is exhibiting her photos of the 'devastating' flooding of the Levels ten years on. Matilda Temperley's photos are on display until 19th May at the Somerset Rural Life Museum in Glastonbury. Alongside the exhibition, a programme of events and activities is taking take place supported by Somerset Rivers Authority.

A group of students at Holyrood Academy in Chard have been invited to perform one of their shows in Bristol later this month. The Year 10 to 13 students will stage their production of Kiss, Marry, Push off a cliff, at the Bristol Old Vic on Tuesday, March 19th.

More from News

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.
Tuesday 23rd April

Two teenage boys have admitted animal cruelty after filming themselves throwing a lamb down a stone staircase at Montacute. Somerset Council could lose around £5 million by selling the Marks and Spencer building in Yeovil. Chard, Wincanton, Castle Cary and Ansford are on a list of fifteen places in Somerset where new 20 mph speed limits could soon be introduced...and more.
Monday 22nd April

The parents of a two-week-old baby boy, accused of his murder at Yeovil Hospital, are to stand trial. Protesters have splashed red paint across the front of County Hall in Taunton for a second time. A comedy film about the world of competitive marrow-growing and made in Shepton Mallet has opened in cinemas across the UK...and more.
Friday 19th April

Work starts today building a new eastbound carriageway as part of dualling the A303 between Sparkford and Podimore. A childhood obesity clinic in Somerset has revealed that it is treating children as young as eight months old. Somerset Wildlife Trust has launched a campaign to recruit an army of young people to act as conservation champions...and more.
Thursday 18th April

A Martock man has been jailed after admitting to shining lasers at aircraft flying over Yeovil. Police are investigating an attempted break-in at the TK Maxx store at Babylon Hill. Nearly four hundred people have put their names forward for redundancy at Somerset Council...and more.
Wednesday 17 April

Three local primary schools have been named on a list of England's top five hundred primary schools. A new co-working space for businesswomen has opened in Wincanton. Urgent repairs are being carried out to Ilminster's new public clock after it started showing the wrong time...and more