Monday 19th August

Monday, 19 August 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Police are appealing for witnesses to an accident on the A303 Ilminster by-pass in which three people died. People needing a repeat prescription are asked to order it before the August Bank Holiday weekend. Somerset’s Armed Forces Hubs have been shortlisted for a national award...and more.

Police are appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage to an accident on the A303 Ilminster by-pass in which three people died. It happened last Thursday at around 3.30 pm when a Skoda Yeti travelling westwards towards the Southfields roundabout collided head-on with a van. Two men and a woman in the Skoda died at the scene. Two people in the van were taken to hospital, one with serious injuries. If you witnessed the crash or have dashcam footage of either vehicle travelling on the Ilminster by-pass, you’re asked to please call the non-emergency number 101.

Engineering firm, Serco, has had its contract to deliver aircraft engineering support at RNAS Yeovilton extended by 12 months. The extension also applies to services provided by Serco at RNAS Culdrose. Serco, who employ 100 people, including 22 apprentices across the two bases, plan to take on ten apprentices as part of the contract extension.

People needing a repeat prescription are being asked to order it in advance of the upcoming August Bank Holiday weekend. NHS Somerset says over 70 Somerset pharmacies will be closed, with others having limited opening times, over the bank holiday weekend. They advise using the NHS app as the quickest way to order a repeat prescription.

A Somerset man has written a book based on his father's role in the Battle of Arnhem in 1944. Frank Hughes was part of Operation Market Garden in the Glider Pilot Regiment, where he silently flew behind enemy lines. ‘Veteran’ by Tan Hughes is on sale from today; a month ahead of the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Arnhem.

Somerset’s Armed Forces Hubs have been shortlisted for an HSJ Award. The hubs, run in partnership with the Ark Project near Merriot, have been recognised for their contribution to healthcare. The hubs are open to all members of the armed forces community, providing help to serving and retired military personnel experiencing homelessness, and mental health issues. To get in touch with the hubs, visit their website or speak to your GP, health coach, or village agent.

An employee at Leonardo in Yeovil has raised eleven hundred pounds for the Alzheimer's Society. Chris Flatt, a Liverpool supporter and keen collector of football pin badges, raised the funds by giving away some of his pin badges in a raffle.

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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.
Friday 10th July

A Yeovil woman has shared how she is still on the waiting list for a transplant, a year on. A Crewkerne community group saved two tonnes of food from landfill last month and gave it to residents in need. Yeovil Town have announced their fixture list for the 2025/26 season....and more.
Thursday 10th July

The UK Health Security Agency has issued a yellow heat health alert for the South West. A former Cherry Farm in Chard has donated its netting and high-tensile wire to Somerset Aid for Ukraine. Somerset Council is moving forward with its next phase of plans for the county...and more.