Monday 20th November

Monday, 20 November 2023 06:00

By Steve Haigh

A man from Galhampton near Castle Cary has been jailed for six years for causing death by dangerous driving. Next year’s Great Dorset Steam Fair has been cancelled due to increased costs. Volunteers in Chard, led by the Mayor, Gary Shortland, have been putting up the town’s Christmas lights...and more.

A man from Galhampton near Castle Cary has been jailed for six years for causing death by dangerous driving. Anton Hull, aged 21, of Long Street in Galhampton was twice over the legal drink limit when his van hit a car being driven by Sarah Baker at Anchor Hill in Wincanton. Sarah who was 29 was pronounced dead at the scene. Moments before the crash, Hull had filmed himself on his mobile phone saying he was ‘smashed’. In a statement read in court, Sarah's family said the pain of losing her had been immeasurable.

Two men have been jailed after police found them with tens of thousands of pounds worth of drugs in Yeovil. Kyle Kennedy and Bartosz Gorczyca, both aged 21, were sentenced to nine years between them for being in possession of drugs with a value of £50,000 when arrested. Both men pleaded guilty to being concerned in the supply of cocaine, ketamine and MDMA.

Business owners in Somerset are being offered the chance to be paired up with successful leaders and entrepreneurs for support. Forty mentors have been lined up by Somerset Council to offer six hours of free mentoring to anyone running a business that is over a year old and employs more than two people. Anyone interested in taking part should apply online via somerset.gov.uk

A Somerset man has written a book capturing the experiences of his grandfather during World War One. David John says his grandfather talked about many things in life but it wasn’t until he had turned 80 that he opened up about his experiences of fighting in the First World War.

Volunteers in Chard, led by the Mayor, Gary Shortland, have been putting up the town’s Christmas lights. The display consists of six cross-street decorations and twenty illuminated frames on lamp posts. The lights will be officially switched on at 7.30 pm next Saturday with a Christmas craft fayre held in the Guildhall during the day. Radio Ninesprings will be hosting the Christmas lights switch-on in Chard with a live broadcast starting at 6 pm.

Next year’s Great Dorset Steam Fair has been cancelled due to higher costs of staging the event. The show is one of the most popular on the Dorset calendar but organisers say with costs rising to £5 million, ticket prices having to go up, and a risk that fewer people would attend, the event has become unaffordable.

More from News

Thursday 3rd April

Two-thirds of employers in Somerset say the hike in employers' National Insurance will mean cutting staff. Police are investigating incidents of repeated damage at Somerton recreation ground. A man has been arrested in Chard on suspicion of indecent exposure. The story of the Monmouth Rebellion is being told in a new exhibition...and more
Wednesday 2nd April

Leonardo Helicopters has won a £165 million repair and maintenance contract that will secure 200 jobs at the Yeovil factory. Police are searching for a thief who stole a safe containing £1500 in cash from a pub in Ilminster. Alzheimer's UK says the number of people with dementia in Somerset is massively under-recorded... and more.
Tuesday 1st April

Police are investigating the cause of a suspicious fire at the former Oscar Mayer site in Chard. Yeovil Town owner, Martin Hellier, has stepped down as club chairman. According to the website, Property Solvers, Martock has the slowest housing market in Somerset. A new Head Teacher has been appointed to run Sexeys School in Bruton...and more
Monday 31st March

Yeovil Town owner Martin Hellier has announced his intention to put the club up for sale. Somerset Chamber of Commerce says small businesses are bracing themselves for a challenging year. The Children's Hospice South West founder, Eddie Farwell, has died. Tintinhull Gardens near Yeovil have reopened for the new season...and more
Friday 28th March

First Bus has invested £12 million in buying 26 electric buses to run on routes in Somerset. Approval has been given to build 18 new homes in South Petherton. Somerset’s recycling sites, including Yeovil, will revert to their spring opening times next week. This year’s Somerset Drama Festival has been won by Ilminster Entertainments Society...and more.
Thursday 27th March

Yeovil MP Adam Dance has criticised the Chancellor for not reforming business rates in her Spring Statement. Fifteen schools in Somerset are to be equipped with new facilities for children with special educational needs. A charity in Yeovil is appealing for donations of new underwear to give to people who are homeless...and more
Wednesday 26th March

The remains of a Roman settlement have been discovered near Langport. Chard Town Council has issued a formal apology over some of its recent conduct. Visitors to Ham Hill Country Park are being asked to tread carefully and keep pets on leads to protect breeding skylarks nesting at ground-level...and more
Tuesday 25th March

A teenage boy has been arrested following an incident in Castle Cary. Somerset Council has announced “wide-ranging improvements” to bus services. Work has started upgrading a doctor’s surgery in Chard. The finalists have been announced for this year’s Somerset Business Awards...and more