Tuesday 18th February

Tuesday, 18 February 2025 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Conservationists are celebrating after two barn owls have returned for a third year to their nestbox on the Blackdown Hills. DEFRA is urging farmers to stay vigilant as the restriction zone for the virus Bluetongue has been extended to South Somerset. Rail travellers are being advised that no services will run on the West of England Line between Yeovil Junction and Salisbury this coming weekend...and more.

Conservationists are celebrating after two barn owls have returned for a third year to their nestbox on the Blackdown Hills in South Somerset. The owls Finn and Trude are being monitored by the Somerset Wildlife Trust. You can watch them live on Owl Cam via the Trust's website.

A man has been arrested for exposing himself in Yeovil. He was seen acting suspiciously in Ninesprings Country Park on Sunday at around 3.30 pm. Police were called and he was arrested for outraging public decency and resisting arrest. Anyone who witnessed the incident or has phone footage is asked to please call the non-emergency number 101.

DEFRA is urging farmers to stay vigilant as the restriction zone for the virus Bluetongue has been extended to South Somerset. The virus spreads amongst cattle and sheep and can cause skin problems, mouth ulcers and complications in pregnancy. It rarely affects dogs and isn't a risk to human health or food safety.

Rail travellers are being advised that no services will run on the West of England Line between Yeovil Junction and Salisbury this coming weekend. A replacement bus service will operate between the stations on Saturday and Sunday. The closure is to allow Network Rail to complete repairs to the line.

Sixty children in Somerset have been taught by unaccredited online schools in the last year, costing Somerset Council more than £400,000. Online teaching is provided to children with special needs who can't manage in mainstream schools. The government says local authorities should only use accredited online schools but Somerset Council says it has to use unaccredited providers to cope with the numbers of children needing online teaching.

A member of 40 Commando in Somerset has been speaking after taking part in the first ever winter Invictus Games in Canada. Major John Whiteman, who suffers from PTSD, was competing in rowing, swimming, skiing, and sitting volleyball for Team UK. He said he had an amazing experience.

More from News

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.
Wednesday 9th July

Demolition work at Yeovil’s Glovers Walk has been held up after two colonies of bees were discovered. Refurbishment of the town’s Dunelm store is underway. A teenager from Crewkerne has represented his country, winning a gold medal in a national boxing competition... and more.