Local News Monday 7th November

Monday, 7 November 2022 06:00

Yeovil’s Marlie Packer was among the try scorers in England’s win against Canada to go through to the final of the Women’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. A Wincanton man has appeared in court charged with raping and kidnapping a woman. The South Western Ambulance Service which operates in Yeovil and across South Somerset has the longest wait times in the country for speaking with an operator in an emergency. Yeovil’s Octagon theatre is set to benefit from new arts funding...and more.

Yeovil’s Marlie Packer was among the try scorers in England’s win against Canada to go through to the final of the Women’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. The final score was England 26 - Canada 19. England now play the hosts New Zealand in the final next Saturday. Marlie Packer began her playing career with Yeovil Rugby Club.

A Wincanton man has appeared in court charged with raping and kidnapping a woman. Gary Bridger of Dancing Lane was appearing at Bournemouth Crown Court. The charges relate to incidents on July 7th in Sherborne. Bridger, who pleaded not guilty will stand trial on Tuesday, January 3rd, 2023.

The South Western Ambulance Service which operates in Yeovil and across South Somerset has the longest wait times in the country for speaking with an operator in an emergency. It takes almost one minute on average for ambulance control staff to answer a 999 call compared with just five seconds at the West Midlands Ambulance Service. South Western Ambulance says it’s recruiting more call handlers to help speed up answering 999 calls.

Yeovil’s Octagon theatre is set to benefit from new arts funding. The Arts Council has announced £111 million of new funding, with the Octagon in Yeovil, South West Heritage Trust and Somerset Arts Works in our area getting a small but not insignificant share of the money.

Local TV personality, Sarah Beeny, who lives near Bruton, is urging people undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer not to feel ashamed when they lose their hair. Sarah, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in the summer, says if someone has breast cancer and is being treated, the fact they’ve no hair is not a reason to be ashamed. She says people who are bald are often stereotyped, which is something that she is now campaigning to change.

More from News

Monday 10th February

A dog, stolen in Norfolk seven years ago, has been found 200 miles away safe and well in Somerset. A man who lives in Seavington St Michael near Ilminster has been jailed after driving a car at police officers. One hundred new affordable homes could be built near Langport...and more
Friday 7th February

A Yeovil man has been fined £1,200 for sending hostile text messages to his ex-wife. A report into the performance of Avon and Somerset Police has found it doesn't answer emergency calls quickly enough. Twenty-two swimmers at the Trident Swimming Club in Chard have won places in this year’s Somerset County Swimming Championships...and more
Thursday 6th February

A man has appeared in court charged with murdering a one-month-old baby boy in Chard. Kingfisher Primary School in Yeovil has been highly praised by Ofsted. Somerset Council says it’s “extremely disappointed” after its bid to form a devolved Wessex group of local councils was rejected by the government...and more.
Wednesday 5th February

The Liberal Democrat Leader of Somerset Council, Councillor Bill Revans, says they had no choice but to ask the government to allow them to lift the 5 percent cap on raising Council Tax. Two teenagers have been released on bail following the stabbing in Yeovil. More than six thousand pounds has been awarded to local groups by Chard Carnival Committee...and more.
Tuesday 4th February

Somerset has been permitted to increase its Council Tax share by 7.5 percent. An Ilminster man, forced out of his house by last week's floods, says he doesn't know when he will be able to return home. Ilminster Literary Festival has launched its annual children’s writing competition, designed to encourage local children to write creative literature...and more.
Monday 3rd February

Five men have appeared in court charged with the murder of a man in Yeovil. A 16-year-old is the second person to be arrested in connection with a stabbing in Yeovil. Yeovil’s new outdoor entertainment space in Lower Middle Street has been officially opened by the town’s MP... and more.
Friday 31st January

A teenager has been arrested following a stabbing in Yeovil. Water bills in Somerset are set to go up on average by £123 from April. Yeovil MP, Adam Dance will officially open Yeovil’s new outdoor performance space later today...and more
Thursday 30th January

Lloyds bank is closing its branch in Chard. A Sherborne man has been jailed after defrauding a Yeovil woman of £40,000. A volunteer group in Chard is urging people to sign up to a flood victims register. A councillor in Shepton Mallet has become the first Reform UK member on Somerset Council... and more