Local News Thursday 21st October

Thursday, 21 October 2021 06:00

By Steve Haigh

The Director of Public Health for Somerset, Trudi Grant, says Covid cases will carry on rising in the county as the fallout from false-negative PCR test results continues. The manager of the Ambulance Service which covers Somerset says he's doing everything he can to improve the service in the County. Two Sea King helicopters, built-in Yeovil, that for the past 30-years have been in service with the Belgian Air Force, are being flown back to Somerset today. The lineup’s been announced for this year’s Ilminster Literary Festival...and more.

The Director of Public Health for Somerset, Trudi Grant, says Covid cases will carry on rising in the county as the fallout from false-negative PCR test results continues. Bath & North East Somerset and Somerset West & Taunton have the highest rates of COVID in England. The Mendip area has the fourth-highest number of cases. Trudi Grant says it’s vital that people act responsibly to limit the further spread of Covid.

The manager of the Ambulance Service which covers Somerset says he's doing everything he can to improve the service in the County. Response times in the South West were the worst in England last month. Chief Executive of the South Western Ambulance Service Will Warrender says he's working hard to recruit more staff.

Two Sea King helicopters, built-in Yeovil, that for the past 30-years have been in service with the Belgian Air Force, are being flown back to Somerset today. The helicopters have been acquired to add to the collection of military aircraft at Historic Helicopters in Chard.

One of the oldest pubs in South Somerset has been put up for sale. The Wyndham Arms at Kingsbury Episcopi, built-in 1640, has two beer garden areas, a large car park, and a living area with three bedrooms.

The lineup’s been announced for this year’s Ilminster Literary Festival. More than twenty published authors have been booked to appear at the Festival that runs from the 10th to the 14th of November with a variety of venues in Ilminster taking part.

Farm buildings, converted for accommodation at the Newt Hotel near Bruton, have been voted the ‘Best Place to Stay in the South West’ in a poll conducted by the Sunday Times. ‘The Farmyard’ at the Newt has 17 bedrooms and an indoor oak-framed swimming pool and has only been open for bookings since June this year.

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Thursday 13th March

A new campaign has been launched to persuade people in Somerset to stop smoking. Four people have been arrested in Chard in connection with the supply of Class A drugs. A dog from Yeovil has won the title of ‘best in breed’ at Cruffs....and more.
Wednesday 12th March

A charity in Somerset is appealing for support after one of its sites was vandalised. The Leader of Somerset Council has been to Westminster to put the case for central government to provide councils with more money. A new primary school is to built in Chard.... and more
Tuesday 11th March

The union representing workers at Somerset Council is warning of further job cuts at the council next year. Secondary school pupils in Somerset are being offered help to withstand peer pressure to vape or smoke. The bells of St George's Church in Hinton St George have been fully restored after becoming difficult to ring ... and more
Monday 10th March

A property in Raglan Terrace in Yeovil has been closed down by a court order after it was linked to anti-social behaviour. NHS Somerset says investing in nurse apprenticeships has helped to boost recruitment. A new community garden has opened in Chard.... and more
Friday 7th March

The Leader of Somerset Council has repeated his call for a reform of the way that councils are funded. Crimestoppers is stepping up efforts to help tackle violent crime in Somerset. A new radar satellite is playing a crucial role in collecting data about flooding in Somerset...and more
Thursday 6th March

Somerset Council has approved a seven-and-a-half percent increase in council tax. People are being asked to return boxes of paracetamol bought from Boots Chemists in Somerset. It’s been revealed that five members of staff at Somerset Council are being allowed to work from home outside the UK...and more
Wednesday 5th March

Somerset Council has been told that hundreds of millions of pounds in loans taken out by former district councils, including South Somerset, have to be paid back. A Somerset charity says it needs more volunteers to help with research into new treatments for dementia. A local shop owner has welcomed Somerset Council’s decision to scrap plans to charge for parking after 6 pm...and more.
Tuesday 4th March

The population of Somerset has reached record levels with nearly one in ten born outside the UK. Stanchester School in Stoke-sub-Hamdon has been rated as ‘requiring improvement’. Experts have been called in to appraise a 15th-century piece of artwork in Sherborne...and more.