Monday 5th August

Monday, 5 August 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

A woman motorist, convicted of drug driving and causing the deaths of two people on the A303 near Wincanton, has been jailed. Yeovil Hospital has been criticised for what it charges visitors to park on the hospital site. A woman in Chiselborough is participating this week in the Global 6K Walk for Water challenges...and more.

A woman motorist, convicted of drug driving and causing the deaths of two people on the A303 near Wincanton, has been jailed for three and a half years. Thelma Huse and Tony Mist both died after a Mercedes driven by Jessica Higgs struck their Fiat 500. Appearing at Taunton Crown Court, Higgs of Imber Road in Warminster, was also banned from driving for six years and eight months. In a statement, Avon and Somerset Police said the accident was yet another painful reminder that driving under the influence of drugs is a deadly decision that puts innocent road users at serious risk.

Yeovil Hospital has been criticised for what it charges visitors to park on the hospital site. It follows a Freedom of Information request by the Royal College of Nursing that showed Yeovil Hospital collected £40,300 in parking charges last year from motorists using the multi-storey car park, opposite the main hospital building. Speaking at a meeting of the NHS Somerset integrated care board, Ray Tostevin, a Yeovil and District Trades Union Council member, called for parking charges at Yeovil Hospital to be reduced, and eventually abolished.

A Somerset woman has swum the English Channel from Dover to France raising money for Yeovil Hospital. Hannah Litchfield completed the crossing in 12 hours and four minutes and raised £1,500.

A best scarecrow competition is taking place in the village of Barrington with rivalry between homeowners to win first prize. Scarecrows on display include Woody from Toy Story, Spiderman, and Beefy Botham.

A woman in Chiselborough is taking part in the Global 6K Walk for Water challenge. Hannah Lefeuvre is walking 6 kilometres every day this week, helping to bring clean water to vulnerable children and their communities. Hannah has so far raised £500 for World Vision UK who organise the Global 6K Walk for Water challenge.

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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.
Monday 3rd March

A woman from Crewkerne has been fined £280 for assaulting two emergency workers. Plans have been announced to open new NHS dental surgeries in Chard and Crewkerne. A Yeovil man has been thanked for raising £10,000 for the cardiac charity Heartbeat...and more
Friday 28th February

A local man has been charged after allegedly driving a tractor while under the influence of alcohol. One hundred bikes, collected with household waste in Somerset, have been donated to charity. The junction of the A37 Ilchester Road and Stiby Road in Yeovil will again shut this evening for resurfacing...and more.
Thursday 27th February

Fourteen hundred people have added their names to a petition against Somerset Council's plans to scrap free car parks. St Margaret’s Hospice has won a share of £25 million of government funding. A man from Charlton Adam is preparing to visit Ukraine as an Aid Worker for a tenth time...and more
Wednesday 26th February

A local man has been charged with possessing an air weapon following an incident in Yeovil town centre. The Labour government has removed funding to the Amulet Theatre in Shepton Mallet that the previous Conservative government had allocated. Entries are now open for this year’s Minster Miles 10K fun run with organisers aiming to exceed last year’s number of runners...and more.