Thursday 14th November

Wednesday, 13 November 2024 at 15:52

By Steve Haigh

Farmers in Somerset are being asked not to leave roads covered in mud following an accident near Ilminster A liver screening project developed in Somerset could be rolled out across the UK. Senior managers at Somerset Council have been awarded a 2.5 per cent pay rise...and more

Farmers in Somerset are being asked not to leave roads covered in mud. It follows an accident in Sea near Ilminster in which a motorcyclist suffered serious injuries after skidding on a mudded road and being thrown from his machine. Last month, the A3088 Cartgate link road near Yeovil had to be closed to clear mud from the road. Somerset Council is reminding farmers that it is an offence to leave a road covered in mud, with paying to clean the road should it be their fault.

A liver screening project developed in Somerset could be rolled out across the UK. The 1.4 million pound project analysed blood tests of thousands of adults for signs of liver disease and identified 700 people with potential problems. Doctor Tim Jobson, a Somerset NHS Foundation Tru liver specialist, says their work represents a major breakthrough in treating liver disease.

Somerset Council senior managers have been awarded a 2.5 percent pay rise. The increase is in line with nationally agreed pay scales for council staff, but it comes at a time when hundreds of staff are set to lose their jobs through compulsory redundancy.

The ancient Somerset tradition of charm-making has been revived. Mark Heyward, collects stones, bones, feathers, flowers and leaves, and puts them in small glass bottles. The mixture - worn as a pendant - is said to bring the wearer good fortune or good health. What started as a hobby during lockdown has become a business with Mark selling his pendants all over the world.

A project in Merriot, aimed at building people’s confidence, self-esteem and well-being, has been given a King’s Award for Voluntary Service. The ARK project at Egwood provides people with a safe outdoor space to connect with themselves and others
through nature, rural arts and using animals.

A Yeovil gym has raised £2,300 for a mental health charity. Progress Gym founder Rob Harris presented a cheque for £2,313 to Mind in Somerset having raised the money by completing a 130-kilometer walk around Yeovil.

More from News

Friday 13th November

Wessex Water has applied for a drought order. Outreach teams are working across Somerset to help get rough sleepers off the streets during the cold snap. Somerset wheelchair tennis player Lucy Shuker has retired after 24 years... and more
Thursday 12th November

Somerset’s gritters are on standby as temperatures fall below freezing in parts of the county. A major restoration project at Montacute House near Yeovil is nearing completion. Two pubs in our area have been named among the UK's top 100 in the latest Good Food Guide rankings... and more
Wednesday 11th November

Two-thirds of police officers at Avon and Somerset Police say they're often too fatigued to carry out their duties. A local councillor is calling for more female-only accommodation to be provided to help end rough sleeping. Somerset’s motorway service stations have been ranked among some of the worst in the country... and more
Tuesday 10th November

Somerset’s housing target could be cut by almost 15,000 homes. More than half a million pounds in Arts Council funding to Taunton’s Brewhouse Theatre has been handed back. People in Somerset with type 2 diabetes are being invited to join a new research study... and more
Monday 9th November

Facial recognition cameras are to be used by police in Somerset for the first time. Badger culling against bovine TB has officially ended in Somerset. The 5-star Summer Lodge Hotel in Evershot has a new owner...and more
Friday 6th November

Up to 70 jobs could go at the Leonardo helicopter factory in Yeovil. Police are investigating a fire at the former Pittard factory in Yeovil. Families on low incomes are being offered tickets at just £3 to this year’s Yeovil pantomime...and more
Thursday 5th November

South West Water says reservoir levels in Somerset are starting to recover after recent heavy rainfall. Castle Cary railway station is to get a new footbridge. A young dancer from Martock has been chosen to perform with the English Youth Ballet... and more
Wednesday 4th November

People in Somerset will go to the polls in May 2028 to elect a new mayor for the Wessex region. A Somerset farmer who failed a breath test after being caught asleep at the wheel of his tractor has narrowly avoided losing his driving licence. The new Ham Hill Visitor Centre has been named a regional winner in the Building Excellence Awards 2026... and more