Thursday 14th November

Wednesday, 13 November 2024 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.