Tuesday 12th November

Tuesday, 12 November 2024 06:00

By Steve Haigh

New figures have shown a sharp rise in crime in Chard in the last six months. A retired RAF pilot in Somerset has been speaking about the joys of being a foster parent at the age of 88. Councillor Pauline Parsons has been honoured for her 40 years service to the local community...and more

Chard Neighbourhood Policing Team says it remains dedicated as ever to cracking down on crime, to make Chard a safer place for people to live, work and visit. It follows data showing that the highest number of crimes of the last three years were recorded in Chard between July and September. 516 crimes were recorded, a 13.2 per cent increase in the same period in 2023 when 362 crimes were recorded. Local people say the rise in crime has left them feeling unsafe, especially in the crime-hotspot areas like Silver Street, Jocelyn Park and Bishop's Court. Meanwhile, two people have been arrested following a burglary in Chard. A bank card was taken and later used to buy items at a local supermarket. A 63-year-old man and a 37-year-old woman, both arrested on suspicion of burglary, remain in police custody.

NHS Somerset is calling on people to donate the gift of blood this Christmas. They’re asking people to book appointments in the lead-up to Christmas to avoid last December's results when the amount of donated blood was at its lowest for three years. NHS Somerset says it takes only one hour to give a pint of blood, with each donation saving or improving the lives of three people.

Wessex Water has been fined half a million pounds for polluting a river and killing thousands of fish. The company admitted three failures in 2018, causing the deaths of two thousand fish, including endangered eels. Wessex Water says it has improved its systems to stop it from happening again.

A retired RAF pilot in Somerset has been speaking about being a foster parent at the age of 88. Nigel, who’s believed to be the oldest foster carer in the County, has been providing a home for children awaiting long-term adoption for the last four years and has even been known to take those in his care to Glastonbury Festival. He says although it's hard work at his age but still enjoys doing it.

Councillor Pauline Parons of Seavington St Michael Parish Council has been honoured for her forty years of service to the local community. Pauline, who’s stepping down as a councillor, gave four decades of service to Seavington St Michael Parish Council as both a member and clerk.

A new accessible toilet has opened in the Quedam Shopping Centre in Yeovil. The facility, paid for through the government’s Changing Places Toilets Fund is designed to meet the needs of people with disabilities that limit their mobility. The new accessible toilet can be found in the Quedam opposite New Look.

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Monday 30th June

The Care Quality Commission has published its report into the running of the maternity unit at Yeovil Hospital. A public consultation has been launched into plans to build 150 new homes at Horton near Ilminster. A Chard man has embarked on walking 75 miles across Somerset, raising money for the Devon Air Ambulance...and more
Friday 27th June

Yeovil MP Adam Dance is calling for Yeovil Hospital to be included in the government's national review of NHS maternity services. A Yeovil man has appeared in court charged with four counts of fraud. Yeovil Town players will be modelling the club’s new home and away strip at Huish Park this evening...and more.
Thursday 26th June

Thousands more music fans will arrive at Worthy Farm for the start of Glastonbury Festival. The government has granted Somerset Council a stay of execution, allowing it to defer a spending deficit on special needs education. A party has been held to mark the 100th birthday of a Somerset woman who has lived in the same house for 100 years...and more.
Wednesday 25th June

Businesses at the Cartgate services off the A303 near Yeovil say they feel threatened by Welcome Break Ltd's plans to build a new, bigger services area right next door. A man who lives in Tintinhull, found nearly double the drink drive limit, has been given a 20-month driving ban. Police are warning of fake tickets being on sale for Glastonbury Festival...and more
Tuesday 24th June

There’s been a drop in the number of potholes being filled in on Somerset’s roads. A Somerset company has developed a new type of un-crewed helicopter. A man has cycled from Spain to Somerset to attend Glastonbury Festival...and more
Monday 23rd June

Plans have been submitted to build a motorway-style service station at Cartgate on the A303. Police are asking for the public’s help in tracing those responsible for two house break-ins in Yeovil. A Community Champion at Tesco in Chard has been rewarded for her work supporting the local community...and more.
Friday 20th June

A fire at Pen Mill Football Club’s ground in Yeovil is being treated as deliberate. A former Principal of Yeovil College has been awarded an OBE in the King's Honours List. The Met Office is warning of high pollen levels in Somerset as temperatures rise into the high 20’s...and more
Thursday 19th June

The Met Office has issued a yellow heat warning for Somerset, effective until Sunday evening. One person was taken to hospital with injuries following a two-vehicle crash on A3088 Cartgate Link Road. Plans to build 100 new homes in Keinton Mandeville have been given the go-ahead...and more