Tuesday 14th January

Tuesday, 14 January 2025 06:00

Police are appealing for witnesses after two people died in a car crash near Shepton Mallet. A new passing loop could be introduced on the rail line between Castle Cary and Yeovil Pen Mill stations. St Margaret’s Hospice has thanked the public for making this year’s Christmas Tree Recycling project their most successful ever...and more

The Chief Medical Officer at NHS Somerset says the decision to close Yeovil Hospital's hyperacute stroke unit and move it to Taunton is designed to give patients better care. Dr Bernie Marden’s comments come as a Yeovil man treated for a stroke locally has questioned the decision that’s expected to be implemented next year. When that happens stroke patients in Yeovil will be taken for emergency treatment to Taunton's Musgrove Park Hospital or Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester. Steve D'Arcy, who suffered a stroke in 2019 at the age of 36, says he owes his life to the hyperacute stroke unit at Yeovil Hospital.

Police are appealing for witnesses or dashcam footage after two people died in a car crash near Shepton Mallet. It happened on the A361 near Cranmore on Sunday afternoon at around 4 pm. The two people who died were travelling in the same car. Two others in a second vehicle were taken to hospital but their injuries are not thought to be life-changing.

A new passing loop could be introduced on the rail line between Castle Cary and Yeovil Pen Mill stations. The scheme that would allow for one train each hour to travel in each direction between Castle Cary and Yeovil Pen Mill has been identified for funding by the transport body, the Western Gateway, to boost the region’s economic performance and make rail transport easier for passengers.

Members of the public are being asked to help Somerset Council find sites for development, as part of a new local plan being drawn up for the County. The sites will be used for various development projects, including the creation of pitches for gypsies and travellers. The ‘Call for Sites’ encourages landowners and developers, to submit land they would like to be considered for development.

A pharmacist in Yeovil says this year the NHS was late starting the winter flu jab campaign. Ioannis Klappas says previously the jab was offered in September. But this year, it wasn’t until October that it became available.

St Margaret’s Hospice has thanked the public for making this year’s Christmas Tree Recycling project their most successful ever. 150 volunteers working across all of Somerset collected 2,000 trees for recycling in the first days of January, raising £32,000 in donations for St Margaret’s.

The animal charity Rushton Dog Rescue has opened a fundraising shop in Chard. Rushton Dog Rescue is an animal sanctuary that tries to ensure every dog has a good quality of life. The new shop is on Holyrood Street in Chard.

More from News

Wednesday 4th March

A man has died in a fire in Wincanton. Somerset Council is planning further cuts of twenty-one million pounds to help balance its books. A campaign to raise £30,000 for a minibus has been launched in Chard... and more
Tuesday 3rd March

A woman from Ilminster has been jointly charged with another woman after a man’s body was found inside a car in Cornwall. Somerset businesses, involved in the supply chain for Leonardo, have welcomed the news that the Leonardo factory in Yeovil is to build new medium lift helicopters for the RAF. Plans have been submitted to build thirty-two homes in Milborne Port... and more
Monday 2nd March

The Leonardo factory in Yeovil has won a multi-million pound contract to build new medium lift helicopters for the RAF. A doctor, who previously worked at Yeovil Hospital, has appeared in court charged with illegally accessing NHS computers. A new Construction Innovation Centre has opened at Yeovil College... and more
Friday 27th February

The CEO of Leonardo has suggested the UK government could make an announcement immindently about ordering new medium lift helicopters to be built in Yeovil. A family run hardware business in Yeovil has gone into administration. The Lord Lieutenant of Somerset has been named the new patron of Somerset Chamber of Commerce... and more
Thursday 26th February

Workers at Leonardo in Yeovil have been to Downing Street to hand-in a petition calling on the government to back British jobs. The decision to grant planning permission to upgrade Yeovil's Octagon Theatre has been enthusiastically welcomed by staff who work there. The search is on to find a defibrillator that has gone missing in Chard... and more
Wednesday 25th February

Plans have been passed to carry out a £15 million upgrade of Yeovil’s Octagon Theatre. A new medical unit providing NHS and private treatments has opened in Shepton Mallet. Manor Court Community Primary School in Chard is celebrating after receiving a Gold Artsmark for excellence in arts and cultural education...and more
Tuesday 24th February

First Bus has announced changes to bus timetables on routes across Somerset. A Somerset drone company is celebrating getting through the audition round of ITV’s Britain's Got Talent. A public footpath in South Somerset is set to remain closed for up to two years... and more
Monday 23rd February

Yeovil MP Adam Dance is warning of a scaling back of jobs at the Leonardo helicopter factory in Yeovil. Work is underway on the multi-million-pound refurbishment of Yeovil police station. The A361 across the Somerset Levels has reopened... and more