Tuesday 24th October

Tuesday, 24 October 2023 06:00

By Steve Haigh

Somerset Council says it's not going to let go of ten million pounds of government funding to upgrade Yeovil's Octagon Theatre despite the costs of the project having risen above thirty million pounds. A woman from Templecombe, whose husband was killed while on holiday in Greece has launched a GoFundMe appeal to help pay for a new round of legal costs. A set of autographs on a blank cheque by the original members of the Rolling Stones in 1963 have been put up for sale at auction in Chard...and more.

The Deputy Liberal Democrat Leader of Somerset Council, Liz Leyshon, says they are not going to let go of the opportunity to spend ten million pounds of government funding up-grading Yeovil's Octagon Theatre. Her comments follow the decision by Somerset Council to pause the planned thirty-million-pound redevelopment of the Octagon due to increased building costs and higher interest rates.

A woman from Templecombe, whose husband was killed while on holiday in Greece has launched a GoFundMe appeal to help pay for a new round of legal costs. Charlotte Jeffery is planning to return to court in Zante, where her husband Matthew was attacked by two men in 2019 and later died after one of the men found guilty of causing Mr Jeffery’s death was granted an Appeal. Mrs Jeffery, who is planning to attend the hearing, faces a legal bill of £20,000 for hiring a solicitor to represent her at the re-trial.

Avon and Somerset Police are reminding drivers that speed kills as part of a campaign to get more motorists to respect speed limits on Somerset's roads. Police say they’ve caught some drivers at night travelling over one hundred miles per hour on local roads.

This year's been a bumper harvest for grapes according to vineyards owners in Somerset. The combination of dry and wet weather throughout late spring and summer has helped provide many growers with their best year ever in terms of fruit yield.

A set of autographs by the original members of the Rolling Stones have been put up for sale at auction in Chard. The signatures from 1963 written on the back of a blank cheque include those of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts and the late Brian Jones. The auction takes place at Stuart Bull Auctions at 10, Fore Street, in Chard, on Thursday, November 16th.

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Friday 7th March

The Leader of Somerset Council has repeated his call for a reform of the way that councils are funded. Crimestoppers is stepping up efforts to help tackle violent crime in Somerset. A new radar satellite is playing a crucial role in collecting data about flooding in Somerset...and more
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.