Wednesday 19th June

    New figures have shown that Somerset has the lowest rate of delivered NHS dental care in the South West. A boxing glove made in Somerset and claimed to have been worn by Cassius Clay in his 1963 fight against Henry Cooper has been sold at auction in Chard. A helicopter built in Yeovil will be one of the newest attractions at this year's Glastonbury Festival...and more.

    New figures have shown that Somerset now has the lowest rate of delivered NHS dental care in the South West. Somerset’s Integrated Care Board says that due to a shortage of dentists, around half the money allocated for NHS dental work in Somerset is not being spent, with the number of children seen by NHS dentists halving over the past six years. The Integrated Care Board says in 2017/18 more than 60% of children in Somerset were seen by an NHS dentist; now the figure is 32%.

    Somerset Rivers Authority says an agreement has been reached between the Environment Agency and local landowners to progress improvement works to the King’s Sedgemoor Drain on the Somerset Levels. The works, aimed at strengthening local flood defences, have involved removing silt and clearing river banks, but due to a fall-out between the EA and local landowners, the final stages of the work have been delayed. Somerset Rivers Authority now says the two sides have patched up their differences and that work on completing the improvements will begin shortly. This includes improvements to the Chedzoy tilting weir and the Back Ditch outfall, which lie between Bridgwater and the Polden Hills.

    A boxing glove made in Somerset and claimed to have been worn by Cassius Clay in his 1963 fight against Henry Cooper has been sold at auction in Chard. 

    A helicopter made in Yeovil will be one of the newest attractions at this year's Glastonbury Festival. The Sea King, built by Leonardo and now retired out of service, has been turned into a mechanical Dragonfly by Bristol-based artists Pip Rush and Bert Cole. Its final look is being kept under wraps until the festival opens in nine days.

    A group of young footballers from Somerset are in Germany taking part in a mini Euro football tournament. The visit by members of Frome Town United's Youth Squad to Frome’s twin town of Murrhardt was timed to coincide with the Euros 2024. 

    Chard is gearing up for an invasion of Town Criers. Around twenty criers, representing towns and cities across the South West, will be in the town for the annual Chard Town Criers competition on Saturday, June 29th. The event begins with a procession of Town Criers in the High Street followed by the competition outside the Guildhall starting at 10.15 am. Amongst the six members on the judging panel at this year’s contest will be the Deputy Lord-Lieutenant of Somerset, Alexander Priest.

    More from News

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      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.

    Today's Weather

    • Yeovil

      Sunny intervals

      High: 15°C | Low: 4°C

    • Chard

      Sunny intervals

      High: 14°C | Low: 3°C

    • Crewkerne

      Sunny intervals

      High: 14°C | Low: 3°C

    • Somerton

      Sunny intervals

      High: 15°C | Low: 4°C

    • Wincanton

      Sunny intervals

      High: 15°C | Low: 4°C

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