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Cornwall residents concerned after bus firm stops operating

Cornwall residents concerned after bus firm stops operating

BBCMs Deans uses the service to visit her friendResidents in a rural village say they are concerned about a "life line" bus service after its operator said it would withdraw its 14 services. First Bus announced plans last month to withdraw from its five depots at Camborne, Falmouth, Penzance, Summercourt and Truro due to rising costs and falling passenger numbers.Bus operator Go Cornwall said it would step in as a replacement by the middle of February 2026 when…

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Funding agencies can end profit-first science publishing

Funding organisations can fix the science publishing system – which currently puts profit first and science second – according to new research. The new paper says the current relationship between researchers, funders and commercial publishers has created a “drain” – depriving the research system of money, time, trust and control. The research team used public revenue and income statements to assess the money being spent on publishing articles with the biggest commercial publishers, and placed this in the…

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New clothing to be delivered to Ukraine children from Cornwall

New clothing to be delivered to Ukraine children from Cornwall

BBCDavid Pond will be delivering new clothing and shoes to orphaned children in Ukraine for ChristmasNew coats, shoes and hooded jackets are being gifted to orphaned children in Ukraine, ahead of Christmas after a fundraising campaign.David Pond, from Kingsand, Cornwall, helped set up a crisis response centre when the war in Ukraine began in February 2022 and has since raised funds to provide supplies, including medical equipment and humanitarian aid for the country.He said the gifts would be…

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Work begins on Paignton coastal flood protection scheme

Work begins on Paignton coastal flood protection scheme

Watch: A flythrough of the planned coastal defences (This video has no sound)A multimillion-pound project to upgrade a seafront to protect hundreds of homes at risk of coastal flooding has started.Paignton seafront and Preston beach in Devon are getting new defences designed to protect about 350 homes and businesses from damaging easterly storms in decades to come.The Environment Agency said its climate change models predicted larger areas of Paignton would become affected by coastal flooding over the next…

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Bridgwater Library repairs leads to pop-up facility being opened

Bridgwater Library repairs leads to pop-up facility being opened

A temporary library has been opened while emergency repairs are carried out at the original facility.Bridgwater Library has been closed since 22 October after £1.5m of county council funding was agreed to fix its leaking roof.Somerset Council has opened a pop-up library at Bridgwater House for locals who want to access services.Councillor Federica Smith-Roberts, lead member for communities, housing and culture said the council was "really pleased" at being able to provide the "vital resource for the community".The…

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Thousands of Christmas lights and Pride flags

Thousands of Christmas lights and Pride flags

Taxi Charity for Military VeteransRichard Illes has covered his house in 235,000 Christmas lights for charityHere's our daily pick of stories from across local websites in the West of England, and interesting content from social media.Our pick of local website storiesOur top three from yesterdayWhat to watch on social media Source link

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Disruption as rain hits the South West coast

Disruption as rain hits the South West coast

Strong winds and heavy rain has hit south-west England with disruption across Devon and Cornwall.A number of trees have fallen down in Devon, with drivers urged to seek alternative routes.According to Highways, there is a fallen tree on Bodmin Street near Holsworthy, one partially blocking the B3165 and reports of a tree partially overhanging the road joining the A383 near Bickington.The Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for rain for Devon and Cornwall from 00:01 GMT on…

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Biddisham’s 600-year-old church bells returned after repairs

Biddisham’s 600-year-old church bells returned after repairs

Scott EllisBBC News, West of EnglandBBCIsaac O'Shea from O'Shea Engineering described the restoration project as "extremely rewarding"A set of 600-year-old church bells have been restored after they were found to be "falling apart".When the bells at St John's Church in Biddisham, near Axbridge in Somerset, were dusted off for the King's Coronation in 2023, it was discovered they were in a poor state.Isaac O'Shea, from Gloucestershire, was tasked with repairing the bells in June. He said: "All the…

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Drivers sought after death of motorcyclist, 17, in Poole

Drivers sought after death of motorcyclist, 17, in Poole

The drivers of three cars and a van are being urged to come forward to police after a 17-year-old motorcyclist died following a crash with a lorry.The crash, involving a DAF truck and a silver motorcycle, happened on the Safety Drive roundabout in Poole on Friday at about 17:00 GMT. The rider of the motorcycle, a 17-year-old boy from North Dorset died at the scene. The truck driver was uninjured.Dorset Police said it believed the drivers of a…

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Serious collision closes M5 near Bristol in both directions

Serious collision closes M5 near Bristol in both directions

A major route is closed in both directions following a "serious collision" in the early hours of the morning, police said.The M5 is shut between junctions 20 for Clevedon and 21 for Weston-super-Mare, according to Avon and Somerset Police. The motorway has been closed in both directions since 02:00 GMT and National Highways say the road is not expected to reopen until about 10:30 GMT.Diversions are in place but traffic monitoring site, INRIX, are reporting the routes are…

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New pool in Minehead a step closer after government funding

New pool in Minehead a step closer after government funding

A new community swimming pool in Somerset is another step closer to reality, after the county received a government grant for projects which will improve inactivity.Around £230,000 will be spent along the Somerset coast, between Porlock and Burnham-on-Sea, including on the new facility in Minehead.The Somerset Active Sports Partnership (SASP) will pay for a feasibility report into a new swimming pool in West Somerset, as well as spreading the money among community groups.The organisation's chief executive officer Jane…

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Exeter City captain blending firefighting with football

Exeter City captain blending firefighting with football

BBCBow Jackson says the two jobs complement each otherA professional footballer says her other job as a firefighter provides good preparation for what happens on the pitch.Exeter City captain Bow Jackson has worked with Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service for the last seven years.Since joining the Grecians in 2022 she has helped the club gain promotion to the third tier of the women's game.Speaking about her two contrasting roles she said: "I'm probably exposed to pressures…

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