Local News

Ciara Eastell, Chief Executive of Libraries Unlimited has been named in the Queen’s New Year Honour list for her services to public libraries.

Ciara, who heads up the new charity that is responsible for all of Devon’s library services, was awarded the honour for her national contribution to public libraries as the President of the Society of Chief Librarians (SCL), a voluntary role she held for two years until June 2016.

Ciara said: “It is an honour and a privilege to be awarded an OBE. It is also a recognition of the hard work and commitment of the people I have worked...

Police are investigating a distraction burglary in Exeter where two men posed as council workmen to steal precious jewellery from an elderly woman.

The two men, who were wearing green jackets and white hard hats, called at the woman’s home in Laburnum Road, shortly after 11am on Friday [6 January].

They claimed they were from the council and asked to go into the house to look at areas of the property. One of the bogus workmen distracted the woman by asking for a drink while the other man went upstairs.

After conducting a tidy search one man left through an upstairs...

Did you enjoy Exmouth and Honiton’s exciting new Christmas lights?

These were thanks to a joint project from Exmouth and Honiton Town Councils and mainly funded by East Devon District Council and Devon County Council through their Parishes Together Fund.

The money has been used to purchase, test and put up the festive street lights and decorate and put up the town’s Christmas trees. It will also fund the storage of the lights for a year. The lights will be swapped between the towns to provide a fresh display each year.

£36,700 of the funding needed for the £43,600...

Killerton House near Exeter, looked after by the National Trust, has launched a major fundraising campaign to plug the holes in its leaking roof.

£100,000 is needed to help pay for work due to start in late February which will prevent the threat of water damage to the much loved house and collection, which includes a unique Trust fashion collection. The money raised will also go towards carrying out vital work to conserve the roof over the house, exterior walls, windows, chimneys and parapets, as part the Trust’s ongoing commitment to care for Killerton. Thanks to a very generous...