THE early part of 2018 was dominated by the unexpected arrival of the Beast from the East.

But there were other interesting developments with Cowdenbeath's new community centre opening for business and Lochgelly High School pupils busily preparing for their trip to the Arctic circle.

January

The Maxwell Centre, in Stenhouse Street, Cowdenbeath, will be ready to open by the end of the month, Community Education Worker Mike Payne reported.

Lochgelly Community Council presented their Citizens of the Year Awards to The Zodiac Dance School and Ava Stark.

Moves were made to set up a new Advisory Board as part of the change in the structure of management at Lochore Meadows Country Park.

A move as made to have a 'formal consultation' involving the GP practice in Kelty about the capacity of the current village health centre to cope with the increase in population due to further house building.

The funeral took place of Crosshill man, Jim Campbell, who became one of the Benarty area's leading local history gurus, after he succumbed to an illness he had bravely fought over recent months.

A convicted drug dealer, William Richardson, admitted killing Kelty man Colin Oliphant in a hammer attack.

Flaring episodes at Mossmorran have prompted the independent watchdog, the Mossmorran and Braefoot Bay Independent Air Quality Monitoring Review Group, to revise its role.

Dog foulers at Wallsgreen Park in Cardenden came under fire from local councillor Rosemary Liewald.

Cowdenbeath and Lochgelly Recycling Centres were set to close two days a week, Fife Council announced.

2018 will see over £1m spent on massive improvements to the centre of Cowdenbeath, it was revealed.

Cowdenbeath Environment Group has appealed to parents to help stop the town's Community Woodland being strewn with rubbish and burnt out wheelie bins.

Lumphinnans residents defied blizzard warnings to turn out in force to launch the village's five year plan as part of the Coalfields Regeneration Trust's Futures Programme.

Lochore Meadows Country Park is ready to house a tremendous 2018, predicted Park boss Ian Laing, as the new visitor centre at the Meedies opened for business.

February

Stones flying and hitting house windows and cars suffering suspension failures are just two of the problems being experienced by motorists in Keltyhill Road, Kelty, and local councillor Alex Campbell asked the Fife Council Transportation Department to look at repairing some of the huge holes in the road surface.

Anti-social behaviour in Cardenden, especially in Wallsgreen Park, has posed real concern for Cardenden Community Council.

A Lochgelly disabled driver, Robert Hunter, hit out at inconsiderate parkers in the town after he was unable to get into his car at the Co-op car park.

There was early morning drama in Cowdenbeath when an armed robber struck at the Gulf Petrol station t the north end of High Street.

The A92 was brought to a complete standstill when a car travelling west crossed the central reservation and collided with a vehicle heading east.

Cowdenbeath councillor Darren Watt called on Fife Council and Fife division of Police Scotland to closely look at the speeds of traffic using Perth Road, in Cowdenbeath, 'before someone gets killed'.

Lochgelly firm Robert Purvis Plant Hire Ltd were £15,000 for being found guilty of failing to carry out a risk assessment into the possibility of lorries being driven off while being worked on after the death of mechanic assistant Ian Bratchie in an accident at their yard.

The killer of Kelty man Colin Oliphant was jailed for eight years.

Families in Cardenden were boosted by £20,000 of coal cash to get an action plan off the ground as part of the Coalfields Regeneration Trust's Reclaim Our Coalfields Initiative.

The scouts of Lochgelly's 33rd Fife Group have pledged their support for a project which is helping children in Kolkata, India.

An unqualified driver hit speeds of 85mph driving through Lochgelly and Cardenden.

March

There was a catalogue of local hero stories from the snowy visit of the Beast from the East to the Cowdenbeath-Lochgelly area and chair of the Cowdenbeath Area Committee described herself as 'proud' of each community to the reaction to the immense challenges the freak weather presented.

The outstanding work carried out by community minded volunteers during the four days that Benarty was battered by the 'Beast from the East' was praised by Councillor Lea McLelland

who added that social media had been a great help in getting assistance to where it was needed.

The improvements in performance of Lochgelly High School's 700 pupils were underlined to Cowdenbeath Area Committee.

The wrangle over unadopted roads and pavements in Johnston Park, Cowdenbeath, was to be tackled by local councillors.

The immense talent of local schoolchildren was on show at the Lochgelly Centre Theatre when Be Jennie Lee 3 took the stage with a number of local primary schools involved.

Ten Lochgelly High School pupils braved the cold St Andrews beach in one of their last training sessions before they head for the Arctic.

What was believed to be a unique day was celebrated in style when the 50th birthday of the Ladbrokes betting shop in Benarty Square, Ballingry was marked.

Cowdenbeath's new Maxwell Centre fully opened for business and already a number of local community groups are making the facility their home.

Lochgelly and Cowdenbeath Recycling Centres were to close for two days each week from April, Fife Council announced.

Cardenden football legend Willie Johnston, hit out at the vandals who threw paint over parts of the John Thomson Park football centre in the village.

Cowdenbeath Golf Club members were looking forward to the new season after a £40,000 refurbishment of their clubhouse at the Dora Course as completed.