2019 was a year that saw the Mossmorran Petro-Chemical site dominate local headlines as periods of unplanned flaring from the Fife Ethylene Plant saw people alarmed.

The week long flaring which started on Easter Sunday led to a public meeting which took place at Lochgelly Town Hall and saw over 200 people turn out.

In August the loss of two boilers on site saw the plant close down for repairs and Exxon/Mobil announce a £140m upgrade at Mossmorran.

January

A matter of days after giving birth to her first baby a Lochgelly mum found herself battling for her life in hospital. Michaela Spacey, from McKenzie Crescent, contracted Sepsis after suffering mastitis from a cracked nipple, and she only just got to the Victoria Hospital in time to get the treatment which ensured her recovery.

It's role in helping young blind people was explained to Cowdenbeath MSP by Lochgelly man Stuart Beveridge. Stuart, working with seescape with seescape, formerly Fife Society for the Blind, has not let being blind stand in his way of becoming a top IT expert.

An appeal went out to young motorists in Cowdenbeath who congregate in the car park at Central Park, not to wantonly discard rubbish after a taxi driver was shocked when he found piles of rubbish at the facility.

Four people were rescued from a blaze caused by rubbish being left in a stairwell of flats in Cardenden.

A poll to resurrect Lochgelly Community Council was set down Thursday March 21.

The Splash for Cash venture at Lochore Meadows Country Park by Benarty Fundraisers raised the sum of just over £4,000.

A Lochore woman who spent almost half a century serving communities in Africa, Irene Legge, died following a road accident in Botswana.

People fly-tipping at sites near Lochore Meadows Country Park were slammed by Benarty community activists Willie Clarke and Brian Menzies.

The chair of Cowdenbeath Area Committee, Councillor Linda Erskine, challenged Scottish Health Minister, Jeane Freeman, to come to Lochgelly and see the inadequacies of Lochgelly Health Centre.

Figures just made available showed that 2018 had been a record year for visitors to Lochore Meadows Country Park with 835,994 people visiting the facility.

Crossgates Community Council was unhappy at a plan to build 43 houses at the former John Reid timber yard as it was feared it would cause more congestion.

February

More than 4,000 fans turned up for the Cowdenbeath v Rangers William Hill Scottish Cup fourth round tie.

A huge incinerator that could burn up to 250,000 tonnes of rubbish a year is set to go ahead at the former Westfield Opencast site.

Cowdenbeath MSP Annabelle Ewing wrote to ScotRail chief Alex Hynes over the lack of improvement in Fife Circle services serving Cardenden, Cowdenbeath and Lochgelly stations.

Cardenden's bouyant 4th Fife Scout Group received a major body blow when fire ripped through their Cardenden Road hall causing very serious damage.

There was chaos in Cowdenbeath High Street when high winds saw the sign dislodged at the Premier Bingo Hall at the north end and fire crews had to deal with the situation.

Benarty business Peel Tech, which makes equipment which tackles pollution from drains, was aiming to clinch deals in Ireland and Dubai.

Left homeless by the blaze which struck their hall the 4th Fife Scouts began fundraising to build a replacement with the ABCD community rallying around the cause.

Bowhill Swimming Pool users and staff celebrated the facility's 50th anniversary.

The Benarty Community Shop won the Tay Cities Social Enterprise Best Starter Award.

Fife Council announced that council tax was to rise by three per cent to plug a £9m gap.

March

A Cowdenbeath man, Gordon Taylor, crushed by a forklift vehicle and left in 'unbearable pain' by organ collapse, said the swift response of the Scottish Ambulance Service saved his life.

Crosshill Sepsis survivor Marguerite Henderson, one year on from when the crippling condition struck received a further boost when Lodge Ballingry 1183 made a donation of £500 to her fund and the Mary Leishman Foundation also lodged substantial support for her.

The £1.5m project for a new nursery and community centre in Hill of Beath was unveiled at a special event at the current community centre.

The president of Lochgelly Golf Club, Derek Clark, warned casual walkers on the course to beware of flying golf balls as preparations for the new season took shape.

MP Lesley Laird urged the Scottish Government Transport Minister to order ScotRail to cut fares on the Fife Circle due to continued service problems.

Cardenden Community Council was dismayed by Fife Council's Central Area Planning Committee's decision to grant approval for ten gas powered generators at the former Westfield Opencast site.

Kelty woman Mary Ednie, who suffers from MS, had been left in a nursing home more than 20 miles away from her family and friends for three months and Alex Rowley MSP took her case to the Scottish Parliament.

Beath High School pupils did brilliantly to reach the final stage of a UK fashion recycling competition.

A concerted move by councillors of Cowdenbeath Area Committee was to seek to find a solution to the problems experienced by residents in Farm Road, who have seen two parked cars written off through accidents caused by speeding motorists.

The former Kelty Library became the new home of the highly successful Kingdom Brass Band.

High Street, Cowdenbeath is changing as the SUSTRANS project which has seen so many upgrades to the heart of the town neared completion.