WITH the year coming to a close, 2024 has been a big year for news with the UK and US both welcoming new leaders, multiple named storms battering the country, and a cursed rendition of Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory.

However, this year has also been a big one for local news, with the past 12 month being filled with a number of variety of stories,

Here are some of the biggest stories from the last 12 months:

Plusha Junction has been the subject of a lot of discussion during 2024. The stretch along the A30 has featured in a number of headlines in the last year, due to the lose of life seen in the area.

The junction has seen a number of fatal collisions take place. This came to a head in November as the third fatality in three months pushed National Highways to take immediate action, implementing a speed restriction and closing some turning lanes.

Since then, local residents, councillors and even MPs have been calling for more significant change. Liberal Democrat MP for North Cornwall Ben Maguire even took the issue to parliament, asking for the site to be urgently looked into.

Many will be hoping that 2025 is the year which sees permanent safety improvements implemented along the stretch.

In September, all eyes were on Launceston College after parents were informed that the school would be closed for the day for ‘health and safety reasons’.

In an early morning letter to parents, principal of the school, Mr Thompson said: “I am sorry to be in touch so early in the day, but this morning we have had to take the decision to close the school today for health and safety reasons.”

However, despite initial frustration from some, it was revealed that the closure was the result of a hoax security threat, requiring police to carry out the necessary safety checks on site.

Speaking to the Post, Mr Thompson, said: “Closing the school is a decision that is never made lightly, and we fully recognise the impact on students and their families. However, late on Wednesday evening, we received what turned out to be a hoax security threat which we acted on immediately. Having liaised with the police, we took the precaution of closing as we could not guarantee the safety of our students until police checks had been carried out on site this morning.

“These have now been completed and police have confirmed that the site is secure and safe. Unfortunately, it was not possible for this to be completed ahead of the school day starting. However, I want to express my gratitude to the police for their swift response and support. I believe it is only right that we took this matter extremely seriously and we will be supporting the police with any further investigations into the background of the hoax threat.”

At the start of 2024, the future of Holsworthy’s Deer Park Care Home was thrown into jeopardy after it was announced that it would cease trading at the end of March.

The news shocked and saddened many residents, with the care home a staple of the local area.

However, six months on from its closure, it was announced that the home was to be saved after Camalot Care acquired the site.

Paul Teasdale, director of Camelot Care, said: “We are excited to add this sizeable home to our portfolio and look forward to providing a new home with high quality dementia care for the residents of Holsworthy and district.

“We anticipate providing accommodation for just over 50 residents, each in individual bedrooms with their own wet-room.”

In August, Luke Cowling from Launceston made headlines when he was jailed for nine years after attempting to arrange the commission of a child sex offence, causing the sexual exploitation of children, and making and distributing indecent photographs of children.

The 27-year-old pleaded guilty to distribution of indecent photographs of a child, making indecent photographs of children, attempting to arrange/facilitate the sexual abuse of children and causing or inciting the sexual exploitation of children.

Cowling’s offending came to light after Devon and Cornwall Police received intelligence from the National Crime Agency (NCA) in August 2021, stating that a KiK account linked to Cowling had uploaded a Category A indecent video of a child to the internet.

In the summer, Launceston residents were frustrated to hear that National Express was cutting its 503 service to the country’s capital.

In August, the national bus provider revealed that, from September 1, the service would no longer be available.

The service ran from London all the way down to Penzance, making some key stops at Exeter, Okehampton, Launceston, and Newquay, among others.

Following a frustrated reaction from locals, MP Ben Maguire has sought to get the route reinstated.

In September, Sam Box, 25, of Penstowe Road, Kilkhampton, was sentenced at Truro Crown Court on Friday for causing the death of his girlfriend, Briony Watkins, 24.

The court saw video footage of Box carrying out ‘dangerous manoeuvres’ in his Nissan 200 SX on the evening of April 28, 2023, with Briony in the passenger seat. Later that night they were travelling on the A39 at Crimp at inappropriate speeds for the foggy conditions, when Box collided with the bank causing the car to flip and roll along the road.

Briony, from Pendeen, suffered catastrophic injuries and was taken to hospital where she was sadly pronounced deceased a short time later.

Box sustained serious injuries and was also taken to hospital. He was released following treatment and later spoken to by officers providing a no comment interview. He was summonsed to court where he pleaded guilty.

He was jailed for seven and a half years by Judge Climie at court on September 20.