It has been a huge year in Jimboomba and Logan, with COVID-19 restrictions making 2020 one to remember, and one which some locals will be keen to put behind them. The Jimboomba Times was there to cover it all. Journalist Matt McLennan looks back at the big stories from the first half of the year.
January 1: A cracking start to the year for motorists, with an announcement that stretches of the controversial Mount Lindesay Highway would be widened in 2020 in our first paper of the year. The government said at the time that the section between Camp Cable Road and the Johanna/Tamborine Street intersection will begin on January 7, and cost $20 million. Work on various sections continued throughout the year.
January 10: Wongawallan girl Zoe Lloyd, five, was recognised for heroic work in saving eight-year-old brother from choking at the dinner table. While father Kenneth tried to dislodge mashed vegetables from Oscar's throat, Zoe calmly called 000. Paramedic Gary O'Brien had a reunion with the family at the Tamborine Mountain Ambulance Station.
January 16: Former Dally M Medal winner Todd Carney moved to town, to live with Married at First Sight star girlfriend Susie Bradley. His plan was to coach local rugby league juniors. Our story about his return, and picture at the local rugby league fields, caused quite a stir online.
January 28: The first students walked through the gates at Yarrabilba State Secondary College. They were greeted by 20 teachers and special guests at the McKinnon Drive school. New faces, including foundation student Telethia Delaney, cut the ribbon at the front of the school before planting a tree which will be seen by thousands in the future as they walk through the gates.
February 1: Glenlogan Park was the scene for a bumper Pink Stumps Day for the McGrath Foundation. The town showed its generous spirit, raising $10,255 for cancer support. Just don't ask organiser Scott Bannan about that catch on the boundary. He won't stop talking about it.
February 14: Floods closed Logan and Scenic Rim roads, while school kids went home early and businesses closed as the water rose. Power was cut across the city. Fire crews rescued a man from Daisy Creek, off Waterford Tamborine Road.
March 14: A huge crowd beat COVID-19 restrictions by days to turn out for Jimboomba's Triple Crown super cross night at Jimboomba X Stadium. Organisers estimated about 5000 people were on hand for a master class of racing, and a superb trick display in a fantastic crowd figure for the yearly event.
March 18: The first COVID-19 restrictions begin in Australia, with Prime Minister Scott Morrison announcing tough measures to keep the country safe. At the time, there were 559 cases of COVID-19 in Australia.
April 17: Scott Bannan is finally declared the winner of Division 9 in the Logan City Council elections, weeks after the city went to the polls on March 28. The election was one of the most drawn out in history. The ECQ said technical issues plagued the count. Darren Power won the mayoral vote.
May 14: Jan and Warren Laurent notch up 60 years of marriage half a world away, after tying the knot in Leicester in 1960. It all began with notes left in Warren's bicycle saddle bag. He would leave his bike at Jan's parents' 400-year-old pub while at work at Fox's Glacier Mints next door.
May 27: A decision by Logan City Council to change its Ekka public holiday to Friday, August 14 split the readership down the middle. The move, council said, was to support local parents. Of our readers, 51 per cent were in favour of changing to the Friday, while 48 per cent said they would rather see the holiday kept on the Monday.
June 10: Logan mayor Darren Power penned a letter to the government, pleading with deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack to change the planned route of the controversial project in the western part of his city. The letter was dated June 10 - the same day Cr Power slammed representatives for not answering the council's questions at the city infrastructure meeting. "Logan will bear the brunt of the impacts without receiving any direct benefits from this infrastructure," the letter read.
The second half of our year in review, covering July to December, will be online tomorrow
What are your thoughts on 2020? Let us know below
