As one year draws to a close and another begins, we take a look back through the Island Echo archives and review the past 12 months in pictures.
Here is a reminder of some of the top news stories (out of 4,300+ articles we published) that made the headlines in 2019.
We would like to wish all of our readers a Happy New Year!
January
The big news of January was significant snowfall which brought the Island to a halt on 31st January. Island Echo delivered more than 12 hours of live coverage with all the latest news, travel and school information – as well as a wide variety of photos from all corners of the Isle of Wight.
It wasn’t a month full of joy though… a mum and her daughter were left shaken when youths threw rocks at their car in the heart of Newport, which led to the arrest of a number of children. Also in Newport, a Police car was damaged when a pursuit ended in a crash on Ash Road, Pan.
Emergency services were called to a serious crash on Whippingham Road on 7th January – the first of several incidents to take place on the stretch of road in 2019. Just a week later and firefighters were called to a boat fire on the other side of the River Medina in Cowes, which left a teenager with life-changing injuries.
Local publican Rich Fox was celebrating in January after his Ford Focus RS was named Fastcar’s Car of the Year for 2018. Meanwhile, those living in the East Wight were happy to see the opening of KFC in Lake.
February
Hundreds of homes in the Haylands and Binstead areas of Ryde were without water when a water main burst, resulting in the flooding of a busy road. Also in Ryde… reports of a man walking naked around Oakfield later turned out to be a man who had been robbed of his clothing and mobile phone.
Over in Sandown, the main High Street was closed when high winds led to fears for a dangerous structure. Firefighters were also called to a digger blaze at Merrie Gardens.
There was travel disruption towards the end of the month when a sewage tanker rolled over at Blackwater. Then, just a day later, mobile caravans being transported to the West Wight caused bedlem in Newport town centre.
The news that Brighthouse was to close its Newport store didn’t come as much of a surprise to locals.
March
March was a month of road traffic collisions – a reoccurring theme throughout 2019. A 27-year-old man riding a scooter was left fighting for his life after a serious crash in Shanklin. In nearby Ventnor, a bus carrying school children ploughed into a number of parked vehicles. It was lights out in Shanklin when another crash occurred, this time as a Renault Megane flattened a lamp post.
Eyes to the skies… the search for a missing person in Brading soon developed into another incident when a laser was shone at a Police helicopter.
The Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service dealt with a large fire in February when a blaze broke out at a holiday let in Porchfield.
Coastguard Rescue Officers were called out to Ryde when a person was sighted on the rocks at Ryde Harbour, but then disappeared.
There were awards for Bembridge and Sandown Bay in the annual Countryfile awards.
Burger King confirmed that they would be opening their first store on the Isle of Wight.
April
Tragedy struck in April when a bus and 2 cars were involved in a crash on Forest Road, prompting a major incident to be declared. 4 air ambulances were involved in the emergency response to the collision, which sadly claimed the life of 1 person and injured 19 others.
The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance was also called to a collision on The Downs, near Knighton.
April saw search and rescue teams once again out on the ground in the search for a missing person from Ryde – just 2 months before a major search which sparked national interest. At Culver Down, coastguards were sent on a rescue mission when 2 males got stuck on the cliff face.
In Newport, the noise of an explosion was closely followed by a loss of power when a seagull landed on a nearby substation. On the other side of Newport, a hedge fire threatened a bungalow.
A RAF C17 Globemaster made a rare appearance in local airspace to mark the retirement flight of an RAF pilot.
May
A murder investigation was launched at the end of May when the body of a former councillor was found in amongst woodland in Lake. Jonathan Stasiuk killed Gerry White by strangling him to death, but not before trying to cut off his legs with a chainsaw. The gruesome incident was discovered by Police when Stasiuk himself called the authorities on Bank Holiday Monday. He has since been jailed for life.
The annual Walk the Wight event was once again a popular success, but 2 air ambulances were called in within minutes of each other as 2 walkers were taken ill.
Firefighters and paramedics rushed to Godshill back in May when a man cut through an electricity cable in his back garden.
On the water… bomb disposal experts were sent to The Needles when a 7ft wartime sea mine was picked up by a fishing vessel. The explosion resulted in a 3.0 earthquake being recorded. Beside the sea, HM Coastguard went to the aid of a woman who had injured herself at Grange Chine.
Marbella vibes were promised with news of a new beach club opening in Sandown. However, the work soon stopped and the Carlauren Group has since gone into administration.
The Brexit Part took a majority on the Isle of Wight in the European Elections.
June
The national media’s attention was on the Isle of Wight in June when 22-year-old Rosie Johnson went missing in Wootton. A major search was launched spanning several days, but sadly her body was found in woodland in Havenstreet.
A Newport woman was left with catastrophic injuries following a crash on Briddlesford Road near Wootton. The Isle of Wight community rallied around and raised thousands for mum-of-1 Becky Wall. Other collisions in June included a motorcycle RTC on Wootton High Street and a pedestrian collision in Newport. A newly qualified driver rolled his VW Polo into a field near Havenstreet.
2019 saw a number of shop robberies take place, including when a uniformed schoolgirl entered a shop in Ryde with a knife and demanded cash from the till. Also in Ryde, the local air ambulance touched down on a crowded Ryde Beach.
There was anger amongst festival-goers when Jess Glynne pulled out of the Isle of Wight Festival at the last minute.
Local weather forecaster and photographer Jamie Russell captured evidence of a tornado on the Isle of Wight.
The Little Dessert Shop opened in Sandown.
July
Shock rippled through the local community after a second man died at the seaside in Sandown. Despite the best efforts of air ambulance doctors, HM Coastguard and local paramedics, the man’s life could not be saved. In nearby Shanklin, Chris Goddard was praised for saving the life of a young child.
Concerns for the welfare of a number of animals led to the seizure of 65 dogs from a van and a property in Cowes back in July. The news sparked anger amongst locals but led to £1,000 being raised for the RSPCA via the Island Echo Facebook Page.
In Newport, air ambulance doctors were called to a disused chalk pit after a teenager sustained a trauma injury.
A holiday park was cordoned off when the body of a man was found in a caravan. The body of another man was found by children in a field in Shanklin and the body of a woman was found at the base of Tennyson Down.
IsleJump in Lake ceased trading in this month.
Firefighters in Shanklin helped to save fish at Big Mead Pond by aerating the water in a bid to improve oxygen levels.
August
3 helicopters, 2 Coastguard Rescue Teams and paramedics rushed to the aid of a 16-year-old boy after he fell down a small cliff at Yaverland. The summer holiday adventure resulted in the teen being airlifted to Southampton General Hospital after being winched into the coastguard helicopter.
In Cowes, a 15-year-old boy was seriously injured after being assaulted with a golf club in Cowes. Police cordoned off the street whilst investigations into the incident took place.
There was drama in Bembridge when a holidaymaker discovered a hand grenade and took it back to their caravan at Whitecliff Bay. Police sealed off the park and evacuated some visitors ahead of the arrival of bomb disposal experts, who eventually destroyed the grenade on the beach.
Tragedy at the seaside continued in the month of August when a kite surfer smashed into rocks off Compton. His life could not be saved.
Firefighters were called to the former Trinity Middle School building when a fire broke out.
September
There was drama in Ryde when Armed Police swooped on a man following reports he was carrying a gun. He was later found to have 2 extendable batons and a knuckle duster in his possession.
4 teenagers were arrested and at least 1 hospitalised when a party in the sleepy village of Wellow got out of hand. Police in riot gear were called to the party to resolve the situation.
A woman was arrested in Shanklin on suspicion of attempted murder. The incident occurred at Lower Hyde Holiday Park. The local woman from Sandown was later released from custody. Meanwhile, in Ryde, another woman was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after stabbing a male in the chest at Winton Street in the town. The woman was later charged with wounding with intent.
Also in September… a motorcyclist suffered serious injuries in a crash at Northwood which saw specialist collision investigators from the mainland brought in to examine the scene.
It was a busy month for the emergency services with the Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service sent to the partial collapse of a family home – whilst the occupants were asleep in their beds.
In other news, a major announcement was made revealing the future of Island Line – a £26million investment in the Island’s train network.
October
It was a month of celebration for Island Echo as the Island’s news source was named Micro Business of the Year at the IW Chamber of Commerce Business Awards for Excellence 2019.
A 17-year-old almost lost his eye when he was stabbed during a knifepoint robbery in Ryde. Dylan Doughty, 22 and Ashley Jones, 21, have since been jailed for the incident, which occurred on Swanmore Road.
With the nights getting darker, October saw a number of nighttime collisions. A driver was cut free from his vehicle after crashing into a tree at Whippingham – just 10 months after another serious crash on the exact same section of road. In Freshwater, a 17-year-old boy was cut free from a vehicle and flown to Southampton after a crash between a car and a delivery van.
In other news… Liz Earle, with its headquarters in Ryde, announced that 35 jobs were at risk both on the Isle of Wight and in London. There was bad news for residents in Brading and Lake too as it was announced 4,500 people would lose their local GP surgery.
Public Health England confirmed in October that there had been 10 confirmed cases of E.Coli on the Island.
On a lighter note… celebrity Sam Smith enjoyed a pint at The Spyglass Inn, Ventnor in October.
November
Gusts of 100mph+battered the Isle of Wight in November with an amber weather warning issued, as captured by Island Visions Photography. But the weather was much calmer when A-lister Liam Payne filmed his new music video in the sea at Shanklin.
The Isle of Wight Deer Farm shared news of the killing of 3 deer after they were attacked by a large carnivore over a short period. The deer farm opened in August.
In East Cowes, a motorcyclist suffered life-threatening injuries following a motorcycle collision on Saunders Way. He was flown to Southampton General Hospital. A suspected drink driver was arrested after a crash on Gunville Road on the outskirts of Newport, which resulted in a car bursting into flames.
Jonathan Stasiuk was imprisoned for life in November following the murder of Gerry White in Lake back in May.
The first of 3 robberies at Central on Avenue Road, Sandown took place on 19th November. 2 further robberies took place and a man has since been charged with all 3 incidents.
Christmas came early in Ryde when the Cadbury’s Secret Santa post office returned for a second year.
December
Politics dominated the first part of December as Bob Seely secured a second term as the Isle of Wight’s MP in the General Election – the first to be held in December in decades.
In keeping with tradition, Islanders enjoyed the annual Light up the Wight Christmas lights tour guide and competition published by Island Echo and sponsored by Southern Vectis and Utilita. For the 20th year running Terry Ramplin switched on his star display at Long Lane, Newport. Controversially, firefighters decided not to erect a tree above Newport Fire Station in 2019.
Over in Bembridge recent wet weather resulted in a cliff fall at Whitecliff Bay. The coastal path was closed as a result. Terrible downpours were also experienced in the run up to Christmas with flooding reported in several locations.
Mixed emotions were expressed when it was announced that the annual August Scooter Rally will move to Sandown in 2020.
There would have been lots of emotion on Christmas Day when a baby boy and a baby girl were welcomed into the world at St Mary’s Hospital.
Looking ahead to next year… organisers of the Isle of Wight Festival revealed in December that Lionel Richie, Duran Duran and Lewis Capaldi will perform at Seaclose Park in June.
Burger King opened its doors in Newport in December ahead of an official launch in January.
