Looking back at 2006

But along with the marches, petitions and angry letters of objection, were the odd heart-lifting moments.

So here's a round-up of all the news - good and bad - for Milford Haven and Pembrokeshire as reported to you by the Milford Mercury this year.

January:

The new year began on a high note for the Charnley family of Hakin.

Macy-Jane was born on New Year's Eve by literally dropping into her very proud father's arms.

Mum Samantha needed to go to the toilet and asked her husband, Andrew, to accompany her.

When Sam got up from the toilet, however, Macy-Jane was making her bid for freedom and Andrew had to catch her.

Macy-Jane was born a very healthy seven pounds one ounce.

Plans for a gas pipeline running from a proposed power station in Pennar, under the haven through Blackbridge and on to Waterston were announced, sparking concern among some Milford Haven town councillors.

Pressure group Safe Haven distributed copies of their petition containing more than 4000 signatures against LNG to town councils.

Petroplus in Waterston was earmarked for expansion after being sold to SemGroup LP.

Work on the Sir Benfro Hotel in Herbrandston was stopped after residents raised concerns that the proper procedure for asbestos removal hadn't been followed.

And finally, the Ombudsman found that Cllr Brian Hall did make threats of extreme violence against BBC reporter, Simon Morris, who was investigating the councillor's affairs for TV show Dragons Eye.

February:

A shipping risk report used by Milford Haven Port Authority to quell fears of an LNG accident was finally released to the Mercury, four months after we asked the authority for a copy.

A mystery rash hit 140 people in Milford and several children were sent home from Milford School.

The controversy surrounding the Blackbridge mine depot sale hit the headlines for the first time after Pembrokeshire County Council voted to sell a 999-year lease for the site to Milford Haven Port Authority.

Later in the month, the issue of Blackbridge was a hot topic once again, when the council announced that another bid had been submitted for the site.

A report investigating the long-term impacts of the Sea Empress oil spill, released on the 10th anniversary of the disaster, found that nature has fought back amazingly.

The Mount Resource Centre in the Mount Estate, Milford Haven, received a devastating blow when their bid for new three-year funding was turned down by the Welsh Assembly.

NHS patients in Pembrokeshire were informed that they could be prescribed the so-called wonder drug Herceptin for the treatment of cancer.

A change to the way pensions and benefits are paid and the announcement by the government that the Post Office Card Account was being scrapped left postmasters in Pembrokeshire fearing for the future of local post offices.

And finally, Dyfed Powys Police spoke out against the government proposal to merge all four Welsh police forces into one.

March:

The Welsh Assembly blocked a proposed council tax increase required by Dyfed Powys Police to make up a £1.325 million shortfall in funding from the Home Office. The lack of funding meant the force had to look at delaying the recruitment of 50 police officers, freeze support staff vacancies and put building projects on hold to save £500,000.

The first minister Rhodri Morgan visited Milford Haven in a bid to rally the Labour faithful in advance of next year's assembly elections.

The Mercury witnessed first hand one of the most dramatic armed raids to have taken place in Pembrokeshire as police officers donning bullet-proof vests and rifles descended upon Fulke Street in Milford Haven.

The armed unit was responding to reports that LNG workers living in the road had a gun and arrested 18-year-old Zan Nikitin.

It turned out that the weapon was actually a replica bull-bearing gun that Zan's sister, Alla Asatarjan, had brought for her son.

Patients taken to Withybush Hospital were forced to wait in ambulances for up to two and half hours before being admitted to the Accident and Emergency department.

A wave power project set to be based off the coast of Milford Haven was given £5 million of Objective One funding money.

The cash meant that British energy company KP and Denmark-based company Wave Dragon could go ahead with the first stage of their ground-breaking project.

The first wave of strike action came when public sector workers in Pembrokeshire held a one-day strike in protest over cuts to local government pensions.

To round up the month, the Mercury revealed that Pembrokeshire County Council's chief executive, Bryn Parry-Jones, was in line for a pay hike which would see him earning almost £160,000 a year.

April:

Cllr Brian Hall claimed the complaint that he threatened extreme violence against BBC reporter Simon Morris "is just the most recent manifestation of a vicious and politically motivated vendetta" against him.

Following an announcement by the Local Health Board that Withybush Hospital would need to either close or be downgraded, formal public meetings to discuss the future of the hospital were announced by the patients' watchdog, Pembrokeshire Community Health Council.

This was shortly followed by mass protests against the proposed downgrading or closing of the hospital by members of the public and the Save Withybush Action Team (SWAT).

A Paul Sartori two-bed hospice unit, which cares for patients from all over Pembrokeshire, was set to close because of lack of funding.

Residents, councillors and history enthusiasts enjoyed celebrating the 200th birthday of Isambard Kingdom Brunel, in Neyland.

Pembrokeshire police officers expressed concern at booze-fuelled violence after a busy bank holiday weekend where police attended 450 incidents and arrested 72 people.

Two Milford Haven town councillors, Anne Hughes and Tony Miles, made their bid for the position of Milford Haven deputy mayor. A week later the Mercury revealed that Cllr Tony Miles was the new deputy mayor of Milford Haven.

May:

Hundreds of Milford Haven residents turned up at a public consultation meeting on the proposed closing or downgrading of Withybush Hospital held at Milford School.

Members of the public gave a resounding no' to the LHB's option one and option two.

Cllr Sue Perkins was elected as the new Labour Group leader on Pembrokeshire County Council.

The Mercury discovered, using the Freedom of Information Act, that Milford is, by far, the Pembrokeshire hotspot for cannabis seizures mad by police over the last five years.

The Health and Safety Executive confirmed that a major error had occurred in the Court of Appeal judgement blocking the bid to have the LNG consents judicially reviewed.

Later in the month, the Mercury revealed that for over a year, Pembrokeshire County Council had been operating a secret policy of destroying notes of meetings so that they could not make their way into the public domain.

Almost 1,000 people attended an LHB consultation meeting on the future of Withybush Hospital held at the Park House Pavilion in the County Show Ground, Haverfordwest.

The three-day inquest into the death of Hayley Lianne Williams - who died after falling out of the white-knuckle ride, Hydro, at Oakwood Theme Park - was held at Haverfordwest Magistrates Court.

There was a mass walkout at South Hook LNG plant, with more than 200 Chicago Bridge and Iron employees protesting over asbestos disposal procedures.

More than 100 of the workers were later sacked but then offered their jobs back a few days later.

Cllr Eric Harries became the new mayor of Milford Haven.

June:

The Pembrokeshire County Council cabinet decision to sell the Shire Hall to Red Dragon Developments was called in by the environment and overview scrutiny committee.

Pembrokeshire had more knives handed in to police during the first week of the national knife amnesty campaign than any other county in Dyfed Powys.

The Mercury revealed that the Newings and Sons hardware shop in Hamilton Terrace was closing down after 65 years of serving the community.

Only half of all Pembrokeshire County Council councillors turned up for a presentation on the future of Withybush Hospital.

An outraged mother warned other parents to check playgrounds after her three-year-old son used a play park slide and cut his hand on glass deliberately embedded in the joints.

Several more similar incidents were later reported at the Pill Lane Play Park and Milford Haven Police Community Support Officers joined forces with Cllr Anne Hughes to make regular checks of the park.

More than 100 traditional boats arrived in the haven for the week-long SeaFair Haven festival celebrating classic watercrafts.

The festival inter-linked with Pembrokeshire Fish Week, which kicked off in Milford Haven Marina.

Pembrokeshire County Council decided to introduce a range of new and increased charges for public car parks, sparking uproar.

September:

Things started to look up for the health service in Pembrokeshire as a new £8.75 million Accident and Emergency centre was announced for Withybush Hospital.

An area of community woodland near Mount Estate was obliterated without warning by contractors laying the gas pipeline linking the LNG terminals to the national gas network.

The Pembrokeshire Housing Association project to build elderly care housing in Steynton was rejected by Pembrokeshire County Council's planning committee.

Representatives from 14 town and community councils called for a vote of no confidence in Pembrokeshire County Council's three representatives on the fire authority.

The Mid and West Wales Acute Services Review proposed that a decision on the future of Withybush Hospital be deferred for up to a year.

Later in the month the LHB backed the People's Vision' for retaining services at Withybush Hospital put forward by the Pembrokeshire Community Health Council.

More than 100 people marched through the streets of Haverfordwest campaigning against the proposed ending of night-manning at Haverfordwest Fire Station.

Pembrokeshire County Council brought in charges for temporary B&B accommodation for the first time.

October:

A high-level row erupted over the re-appointment of a well-known former union official, Danny Fellows, to the board of Milford Haven Port Authority.

Pembrokeshire County Council announced a formal consultation period for the proposed car parking charges in response to the public outrage over the plan.

The Bronze Age canoe was moved for the first time in 3,500 years and taken to Newport for further tests.

Cllr John Allen-Mirehouse was re-appointed to the board of Milford Haven in defiance of stated government guidance.

A seven-year-old budding artist from Milford Haven, Kyle Richards, was one of only 30 people to be shortlisted from 10,000 entries for the online Doodle for Google competition.

The second trial broadcast of the community radio station, Cleddau FM, was hailed as a major success by its organisers.

The Mercury uncovered a massive counter-terrorism exercise, dubbed Operation Oystercatcher, taking place in the haven to test how the emergency and security services would respond to a major incident.

A plague of destruction hit Milford Haven Docks as 20 car tyres were slashed, vehicles were scratched and a van was completely gutted after being set on fire, all in one single night.

The Mercury discovered that at least 15 Milford people had lost £3,000 between them through the collapse of Farepak.

November:

A blaze ripped through Mary Immaculate School in Haverfordwest causing classes to be cancelled for more than a week.

The same day as the school fire - Hallowe'en - the Mid and West Wales FIre and Rescue Authority announced that the draft risk reduction plan - which recommended cuts to the manning of Haverfordwest Fire Station - was approved.

The three Pembrokeshire County Council representatives on the fire authority - Cllr John Allen-Mirehouse, Cllr Brian Hall and Cllr Pearl Llewellyn - came under fire for approving the risk reduction plan.

A Christmas opening for a new nightclub, called Circles, replacing the Victoria Social Club in Milford Haven was announced.

An honest couple from Milford Haven kindly returned a woman's life savings after she accidentally sold a set of drawers complete with a £5,000 stash of cash inside.

Students at Milford Haven School excelled themselves by raising an incredible £16,659 for Children in Need. (With picture).

Cllr Pearl Llewellyn was kicked off the fire authority by her fellow Labour councillors and decided to defect to the Independent Group.

Police mounted a large-scale investigation into the death of 29-year-old Lance Corporal Kinnon Arrigo Ragni who died near Minnies nightclub in Friars Lane, Haberfordwest, after an alledged knife attack..

December:

The final month of the year and it seems the saga of the Blackbridge mine depot sale is finally at an end with the announcement that an Irish food processing company, Agri Energy Limited, won the Blackbridge lease and plans to build a £50 million bio-fuels plant on the site.

It is estimated that the project will create 80 new jobs in the area.

Pembrokeshire Housing Association re-submitted a planning application to build an elderly care housing complex in Steynton.

The project had been turned down by the planning committee in September but, this time, councillors approved the plan.

Tesco received permission from Pembrokeshire County Council to expand and open up a second entrance - currently only used for deliveries - sparking a sit-in protest by neighbouring pensioners.

Excited children lined the streets of Milford Haven in anticipation of the arrival of Santa who spent the whole day finding out what the town's children were wishing for this Christmas.

Anger over the three Pembrokeshire County Council representatives - Cllr John Allen-Mirehouse, Cllr Brian Hall and Cllr Pearl Llewellyn - decision to support the draft risk reduction plan rages on.

Post offices in Pembrokeshire continue to be under threat after the government announcement that up to 3,000 offices across the UK will have to close.

And to round up the month, and the year, residents of Milford Haven were given a special Christmas treat by a local communications company - free broadband.

The TFL Group has chosen the town to launch its Open Access WIFI Hotzone which allows anybody wishing to log on to the web completely free internet access.