Top 10 local stories of year kept Bee journalists busy

As 2016 heads for the history books, all I can say is “wow!”

Wow for an intense presidential election that transfixed the nation (and the world).

Wow for major local stories that profoundly affected the lives of everyone in our region.

Wow for the notable celebrity deaths that saddened so many.

So take a deep breath. It sure was one heck of a year.

The Associated Press annually polls editors from across the country to develop the nation’s definitive list of top stories. The turbulent U.S. election – culminating with Donald Trump’s poll-defying victory over Hillary Clinton in the presidential race – overwhelmingly took the top spot. “Brexit” – the United Kingdom’s surprising vote to leave the European Union – was a distant second place. The full list accompanies this column.

Locally, The Bee took a different tack this year by asking you – our audience – to choose the top 10. I want to thank the large number of you who spent considerable time filling out our online poll.

Here are the top 10 stories of the year as voted by Bee readers:

1) Stanislaus County sheriff’s Deputy Dennis Wallace killed in line of duty

This one wasn’t even close. Wallace’s tragic death Nov. 13 at the young age of 53 topped all stories, and it’s not difficult to understand why given the outpouring of grief that followed. Wallace was a beloved figure in Hughson, where he worked and lived, and his slaying – which Sheriff Adam Christianson described as an “execution” – sent shock waves throughout the region. His funeral nine days later drew thousands of well-wishers and law enforcement officers from throughout California and the U.S., including Gov. Jerry Brown. Nearly four hours after Wallace’s death, police in rural Lindsay – about 150 miles south of Hughson – arrested David Machado in connection with Wallace’s killing; he remains in custody.

2) Judge orders attorney Frank Carson, others released from custody

This story was a late-year stunner that rocketed near the top of the list. Prominent Modesto defense attorney Frank Carson and brothers Baljit Athwal and Daljit Atwal – all accused in the March 2012 killing of Turlock resident Korey Kauffman – were released from custody Dec. 22 after the judge in the case angrily denounced prosecutors for not sharing a trove of evidence with the defense. It was a shocking twist and an embarrassing denunciation of Stanislaus County District Attorney Birgit Fladager and her staff; the judge even personally called out Fladager for not being in court. The case against Carson and others in connection with the killing has meandered through a lengthy preliminary hearing throughout all of 2016 and it’s still not concluded, but now Carson and the others will be at home instead of in a jail cell. Expect this story to be one of the top stories of 2017, too.

3) Measure L – a half-percent sales tax increase to pay for transportation fixes – approved by voters

The third time apparently was the charm for local officials who for years have tried in vain to make Stanislaus a “self-help” county for transportation issues. Measure L easily bested the higher two-thirds voter approval threshold that’s required of tax increases. Similar measures in 2006 and 2008 failed to get supermajority support, the latter by a whisker. So why did it succeed this time? Measure L was supported by all 52 people elected to lead the county and its cities and – perhaps most importantly – received the blessing of the Stanislaus Taxpayers Association, which routinely opposes tax increases. Measure L will help local governments leverage millions of dollars in state and federal money that’s only available to counties with self-help taxes.

4) Class-action lawsuits filed against MID alleging electricity customers overcharged

Bee reporter Garth Stapley revealed in 2015 how the Modesto Irrigation District has for years used millions of dollars of “profit” from electricity customers to subsidize cheap irrigation water rates for farmers. Two class-action lawsuits were filed this year to seek refunds for the district’s electricity customers because of the discrepancy. The district says it has done nothing wrong and is defending itself in court; expect to see much more on this in 2017 as the case progresses.

5) State water board releases plan to take more water from rivers for environmental use

The adage that “water’s for fightin’” proved true in 2016. The State Water Resources Control Board released its long-delayed Substitute Environmental Document that unsurprisingly calls for larger amounts of water from the Stanislaus, Tuolumne and Merced rivers to be sent through to the ocean for the benefit of fish. This unsurprisingly touched off intense anger in our region from farmers – who rely on the surface water for irrigating their crops – and local governments, which count on it to replenish aquifers and to drive the regional economy. The water board’s proposal has galvanized local political leaders in opposition. The comment period has been extended to March 17 with the hope that an agreement can be reached. This is an important story to watch in 2017 as the health of the local economy may hang in the balance.

6) State delays Stanislaus County Courthouse project

The need for a new Stanislaus County Courthouse is without question; just about everyone agrees that the current facility is deplorable. Grand plans for a new $267 million multistory courthouse in downtown Modesto took a major hit midyear when the state announced it didn’t have the money to build it. Planning work continues to be funded, but it’s pretty much a given now that construction on the downtown property – which recently was cleared of businesses – will be delayed indefinitely.

7) Off-duty correctional officer shoots knife-wielding man outside Modesto Costco store

A knife-wielding man who had just been released from Doctors Behavioral Health Center was shot by an off-duty correctional officer outside the entrance of the Modesto Costco after he threatened shoppers. Gary Harlan Scott, 61, is accused of brandishing a knife at the Pelandale Avenue store. He was charged with two counts of assault with a deadly weapon and one count of robbery in the July 28 incident.

8) Brandvold elected mayor of Modesto in February runoff against incumbent Garrad Marsh

Local architect Ted Brandvold won election as the city’s mayor with 58 percent of the vote in a February runoff election against incumbent Garrad Marsh. The soft-spoken Brandvold immediately set out on an ambitious 100-day line-by-line review of the city’s finances, which helped yield the next item on this year’s Top 10 stories list ...

9) Modesto increases police force to 240 under new mayor

The Modesto Police Department, ravaged by years of staffing cuts, flipped the script this year when the new city budget included funding to bring the department’s staffing to 240 sworn officers. The funding was identified during new mayor Brandvold’s review of the city’s finances, which concluded midyear. Chief Galen Carroll said his department had been treading water after losing 18 officers in 2014 to better-paying Bay Area agencies.

10) X-Fest moves to Stockton

Local promoter Chris Ricci’s annual downtown Modesto music festival took its act north this year after Ricci and the city fought a protracted battle about the future of the event. The city eventually gave Ricci a permit, but the terms proved to be too costly – and the event was moved to the Stockton fairgrounds. The reincarnated event was termed a success and is expected to remain in Stockton in 2017.

As always, this list is open to debate. With all that happened in 2016, there’s plenty of room for disagreement.

Thank you for reading The Bee, whether it’s on your smartphone, tablet, computer or in print. Happy New Year!

This story was originally published December 30, 2016 at 5:51 PM with the headline "Top 10 local stories of year kept Bee journalists busy."