Looking back, what was the top story in Lawrence County in 2012? That may sound like a simple question but the variety of answers can often be very surprising.

But that is exactly what The Tribune tried to determine again this year. We will highlight our choices in Monday’s edition.

Plus, offering a look ahead to the new year, Tuesday’s edition will feature local leaders outlining what they believe 2013 has in store for our community.

Much like deciding an MVP race in sports, even defining what “top story” means can be difficult.

Is “top story” the news item that had the most people talking? Is it the story that will continue to evolve? Is the story that impacted the most people?

There really isn’t a right or wrong answer.

We tried to base our criteria on all those factors and more, with long-term impact perhaps having the most weight.

The newsroom staff scoured the newspapers, talked to citizens and reviewed their peers’ work. We quickly came up with a list of at least 20 items. Many others could have potentially made the final cut but ultimately didn’t.

But determining exactly where each of these stories should be ranked is always the most interesting part.

Everyone has a different perspective. One person’s top choices might not even be in someone else’s final 10.

Was the continued struggling of the economy a top local story? It had a tremendous impact on many residents and, ultimately, the entire nation.

What about the elections? Certainly this was huge on a national level but, locally, it may not have been that much of a factor. Most of the county-wide races were uncontested and the presidential race played out pretty much as expected here.

Is the return of a hospital-like facility to Ironton the top story? It will certainly impact thousands of people for many years to come.

What about the myriad of crimes throughout the year including an alleged murder by a pregnant woman and a rape case that spanned years, one that is still painful to even think about.

These are just a few that we considered.

Hopefully readers will start to form their own lists and will compare it with The Tribune’s on Monday.

Let us know how yours stacks up to ours as each of us reflect on the year that was and get ready for the year that will be.

Happy New Year to everyone.

 

Michael Caldwell is publisher of The Tribune. To reach him, call (740) 532-1445 ext. 24 or by e-mail at mike.caldwell@irontontribune.com. Follow him on Twitter: @MikeCaldwell_IT.