Jefferson City's 2016 was a bumpy ride of growth in some areas, cutbacks in others, new ventures and traffic jams.
To accurately reflect on the year, we asked the Jefferson City community to join the News Tribune staff in ranking the top local news stories of the year via an open poll on our website.
This year we bid farewell to treasured community members and to lengthy lawsuits. But 2016 had its bright spots, too, like a new use for the expansive Missouri State Penitentiary property and a new life for the 1800s-original organ at a Mid-Missouri church - a fun feature story from July we were pleasantly surprised to see readers voted to the top 10.
Read on for summaries of the top 10 local news story picks of the year.
Do you agree or disagree? See a story missing that you think should make the list? Start the conversation with a comment on the online version of this story, on the News Tribune's Facebook page, or on Twitter using the hashtag #jcmo2016.
1. Missouri River bridge closed from April through November
Motorists traveling over the westbound lanes of the Missouri River Bridge faced delays at peak times during a good stretch of the year.
From April 15 to Nov. 13, the westbound lanes of the Missouri River bridge were diverted to the eastbound lanes while a $7 million renovation project took place on the bridge.
The contractor - Saffo Inc., of Wilmington, North Carolina - sandblasted old paint, replaced rusty rivets with bolts and then repainted the westbound bridge, both over and under the driving surface. Missouri Department of Transportation officials said the repairs should make the bridge a safe structure for another 20-30 years.
Originally planned for 120 days, the westbound bridge closing was extended in July because the contractor found more rivets to replace than originally expected.
2. Missouri State Penitentiary used as concert venue for first time
A first-ever concert on the grounds of the former Missouri State Penitentiary saw nearly 2,500 people come to watch Grammy-winning country artist Travis Tritt.
Despite the rain, organizers were still pleased with how things went at the Inside the Walls Outlaw Country Concert featuring Tritt over the Fourth of July weekend at the Missouri State Penitentiary.
Two of the three other bands scheduled to perform had to cancel due to the rain, but the event proved again that the former prison can be a profitable tourism mechanism.
From the beginning, officials with the Convention and Visitors Bureau and Salute to America had hoped to make the concert a yearly event. The state, which owns the property, gave them an early Christmas present in December by allowing them to hold two more concerts at MSP in conjunction with the annual Fourth of July festival. The 2017 concert - performers yet to be announced - is set for July 1.
3. Discrimination suits against Jefferson City Public Schools end in teachers' favor
Two years-long discrimination lawsuits against the Jefferson City public school district concluded this year, both in the former employees' favor.
Karen Ray was awarded $235,000 in damages plus attorney's fees after jurors in a May civil trial sided with the former high school journalism teacher, who said she was forced to leave the district in 2013 because of "intolerable" conditions due to harassment and age and gender discrimination by school administrators.
"I think it's a win for Jefferson City teachers. Many of them have contacted me and said they're still being bullied," Ray told the News Tribune after the trial ended.
Ray's case focused primarily on the actions of former Jefferson City High School Principal Jeff Dodson, who left JCPS in 2014.
A judge dismissed Laura Cooper's similar discrimination lawsuit against the school district in September.
Attorneys for both parties filed a joint dismissal with terms the case cannot be reopened or refiled, and both parties agreed to pay their own attorney's fees.
Of the total $450,000 settlement, Cooper was awarded $255,000. The district's insurance company, Continental Western Insurance Company, agreed to pay $195,000 for all attorney's fees and costs, according to the agreement.
Cooper, a former English teacher, filed an age and gender discrimination lawsuit in 2014 against the district, alleging she was subjected to discrimination and harassment by the school 's administrators.
4. Jefferson City loses two long-time leaders in Carl Vogel, Sam Cook
Sam B. Cook, the long-time head of Central Bank and founder of its holding company, the Central Bancompany, died in 2016. He was 94 and had lived most of his life in Jefferson City.
Central Bank now has assets of $12 billion, with 12 affiliates led by the flagship Central Bank in Jefferson City. It continues to be listed on Forbes Magazine's "Best Banks in America."
But Cook wasn't just a successful banker - he was also known as a visionary, philanthropist and community leader. Among other things, he helped support creation of the city's Environmental Quality Commission as well as downtown beautification efforts.
Former state Sen. Carl Vogel died after a 13-month battle with pancreatic cancer. He was remembered as a quiet-but-active, caring man.
He was president of the local Coca-Cola Bottling Co. that his family started 73 years earlier.
He was a state representative, then a state senator. He was known as a fiscal conservative who worked on children's issues and went to bat for state employees.
Vogel never sought attention, but was content to work behind the scenes on issues for his constituents.
5. Cole County opts not to lower flags after mass shooting, then reverses vote
The Cole County Commission opted not to lower flags after a mass shooting in Orlando in July, then reversed its decision a day later after public outcry.
President Barack Obama put out a proclamation to lower flags at public buildings following the shooting.
Presiding Commissioner Sam Bushman voted that the flags should be lowered, but Western District Commissioner Kris Scheperle and Eastern District Commissioner Jeff Hoelscher opposed lowering them, citing the county flag ordinance, which states the flag should be lowered only on specific holidays and at times when principal figures in the U.S. or state government die, as well as members of the Armed Forces from Missouri.
The next day the commission reversed its decision after multiple discussions on whether lowering the flag adhered to county policy - and after the commission received many calls and social media messages against its initial decision.
Scheperle changed his vote, saying although he agreed with not lowering the flag, he reversed his vote due to the negative attention the county was receiving, something he had never intended.
6. St. Thomas church restores 1897 organ
The 490 pipes of the 1897 Pfeffer pipe organ above the sanctuary at St. Thomas the Apostle Church were restored with authentic integrity during the summer by the Quimby Pipe Organs Inc. of Warrensburg.
The organ restoration followed the rural Cole County church's preservation of its historic stained glass windows.
Few pioneer-era organs remain in usable condition. Only three of 600 made by the Pfeffer company still may be found in Mid-Missouri. This one arrived by steamboat from Johann Georg Pfeffer's St. Louis workshop.
The Rev. Jeremy Secrist, pastor at St. Thomas and an organist himself, has applied for the church's organ to be recognized by the Organ Historical Society with its Historic Pipe Organ Award.
7. Jefferson City rejects tax increment financing for Truman Hotel redevelopment
Community discussion about a major economic development project spanned over half of 2016, but proposed public financial support to redevelop the Truman Hotel & Conference Center property ultimately fell through.
The Puri Group of Enterprises applied in early 2016 for tax increment financing (TIF) to help fund the project, which would have replaced the hotel buildings in the 1500 block of Jefferson Street with a new Courtyard by Marriott and Holiday Inn & Suites, along with a Cheerleader Pub and Grill restaurant, and renovate the Truman Hotel's existing 24,000 square feet of meeting space.
The hotel ceased operation in November 2015, after the Puri Group purchased the 8.51-acre property in July 2013.
The TIF would have allowed the development group to reimburse up to $8.89 million in project costs primarily through property tax generated on the property over 25 years. The Puri Group estimated the project would generate $62.8 million in hotel payroll over 23 years.
After Jefferson City Public Schools officials voiced concerns about the amount of property tax revenue that would benefit the redevelopment project rather than the school district until the TIF expired, the Jefferson City TIF Commission was presented with a new funding plan that replaced some of the property tax benefit with lodging tax. Voters approved raising Jefferson City's lodging tax to 7 percent in 2011 for funds to be used for a conference center or tourism purposes. The reconfigured funding plan also would have required the Puri Group to voluntarily annex its two hotels just outside Jefferson City limits so the city would benefit from lodging tax on those rooms.
Amid continued concerns from the school board, as well as objections by other area hoteliers regarding the proposed costs, the TIF Commission rejected the plan in June. The City Council followed with a final dismissal in September.
The property remains closed and boarded up, but hope for the project resurfaced in November when a former Mayor George Hartsfield, working on behalf of the Puri Group, announced their intention to seek financial assistance on a smaller scale through urban renewal, a program designed to spur redevelopment of blighted areas.
8. Jefferson City deals with blight conditions on East Capitol Avenue
After more than two decades of neglect, the final three months of 2016 saw Jefferson City government stymie the encroachment of blight on the once-majestic expanse of downtown known as East Capitol Avenue.
Beginning with adoption of an authoritative blight study in October, the East Capitol Avenue Urban Renewal Plan moved through committees and commissions, won multiple approvals from the Housing Authority and its Land Clearance Authority companion and, finally, in late December earned the final green light from the City Council.
There was a palpable commitment by public officials to initiate construction in 2017 within the 38.1-acre, 106-parcel neighborhood, which includes 42 structures 100 years or older and at least 88 structures 90 years or older.
As the year ended, the Housing Authority and City Council had a timeline for the authority to take ownership of an unspecified number of those structures, awaiting either demolition or restoration on Aug. 1. A funding agreement is expected to be formalized by the council at its Jan. 3 meeting, on Jan. 10 the two bodies will host a public forum to guide prioritization of property acquisition in the urban renewal area, which is in a National Register Historic District.
Although the year ends on an upbeat note for East Capitol urban renewal, the legal struggle with Barbara Buescher, who owns many dilapidated properties in the area, continues.
Buescher was found guilty of violating multiple city ordinances linked to more than a dozen properties she owns in the East Capitol neighborhood. On May 17, Circuit Judge Pat Joyce ordered Buescher to pay $24,785.33 to the city for its work to maintain the properties. Buescher appealed the ruling June 24.
9. Wheeler elected sheriff
Cole County voters this fall elected John Wheeler to become the next sheriff and succeed his boss, Greg White.
Wheeler won the August Republican Primary capturing 7,240 votes or 46.32 percent of the votes cast.
With no Democrat filed for the office in the November general election, his primary win gave him the office.
White announced in 2015 that he would retire at the end of 2016 and not seek another four-year term, then backed Wheeler as his successor.
"One of the biggest things was Sheriff White endorsing me," Wheeler said. "The fact that Sheriff White has been such a great community servant these past 11 years, and me being under him and, more or less, training, was a big plus in my favor.
10. Lincoln University to cut history, early childhood and two music degrees
This year Lincoln University announced significant cuts to three of its academic programs - and those cuts are now extending to the programs' faculty members as well.
The Lincoln University Board of Curators voted in July to deactivate programs in history, early education, music education and sacred music. Upon deactivation, students who are currently enrolled will be able to finish, but President Kevin Rome also plans to take that time to develop new classes that may strengthen the college's recruiting efforts in the future.
In the midst of the decision to cut the programs, there was discussion about how the cuts can be a mere cost-savings to the college overall.
Prior to Said Sewell stepping down as provost and vice president for academic affairs, he noted three primary reasons for the cuts being low graduation numbers over the last five years, the prospective students low demand for a program and low regional or national career demand for the program. Faculty members have challenged the statistics he cited.
As a result of the program eliminations, several faculty members received notice recently that they will be out of their jobs when the school year concludes in May.