Check out this list of York County top news stories in 2009
The fire that destroyed most of 111-year-old Shenberger’s Chapel United Methodist Church in February was one of the top news stories in York County. Also of interest: Major York County historical moments through the centuries and York County’s top 10 news stories in 2006 and Who were most prominent 20th-century sports heroes in York and Adams counties?
Members of the York Daily Record/Sunday News staff have put forth a list of top 10 York County news stories from last year.
And they’ve provided an interactive page for readers to record their own most memorable moments of 2009.
“Create a keepsake before 2009 is forgotten,” a headline states.
Here’s the list:
Kimberly Kauffman is seen during a worship service near the fire-damaged Shenberger’s Chapel United Methodist Church. Kauffman said, ‘It’s the only church I knew.’
Feb. 1 – York County’s Bruce
Arians helps the Pittsburgh
Steelers win the Super Bowl
as their play-calling,
offensive coordinator.
Feb. 3 – An electrical fire
brought down most of the
111-year-old Shenberger’s
Chapel United Methodist
Church in Chanceford
Township. Church members
planned to rebuild.
March 21 – William Penn
Senior High’s basketball
team made it to the PIAA
title game for the first time
in 60 years. The Bearcats
eventually lost to Penn
Wood 72-53 in the finals but
finished 32-2 on the season.
May 10 – A gang fight
prompts a drive-by
shooting that killed
9-year-old Ciara
“CeCe” Savage in York
on Mother’s Day. Three
men are charged with
her murder.
Aug. 17-21 – Harley-Davidson officials
visited four communities
that could be future sites for
the York plant.
Oct. 8 – State budget impasse
ends after 101 days of delay.
October The number of
cases of H1N1, or swine
flu, peaked this month and
by year’s end sickened more
than 14 million in the U.S.,
and killed about 4,000. In
York County, there were 236
confirmed cases, two
probable cases and one
death this year.
Oct. 26 – John
Latschar,
superintendent
of the
Gettysburg
National
Military Park
for 15 years,
was removed
from his
position after a
government memo
detailing his use of an
office computer to view
sexually explicit material
became public.
Nov. 3 – Voters elected York’s
first black mayor, Kim
Bracey, and first black
county judge, Chuck
Patterson.
Nov. 16 – A jury sentenced
Harve Lamar Johnson to
death for the fatal April 6,
2008, beating of 2-year-old
Darisabel Baez. Her mother,
Neida Elizabeth Baez, is
later sentenced to five to 10
years in state prison after
pleading guilty to
third-degree murder.
Dec. 1 – Economic downturn
showed signs of letting up as
jobless numbers stabilized
and the housing market
saw some
improvements later in
the year. The county’s
unemployment rate
hit 8.9 percent in
October (nationwide,
it jumped from 9.8
percent to 10.2
percent).
Dec. 3 – After six months of
hemming and hawing,
Harley-Davidson announced
its intention to stay in York
County.
Nov. 30 – Members of
Live, the band that
formed in 1984 at Edgar
Fahs Smith Middle
School in York,
suggest on their Web
sites that they’re
headed for a break
up.
Dec. 15 – Former
Democratic York Rep.
Stephen Stetler resigned as
revenue secretary, facing
criminal charges including
theft for allegedly directing
employees to perform
campaign work while on the
clock.
Readers can weigh in on their take on the top stories by commenting below or on The Exchange community bulletin board.
Top photo submitted by Lori Heiland; bottom photo, York Daily Record/Sunday News
