EDITOR’S NOTE: We are doing something a little different this year to wrap up the 2015 year. Instead of picking the Sumner Newscow top 10 list of news stories, we are offering three different top 10 lists from the perspective of Sumner Newscow writer James Jordan, Sumner Newscow publisher Tracy McCue, and then from you the reader based on the number of hits for a story. As you will see what is considered the top news stories is always in the eyes of the beholder, because none of the lists are in agreement. So let’s start this off with Jordan’s top 10 list for 2015.

TOP TEN LIST ACCORDING TO JAMES JORDAN…

James Jordan

by James Jordan, Sumner Newscow — When we look back on 2015, of course, the biggest news story was the Nicole Blansett murder trial in which she was sentenced to a hard-25 life sentence in prison. That murder was the most shocking thing that has happened in Wellington in some time, and would be the story of the year for two consecutive years, as the murder itself happened in December of 2014.

Even as newsworthy as that is, there are other events that were significant for the entire population and that is how I’m basing my top 10 list. There were other events and developments that will shape our community as it moves forward. The next 10 stories are ones I feel are the most “significant” as far as the impact on the community and its continual effect as we move forward.

Change was the big word in 2015. Much of the change has not yet happened, but the stage is clearly set for some new direction for the city of Wellington and surrounding areas. Wellington faces challenges as all small towns do, and it is perhaps at a point where it is ready to try new things. New people are in new positions, and there seems to be some room for new ideas. As we head into 2016, we will be able to – hopefully – see the vision as new leaders develop. Here are the top stories that open the door to a new era.

1. Elections. Elections are always big news, but this year’s city election was especially significant because there was a big change in people, though perhaps not as big of shift in ideology. The election of Shelley Hansel as mayor, and three new city council terms for: Jim Valentine, Kelly Green and Kip Etter – is enough to change the direction of the council. There was also only one new council member, Bill Butts, appointed after another member, B.J. Tracy, resigned a little later.

2. Community passes SRMC half-cent sales tax referendum. Voters approved a sales tax extension to support the local hospital. An old half-cent sales tax was set to expire, so voters approved replacing it with a full cent sales tax, again by an astronomically high percentage. This will provide a shot in the arm to the hospital, but it also signaled that Wellington’s public support for the operation continues.

3. Changing of the guard at the Wellington Chamber office. Shelley Hansel resigned as head of the chamber of commerce, and ran for and won the mayor seat. She has been an advocate of Wellington for years at the chamber. She will bring that voice to the mayoral spot on the city council. Likewise, her replacement at the chamber, Annarose White, is a new voice in the community and brings new ideas to the table. While the election will affect city policy, this story will have more an impact on how the city is perceived by the outside world.

4. Changing of the guard at the hospital. SRMC CEO Leonard Hernandez resigned at the hospital, and a temporary person replaced him as part of a consulting firm’s plan to get the hospital out of its financial woes and back on good footing.

5. Changing of the guard at city manager’s office. Roy Eckert was hired as the new city manager for Wellington late in 2014, but it was really 2015 before any impact could really be seen. This was not a specific story, but just a development that affected other stories as 2015 developed.

6. Schools changing of the guard as superintendent. Two top administrators in the district left at the end of the 2015 school year, as both assistant superintendent Larry Roth and curriculum director Dale Adams took Superintendent jobs elsewhere. Then at the end of the physical year of 2015, Wellington Superintendent Rick Weiss announced his intent to retire.  It is hard to know yet what impact this will have on USD 353, but it should have an impact on the schools for some time to come.

7. The financial ills of SRMC — The Sumner Regional Medical Center continue to struggle to survive in a rural area. The city has bailed it out before by forgiveness of the its utility bills and other financial commitments. But with the current city budget restraints, the council is reluctant to do so again.  With the implementation of a new consulting firm plan in place, the ongoing efforts to keep Sumner County’s top healthcare facility and major employer alive continues.

8. Electric and utility rates — Electric rates got the most attention, and rightfully so as the city raised the base charge by 30 percent for electricity. The city also raised water and sewer rates but that was a move earlier in the year that had less of an impact. City Councils in years past have been depleting the utility reserve fund and jeopardizing the city’s bond fund ratings, to avoid raising taxes, and has helped deplete some of its reserves. To build those reserves back up they have had to raise rates a lot and cut some expenses. Hopefully, this will be a short term solution.

9. Coffee Shop No. 7 opens — Perhaps a new era is dawning in Wellington, as a coffee shop opened in downtown Wellington. A hip new business, along with other eateries on Washington, developed over the years has made the downtown a “go to” destination. Just off Washington Street, Rocco’s opened in November 2014, adding to the downtown’s lure. That makes four restaurants – Barefoot Jerry’s and the Dore are the other two – within a few blocks in the downtown area that has opened in the last five years. This could be the beginning of a new era in Wellington as the downtown begins redefining itself.

10. Wellington Babe Ruth girls softball team goes to Florida — For me, sports stories are big news especially those out of the ordinary. The Wellington Babe Ruth girls All-Star team went to the 2015 16-under Babe Ruth World Series in Jensen Beach, Florida in August. The girls finished second in the consolation bracket after winning the Babe Ruth Midwest Regional in Wellington a couple of weeks earlier. They lost some games early on in bracket play, but then got going in the consolation bracket winning several games to get to the consolation finals.

Honorable mention:

– City council changes building codes to meet state standards.

– City of Wellington rearranged itself through employee shifts through the leadership of Eckert.

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