Readers Asked To Pick Top Stories Serial Killer? Strong Mayor? Kaiser? Tell Us

Sun., Dec. 17, 2000

By Jim Camden jimc@spokesman.com (509) 879-7461

2000 may be remembered in the Inland Northwest as the year a serial killer was caught.

Or as the year Spokane chose a new kind of mayor, the Kaiser labor dispute ended or a downtown parking garage spawned lawsuits - or the year of other big news events that shaped Spokane, Eastern Washington or North Idaho.

News is subjective. The closer an event comes to us, the more likely we are to say it’s news.

But the stories that stay with us for weeks, months or even years are sometimes events that we watch from afar. And we are at times grateful for that distance.

Each year, The Spokesman-Review compiles a list of the local and regional news stories that most affected the people and communities of the Inland Northwest. The newspaper is asking readers to cast their votes for the top 10 stories.

Reporters and editors compiled a list of likely candidates for that distinction. But readers are free to nominate other stories.

Remember, the list is for local and regional stories, so the election of the president, the change of government in Yugoslavia or the war in Sierra Leone - while important - won’t qualify for this list. A list of the top national and world stories will be published the same day as the top local stories list, in the Dec. 31 Spokesman-Review.

A list of the nominations for the top local and regional stories of 2000 appears on Page B2.

Local journalism is essential.

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