The year in review

In any presidential election year, politics dominate the headlines. But 2016’s political season is one for the record books. For starters, reality TV star and real estate magnate Donald Trump is on the verge of entering the White House. The president-elect took no prisoners during his showdown with Hillary Clinton, even going so far as to threaten to jail her once elected.

The contentiousness didn’t start there. It began in earnest during the primaries, with Trump taking down his GOP rivals and Clinton and Bernie Sanders clashing over policy. In June, both Trump and Sanders brought the political energy to the North State by campaigning here.

Of course, plenty of other things happened this year. Marijuana is now legal for recreational use in California, at least for adults over 21, though it’s still not legal to buy or sell it without a prescription (that will change in 2018).

These are just a few of our top 10 stories of the year, most of which focused on issues in our backyard. For example, in local politics, the seven-member Chico City Council held its conservative majority during the general election.

Some events toward the end of the year will make 2017 an interesting one. This includes one group’s lawsuit to stop Walmart’s expansion and another group’s petition drive to boot a polluted scrapyard from its location near homes and a school.

We’ve also compiled a list of notable stories and our popular “What were they thinking?” picks.

Happy reading! And cheers to the new year!