With the year 2019 coming to a close, it’s time to look back at the stories that made news in the pages of the Laclede County Record for the past 12 months.
Using a mixture of social media interactions, website visits and in-house voting among news staff, the Laclede County Record has chosen the top 10 news stories of 2019.
1) City sells Nelson Park to Tracker
In June, Council approved the sale of 30 acre Nelson Park to the White River Marine Group which makes Tracker boats for $2.5 million Many residents expressed opposition to the sale at the next city council meeting.
The city is building a new park next to the Lebanon Middle School at Evergreen Parkway and Slate Street. The new park was expected to be ready in time for the spring ball season.
In August, the White River Marine Group announced it was donating a pond on the old park property back to the city and it would remain open to the public.
2) Jailie Luke, 12, killed in a hit-and-run on North Missouri 5
Balloons, stuffed animals, signs and flowers marked the scene where a 12-year-old Lebanon girl lost her life in a hit-and-run accident Sept. 28. Lebanon Police were notified of the accident involving a pedestrian at the intersection of North Missouri 5 and North Adams Street at about 7:33 p.m. Police said 12-year-old Jailie Luke was transported to Mercy Hospital in serious condition and was later pronounced deceased.
According to witnesses, Luke was retrieving a ball from the road when she was hit. The vehicle that struck Luke left the scene of the accident and was described as being a black or possibly dark blue colored Chevrolet truck.
3) MFA building
destroyed in fire
Lebanon residents could see the glow and smell the acrid fumes long before they knew the MFA Agri Service building at 225 North Jefferson was on fire late in February
Flames as high as 30 feet danced for the gathering crowd of more than 50 people that lined the northeast side of Jefferson Avenue. The crowd watched a Lebanon landmark that predated them quickly being consumed by the blaze.
It was 9:28 p.m. when the Lebanon Fire Department was notified about the fire by a Laclede County dispatcher. When Fire Chief Sam Schneider and his crew From 8 until noon Saturday, the Lebanon Fire Department worked with the MFA’s management and an excavation company to begin digging out the remains of the building.
To see the remaining top stories of 2019 see Tuesday's print or e-Edition of the LCR.
