Top Local Stories of 2009 Part 3

FORT WAYNE, IND. (WANE) - It may be hard to believe, but in a just few days, we'll usher in 2010. But before we do, NewsChannel 15 is taking digging through the archieves to take a look back at some of the year’s biggest stories.

You voted for them here on wane.com. Now here's a look back at the stories you voted 5 through 1 in “2009: Coverage You Counted On.”

5. Zoo Milestones

A taste of Africa came back to Fort Wayne this year

"The exhibit has been here for as much as 30 years and we said, it's become one of the older areas of the zoo," said Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo Director Jim Anderson.

So with that, the African Veldt transformed into the African Journey... a 3-year, $9 million renovation project all paid for by donations.

"There's a whole list of animals that people haven't seen in Fort Wayne before," Anderson said.

In all, 85 animals call the African Journey home, from spotted hyenas, to a bat-eared fox, and of course, the lions: Bill and Ena.

Attendnace numbers this year washed out a record set back in 1996, as more than 576,000 people spent a day in the wild that is the Fort Wayne Children's Zoo.

4. Title Town

Fort Wayne had a lot to brag about this year! Not only did the Tin Caps celebrate their first season inside the new Parkview Field, they also did it in championship fashion.

The Komets also celebrated another Turner Cup win this year! Then, Fort Wayne was named an All America City, giving leaders a reason to cheer... while giving the Summit City a new nickname!

"Title Town is sort of a name that's given to communities when they reach certain national championships," said an official with the Fort Wayne Visitors & Conventions Bureau.

3. H1N1 Hype

H1N1 made headlines for most of the year, from community specials, like October’s “H1N1 Community On Alert” television special, to updates from the county and state health departments… all the way to schools trying to avoid the spread of the illness.

"I would hate to get a phone call from a Physician telling me it's a confirmed case," said the Superintendent of Wabash Community in Schools in the Spring of 2009 when she made the decision to cancel classes after a student came down with unknown illness.

Fort Wayne was one of the first cities in the state to receive the H1N1 vaccine, while the threat – for now – seems to have calmed down.

2. Our Economy

"We're all trying to work as hard as we can to pick up the pieces," said a woman in the Spring of 2009 after she lsot her job.

That's how many people across the area felt, as unemployment numbers soared throughout the year.

"It's very rough because of Fleetwood and Thunderbird," said a Decatur resident, during a NewsChannel 15 special report on a snapshot of unemployment in our area.

"I still can't find a job. It just gets a little depressing," said a Decatur man.

"All my friends are pretty much in the same boat," agreed another local resident.

"You're used to going to work everyday, and it just changes your life completely," said a local woman who experienced what it is like to lose a job after more than 20 years of service.

Businesses laid off workers or closed completely, forcing big changes for many people; but many analysts say 2010 should finally show a light at the end of the tunnel.

1. Stadium Success

A New name, a new team, a new home, an impressive winning streak, and a Midwest League championship: it was the perfect homerun recipe for a stadium success story.

The excitement of opening night for the Tin Caps at Parkview Field seemed to continue all season long, with at least a 40% attendance increase over the 2008 season.

"The sun shone on Fort Wayne," said a beaming for Fort Wayne Mayor Graham Richard on the Tin Caps opening day at Parkview Field on April 16, 2009.

But the excitement did come at a cost.

"I hate to see it go, we've been here numerous times," said a longtime Fort Wayne resident.

Memorial Stadium came tumbling down, and made way for a parking lot expansion at the Coliseum.

As we look forward to 2010, the New Year brings new opportunities, and NewsChannel 15 will continue to be there every step of the way with Coverage You Can Count On, whether it be on TV, online, or on your mobile device. Happy New Year from everyone at WANE-TV!

If you’d like to watch the other parts of this countdown, simply click the "2009 Coverage You Counted On stories" box under the video player at the top of this web story.