Palatine's Top 10 Stories of 2016: Controversial Teachers Contract and Closed Cold Case Killing Make Headlines

PALATINE, IL — For many U.S. residents, 2016 will be a year that is remembered for a wild, unpredictable presidential election that put Donald Trump in the White House, a seeming epidemic of tragic and signficant celebrity deaths and the end of the Chicago Cubs' 108-year-old World Series title curse.

But not all of this year's big headlines had to do with national news for Palatine Patch readers. We took a look at the people and events that were making waves locally in 2016 and put together a list of the top 10 stories that covered those topics and issues (along with six honorable mentions to make it 16 in '16).

In determining the list, we used some editorial discretion. These stories weren't always the most-read articles on Palatine Patch, but they were the stores that had people talking. In fact, the ranking order of the stories is more of a way to organize the list than it is to gauge their overall significance. Inclusion in the top 10 is what's important; where on the list that inclusion happens — first, 10th or somewhere in between — not so much.

Like any good end-of-the-year list, this ranking of the village's top stories of 2016 should spark debate among readers. Are there stories that were robbed and undeservedly missed the cut? Probably. Just like there are top-story articles that some readers think have no business making it on the list. That's why comments sections were invented: Leave your thoughts and opinions there concerning additions and deletions to the rankings.

Enough discussion of the list. Time to unveil it. Here are Palatine Patch's top 10 stories of 2016:

1. District 15 and Teachers Union Agree on Unprecedented 10-Year Contract

MAY: Officials for Community Consolidated School District 15 kept details of the controversial agreement secretive for weeks, a move that upset many residents.

2. Palatine Man Pleads No Contest to Lesser Charge in 1997 Killing of 14-Year-Old Girl

OCTOBER: James P. Eaton and Wisconsin prosecutors worked out a plea deal in connection with the death of Palatine teen Amber Creek. Her murder had been considered a cold case for 17 years until authorities matched Eaton's fingerprints from a discarded cigarette in 2014 to evidence found at the crime scene.

3. Voters Reject $130M Bond Referendum to Build 2 New District 15 Schools

NOVEMBER: The contested election issue was defeated by a significant margin in the 2016 election.

4. Palatine Celebrates 150 Years in Style at Sesquicentennial Gala

OCTOBER: More than 400 people attended the event at the Cotillion. The gala capped off a series of anniversary celebrations for the village in 2016, which included a Founder's Day ceremony and a summer festival.

5. Judge Recommends Rejecting Injunction to End District 211 Policy Allowing Transgender Student Locker Room Access

OCTOBER: The recommendation was not a final ruling and was part of a lawsuit filed by a conservative Christian group representing more than 50 families against Township High School District 211. The lawsuit, which was filed in May, is an effort to overturn the school system's policy that allows a Fremd High School transgender student to use school facilities, such as restrooms and locker rooms, that apply to her gender identity.

6. Palatine High School Grad Auctions Disgraced Cop's Car to Help Family of Late Fellow Alumnus

SEPTEMBER: Tim Potoczny bought the squad car of Fox Lake Police Lt. Joseph Gliniewicz at a charity auction, believing Gliniewicz had been murdered. When the truth surrounding Gliniewicz's death was discovered, Potoczny restored the vehicle in effort to help others.

7. Palatine Woman Who Did Shots Before Fatal Crash Sentenced to 5 Years

JUNE: Amber Honaker had a blood-alcohol content more than three times the legal limit at the time of last year's deadly head-on collision that seriously injured Joseph Micelli, 84, and killed his wife of 66 years, Theresa, 85.

8. Former Illinois Teacher of the Year Pleads Not Guilty in Sexual Assault Case From 1970s

JUNE: Arthur Peekel, an ex-Rolling Meadows HS teacher from Palatine, is accused of fondling a visiting student at a New Hampshire prep school in 1973.

9. 19-Year-Old Found Not Guilty of Father-Son Double Murder

SEPTEMBER: Marco Lopez, who had been in custody since 2014, was acquitted because of conflicting accounts, a lack of evidence and a defense that focused on a detective's failure to pursue additional suspects.

10. Rescue Dog Saved from Backyard Sinkhole in Palatine

MARCH: It took officials from the police, fire and public works departments to pull out Chance, a 17-year-old rescue dog.

Honorable Mentions

• Retired Firefighter Restores Palatine's First Fire Truck (February)
• Watch Stephen Colbert Stump Palatine GOP Delegate in 'Trump or False' on 'The Late Show' (July)
• State Sen. Matt Murphy Officially Resigns (August)
• Amy Schumer Reveals Her Love for Her Chicago Boyfriend's Palatine Parents (August)
• Students Give Bulletproof Vest to Palatine Police Dog (September)

James P. Eaton in 2014 (image via Pixabay; Eaton photo via Racine County Sheriff's Office)

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