Top Renton Events Of 2017 Include New Ikea, Black Bear Sighting

RENTON, WA - 2017 has been quite a year in Renton. Some of the biggest news events involved tragedies, like several tragic crashes along Maple Valley Highway. Some stories were good news for Renton, like the opening of a downtown luxury hotel, and of course the new Ikea.

Here are some of the biggest news events that happened in Renton this year:

• School board member Albert Talley Sr. dies at 82
• Ikea opens new Renton store after two years of construction
• Multiple Maple Valley Highway crashes claim lives
• A new upscale Hyatt hotel opened on Lake Washington near Gene Coulon Park
• Doug Baldwin, Blitz help raise money for Renton schools
• 34-year-old mother dies in Renton when tree falls on car
• Black bear near Renton elementary school attracts a crowd
• Councilman, businessman King Parker dies at 78
• 14-year-old Zaykwon Holmes runs away from home
• Renton police fight Darth Vader, Storm Troopers at Renton River Days

Did we miss a story? Email neal.mcnamara@patch.com and let us know what your top story of 2017 was.

Images by Neal McNamara/Patch