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KPBS Midday Edition

2012: Top 10 News Stories Of The Year

Top Stories of 2012
2012: Top 10 News Stories Of The Year
Host: Mark SauerGUESTSMaureen Cavanaugh, Midday Edition host Alison St. John, KPBS News Senior Reporter Tom Fudge, KPBS News reporter

Midday host Maureen Cavanaugh, along with Alison St. John and Tom Fudge, who also fill the host chair from time to time, reflect on their candidates for the top San Diego stories of 2012.

Maureen Cavanaugh's three top story choices:

Developer Doug Manchester's purchase of the San Diego Union Tribune. He changed the name (U-T San Diego), the look and the content of the paper and swallowed the North County Times.

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Prison realignment was the state’s response to a court order requiring less crowded prisons. Starting October 2011, offenders who committed non-serious, non-violent and non-sex crimes were sentenced to county jail instead of state prison. There are now 24,000 fewer inmates in the prison system.

The suicide of Junior Seau, the former Charger great, was not only a sad event, but it sparked nationwide discussion of the effects of brain trauma suffered by football players of all ages.

Alison St John's top stories:

The shutdown of San Onofre because of a radiation leak caused concern for public safety as well as summer brownouts.

Poway's school bonds, or capital appreciation bonds, caused considerable consternation when voters and the public learned the cost -- and it was discovered that Poway was not alone in using this type of bond.

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A Desalination plant to be built and run by Poseidon Resources was approved for Carlsbad amidst controversy about the high cost of the treated salt water to consumers.

Tom Fudge's Top Stories of 2012:

Lots O' Democrats got elected this year, including Mayor Bob Filner. Not only that, but Filner has a majority Democratic City Council, and San Diego has one more Democrat in Congress.

Plaza de Panama in Balboa Park got an ok from the City Council for a controversial makeover involving a new road around the Museum of Man and a parking structure. Lawsuits are pending.

The purchase of the Padres by a group including members of the storied O'Malley family and (at the time) golfer Phil Mickelson fostered hope for a better (and better paid) team in the bosoms of Padre fans.

And finally.....

The last top story of 2012 is a complete dud. Literally. It's the Epic Fourth of July Fireworks Fail that made San Diego number one on the Worldwide Laughingstock Chart for a day or two.

Corrected: March 28, 2024 at 4:40 AM PDT
Editor's note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly described prison realignment. No court ordered the release of inmates. The story has since been corrected.