Remembering 2011's Biggest Stories

At the end of the year, it’s traditional for journalists to look back at the biggest stories that affected us.

There is no scarcity of contenders from 2011. It was eventful, and most of the news was not good. This past year, several of the biggest stories affected many people.

Here, more or less in chronological order, is a look back at the top stories of 2011:

1. St. Patrick’s Day

Morristown’s annual celebration of all things Irish included numerous concerts, dancing and a boisterous parade. The history of the Irish in Morristown dates all the way back to the Revolutionary War, when General George Washington declare St. Patrick’s Day a holiday to honor his Irish soldiers while they wintered in Morristown. After the weather led to the cancellation of 2010’s Morris County St. Patrick’s Day Parade, watchers and vendors alike were grateful for the mild, sunny March 12. There were Irish step dancers, Irish pipes and drummers, even someone dressed as a pint of Irish goodness – aka Guinness. And tons of green.

2. Irene

Though in hindsight she was downgraded to a tropical storm, everyone in New Jersey will remember her as Hurricane Irene. And not fondly. Irene swept across the state on Aug. 28, leaving 1.9 million homes and businesses, including many in Morristown and Morris County, without power. If the power didn’t go out, or even if it did, chances are flood waters submerged nearby roads, your property or, worst of all, your home. It took up to a week for the lights to go back on for some, and even longer for many to dry out their basements. Clothing drives to help those hardest hit continued more than a month later. The declaration of a state of emergency enabled many to get help for some of the damage. Still, Irene is probably not the most popular name for babies born at Morristown Medical Center anymore.

3. Troubles Underground

The ground under Morristown continued to be volatile in 2011. The biggest incident occurred on Aug. 31 when an explosion at the corner of James and South streets sent a manhole covering flying as high as 40 feet into the air. A woman in her car suffered a minor burn injury caused by steam from the explosion. Witnesses described the sound as one of a large explosive and saw dark clouds of black smoke. That followed a June 9 fire in an underground electrical vault on South Street, which sent thick black smoke billowing from grates in front of Walgreens and knocked out power to 1,700. The year’s troubles started with a transformer explosion on Feb. 24 near the corner of Maple Avenue and Market Street, which created a boom and the telltale black smoke. State utility regulators have ordered Jersey Central Power & Light to hire a special master to review the problems in Morristown and recommend solutions.

4. October Snowstorm

But Mother Nature was not through wreaking havoc. On Oct. 29-30, she sent a freak, pre-Halloween snowstorm to North and Central Jersey. Morristown got less than five inches, according to The Weather Channel, but it didn’t take much of the heavy, wet white to topple branches still laden with leaves. And so, the power went out again. The day after the snow ended, more than 10,000 customers in Morristown and its environs were without power. It took more than a week to turn the lights back on everywhere and several hundred in and around Morristown were still in the dark six days after the storm hit. The weather also forced the Morris School District to close for three days. It was definitely more trick than treat.

5. Plane crash

Less than a week before Christmas on Dec. 20 a single-engine plane crashed on Route 287 south of Morristown, killing all five passengers and a dog. Four of those who died were members of the Buckalew family, who had been travelling with a family friend to Georgia. The New Yorkers had taken off from Teterboro Airport. The pilot reported his plane had been picking up ice prior to the crash, which scattered debris over at least a half mile. Witnesses said the plane spiraled out of the sky. Incredibly, the crash around 10 a.m. did not injure anyone on the ground, including those driving on the busy interstate. Most of the highway closed for several hours, creating huge traffic backups that clogged local Morristown streets as well. The National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation of the crash continues and is expected to take between six and 12 months.