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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Sunday, December 31, 2006

AFTER DEADLINE
Iraq war, Hawai'i deployments top stories

By Mark Platte
Advertiser Editor

Schofield-based Sgt. Jesse Castro, Sgt. Joshua Madden, Cpl. Jason Huffman, Cpl. Yari Mokri and Pfc. Travis Krege were remembered in a ceremony in Iraq after they were killed Dec. 6 by a roadside bomb.

U.S. Army

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The Associated Press sends out its ballot for the top news stories each year, and editors of AP member newspapers such as ours get to choose the Top 10.

The list is long and runs the gamut of what is considered big news: Duke lacrosse players indicted; Katie Couric named anchorwoman; Guantanamo Bay detainees; Fidel Castro's failing health; the deaths of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and Slobodan Milosevic; convictions of the Enron and WorldCom leaders, as well as Saddam Hussein; the Sago mine disaster; John Mark Carr's fake confession; Ted Haggard's real confession; same-sex marriage recognition in South Africa; leftist election wins in Nicaragua, Chile and Brazil; Pluto reclassified as a dwarf planet.

Here's my list, based on the AP headlines I was asked to consider, ranked with the most important on top:

1) The Iraq war: political disarray and mounting casualties among civilians, U.S. troops.

2) U.N. estimates 39.5 million living with AIDS worldwide.

3) More than 900 killed in month of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah; Lebanon hit hardest.

4) Scandals bring down several in Congress, including Tom DeLay and Mark Foley.

5) Darfur: deaths and devastation mount as outside world struggles for solution.

6) U.S. election: Democrats seize control of House and Senate.

7) Gunman attacks Amish school in Pennsylvania, killing five girls and himself.

8) Concern mounts over global warming; world temperatures are highest in 12,000 years.

9) Katrina recovery: New Orleans stages Mardi Gras, re-elects mayor and re-opens Superdome.

10) Felipe Calderon is elected president of Mexico; loser's backers stage huge protests.

You could argue that I left a few important developments off the list. Donald Rumsfeld's departure was big news, but may not portend a big shift in policy over Iraq. Shinzo Abe succeeding Junichiro Koizumi as Japan's prime minister was also significant, but there were no huge protests over the change in government. Saddam's conviction made headlines but was expected. Israel's Ariel Sharon being replaced after his stroke and Hamas winning in the Palestinian parliamentary election could easily have made the list.

But it also was a big year for local news, so I came up with a Top 10 significant local stories:

1) The continued deployment of Hawai'i-based and -born service members and the resulting death toll, which now hovers at 180. No ongoing local story has involved loss of so many lives.

2) The breach of the Kaloko Reservoir in March that sent 400 million gallons of water down Wailapa Stream valley, killing seven people. This tragedy came during 40 days of record rainfall.

3) The City Council's approval of a mass-transit system. This decision will have ramifications for years to come.

4) The 48-million-gallon sewage spill into the Ala Wai Canal over four days, also in March. The aftermath involved the death of a man who fell into the Ala Wai harbor and died from a heavy bacteria infection.

5) The pair of Oct. 15 earthquakes centered on the Kona side of the Big Island that left O'ahu without power and caused tens of millions of dollars in damage. Nobody will forget where they were when the 6.7- and 6.5-magnitude earthquakes hit.

6) UH football quarterback Colt Brennan setting an NCAA touchdown passing record; his team finishing 11-3 and winning the Hawaii Bowl. One of the biggest stories in Hawai'i sports history.

7) U.S. Rep. Ed Case losing to incumbent U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka in one of the most anticipated elections of the political season.

8) Homelessness problems that overwhelmed city and state officials as the homeless beach population swelled. The Advertiser detailed the problems with a series of stories that drew strong response and a need to help those on the Wai'anae Coast.

9) The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that upheld Kamehameha Schools' century-old admissions policy favoring Hawaiians. The next step is whether the U.S. Supreme Court takes the case.

10) A gunman killing three people on Tantalus in July. The murders devastated families and shook those living in one of the island's most tranquil areas.

There may be others I missed or that had more impact. And you can always argue with the order. But to me, these were stories that deserved special attention.