Top 10 of 2013

Heart FM looks back at the top news stories in Oxford County in 2013.

To wrap up 2013, Heart FM News is taking a look back at the top local stories that made headlines over the last 12-months.  Here are the stories that we felt were the most significant of the past year:

1. Residents Fight Against Walker Landfill Proposal

When news of a massive landfill proposal in Beachville broke in 2012, we knew it was going to be a huge story with far reaching implications.  Not surprisingly, the mega-dump dominated our local headlines throughout 2013, as Walker ramped up towards filing its Terms of Reference.

Some of the memorable storylines from the past year on the landfill file included weekly protests by anti-landfill activists.  That included keeping tabs on one overnight fishing trip/protest/fact finding mission by Ingersoll's Mike Farlow, in a man made lake on Carmuse Lime property.  It ended in Farlow being called off the lake by OPP and a police escort home for his civil disobedience.

But the reason this story made #1 on our list for 2013 was the demonstration at County Council's October 23rd meeting.  Concerned residents turned out in numbers, filling the council chamber, and spilling out in the hallway.  They showed up in support of Ingersoll Mayor Ted Comiskey's motion to prohibit new landfill sites from opening to  waste that comes in to Oxford County.

The situation intensified when County Council made the unprecedented move of leaving the Chambers for a closed door discussion that went on...and on...and on.

Chants erupted in the public gallery that only grew in intensity as the minutes passed.  Over an hour later, council emerged to support the motion (sort of).  They ordered County staff come back with a plan to restrict the way foreign waste comes in to Oxford County.  

We still have yet to see that report.  Look for it, and much, much more on the landfill issue that will surely continue to dominate headlines in 2014, the way it did in 2013.

2. Garland Guilty in Death of Baby Brooklyn

It was a stunning admission before the court on November 12th, when Melissa Garland averted her murder trial by pleading guilty to manslaughter in the death of Baby Brooklyn Hopkins.  It was a case that took over 3-years to come to court, but Garland agreed to a confession of how a night of babysitting turned tragic in an Ingersoll townhouse in August 2010.

Garland claims her cat ran between her legs as she held Brooklyn at the top of her stairs.  When she reached out to grab the railing, Brooklyn fell from her arms and tumbled down the stairs, hitting the middle landing and continued to the main floor.  

Garland then took Brooklyn to the kitchen to place a cold cloth on her forehead.  For some unknown reason, Garland a few minutes later described holding Brooklyn in her arms and spinning her "like an airplane ride", and she became "disoriented and dizzy" and let go of Brooklyn.  The infant hit either a desk or a wall 6-feet away.  

Autopsy revealed 5-month old baby Brooklyn had suffered four skull fractures.

In Garland's confession statement, she also admitted to leaving Brooklyn alone in a bath as she left to check on a commotion her son was making downstairs.  She also took time to have a cigarette.  When she went back to check on Brooklyn, she was face down in the water.  The autopsy report never revealed trauma consistent with drowning.

Garland's shocking revelations made our #2 local news story of 2013.  She'll be back in court on January 9th, 2014 for a sentencing hearing.

3. Huron St. Murder

Tuesday evening, August 13th, Woodstock Police were called to a report of an unresponsive woman at a duplex at 58 Huron St.  84-year-old Pearl Brown was found dead in her home.  Police initially called it a suspicious death, but after taking a closer look at the scene, police ruled it a homicide.  41-year-old Woodstock resident Stephen Dustin was arrested and charged with second degree murder on the 14th, which was upgraded to 1st degree murder at his first court appearance on August 15th.  Much of the case remains a mystery to the public.  Police have not released the cause of Brown's death, but have said Brown was known to the accused.

4. Hardeman's CO Bill Passes

A long and hard fought battle finally came to a dramatic conclusion for Ernie Hardeman and the Hawkins-Gignac families in 2013.  Nearly 5-years to the day when carbon monoxide claimed the lives of local OPP Constable Laurie Hawkins, along with her husband Richard, and children, Jordan and Cassandra, Hardeman's private members bill to make CO detectors mandatory in all Ontario homes finally passed.  Hardeman had to table the bill 5 different times, despite the fact no parties or MPP's were against the bill.  It died on the government's order paper four times, thanks to proroguements, Christmas and summer breaks, and the Liberal government just not letting it through.  But that 3rd and final reading on November 27th, which was a watershed day for the movement for greater protection for Ontarians against "The Silent Killer".  It was a memorable moment that brought Ernie Hardeman to tears in the legislature.

5. Work Underway at Harvey Woods

After sitting quiet for two decades, action revved up once again at the former Harvey Woods factory in Woodstock.  But it's out with the old industrial machines, and in with 54 affordable apartments.  It was a year of transition for the project, moving from a blueprints and ideas to construction.  Interior work got underway early in 2013, leading up to an open house in June that was attended by hundreds of local residents.  The project was also approved for funding support from Oxford County and Woodstock's Community Improvement Plan for downtown investment.  And another victory came for the project, when all three appellants withdrew their appeals before the Ontario Municipal Board.  Construction this fall has included demolishing the back annex of the building.  The plan is to see the first apartments open in late 2014.

6. GM Invests $250-Million into CAMI Plant

In March, Ingersoll's CAMI plant, and its 3000 workers got news worth celebrating.  After months of dealing with speculation about GM possibly moving future production of the Chevy Equinox and GMC Terrain to the US or Mexico, the announcement came that GM was going to invest $250-million to install new body shop equipment and tooling at the plant.  The investment is huge for CAMI workers, securing a future vehicle(s) for the plant with the Equinox and Terrain due for new models in 2015.  The expansion is also a tax boon for South-West-Oxford, as GM is building the expansion on the SWOX side of their property.

7. Old Woodstock Hospital Comes Down

We saw the end of an era in Woodstock in 2013.  The buildings of the old Woodstock Hospital, including the trademark smokestack came crumbling down.   In April, a crew of 30 workers from Priestly Demolition started the work of tearing down, and stripping away the old hospital buildings, some of which, date back 120-years.  June 4th was the date when the hospital's smokestack came down within minutes, leaving some residents upset there wasn't more advance notice, or a public spectacle made of the demolition.  Regardless, the old hospital is gone, and the area will be redeveloped into residential housing to fit into the neighbourhood.

8. Rav 4 breaks sales records

What a year for the Woodstock-built Rav 4!  The SUV was in overdrive at Canadian dealerships, flying out of showrooms at a record pace.  It was back in November when the annual sales record in Canada was broken, surpassing 30,000 vehicles.  Perhaps even more impressive, was the fact that for 10 straight months in 2013, the Rav4 broke its sales record for those months.  The vehicle was redesigned for 2013, including removing the trademark spare wheel off the back of the model.  It turned out to be a home run for Toyota, and a nice boost for the future of the Woodstock assembly plant.  

9. Teachers Withdraw from Extra Circulars in Fight with Ontario Government

It might feel like more than a year ago, but the battle between the McGuinty government, and Ontario's teachers was at its height back in January of 2013.  Students returned from their Christmas break to no extra curricular activities.  Teachers refused to volunteer their time for sports and clubs while the government imposed a contract on them that froze wages and benefits.

Teachers in fact, were set to walk off the job on a one day strike on January 11th, but at the last minute, The Elementary Teachers' Federation scrapped the walkout plan after the Ontario Labour Relations Board ruled such a walkout would be illegal.
    
The ruling meant any Ontario teacher who would have walked out, would face a fine of up to two-thousand dollars.  Eventually, the situation would settle later on in the year, and students got their clubs and sports back in the spring.

10. Woodstock Council Cuts Fire Service

While it may not have been the story with the most impact out of City Hall this year, it was certainly the story that drew the strongest public reaction.  In November, a consultant's report came to City Council on the fire service, recommending a cut of 4-full time firefighters.  Council opted to go with the cut, through attrition.  But leading up to the decision, the Woodstock Firefighters Association fought a hard public campaign against the cut, and a large number in the public expressed their disapproval of the move, especially on Heart FM's website, Facebook and Twitter.  The fire department also had plenty of backing from their colleagues around the province.