A fatal crash, a tornado warning, and municipal election results lead Chatham-Kent's Top 10 stories on BlackburnNews.com for 2018.
Top Three
The most popular story to hit the headlines in Chatham-Kent over the past year was a serious crash that took place on Highway 401 near Tilbury on June 22.
A 44-year-old transport truck driver from Windsor was killed during the collision, which caused a horrific wreck and prompted OPP to shut down the highway for more than 12 hours.
The police investigation showed that the transport truck the man was driving "crossed through the center median and collided with an eastbound tractor-trailer."
You can read the story by clicking here.
That crossover crash took place shortly after the province announced it would begin installing cable barriers along the Hwy. 401 from Tilbury to London.
Those barriers have been tested several times since they were installed with mixed results so far, prompting continued criticism from advocates who continue to push for concrete barriers along the highway.
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Coming in second this year was a story about a tornado warning on September 25.
Environment Canada issued the warning for most of southwestern Ontario, and while no funnel clouds were spotted in the area, a number of people reported heavy rainfall and strong winds.
That tornado warning followed several others earlier in the summer, including one that produced a waterspout on Lake Erie. You can watch the video of that waterspout again by clicking here.
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And rounding out this year's top three stories was our recap of the municipal election results, specifically, the mayor's race.
On October 22, for the first time since 2006, Chatham-Kent elected a mayor who wasn't named Randy Hope.
In what was widely expected to be a three-horse race, it was Darrin Canniff who pulled away from runner-up Alysson Storey and third-place finisher Randy Hope, who missed out on being re-elected for a fourth consecutive term.
STORY: Darrin Canniff will be Chatham-Kent’s new mayor
Another election recap made the Top 10 list as well, with our Wards and Trustees results coming in at number 8.
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The Best of the Rest
Several cop and court-related stories helped to round out this year's Top 10 -- and you can also find some links below to several other notable stories that just missed the cut.
4. Local Doctor Facing Multiple Criminal Charges
5. Arrest Made In School Shooting Threat Circulated In CK
6. Billboard ‘Attacks The Very Soul Of Chatham-Kent’
7. UPDATE: Hwy. 40 Reopened After Fatal Collision
8. Chatham-Kent election results — Wards, Trustees
9. CK Police Looking For Missing Chatham Girl
10. Charges laid after assault at Dresden high school
Editor's picks that just missed the top 10
