Here’s afternoon news anchor and “Eagle Eye Drive at Five” host Mike Ferguson’s take on the top ten stories of 2011 for Columbia and mid-Missouri. There will undoubtedly be some debate and disagreement on what should have been on this list and maybe on what should not have been included.

Feel free to make your comments – agree or disagree – here or on the show’s Facebook page.

From Mike: 

Here’s my “Top Ten” list of the biggest news stories of 2011. I went with an unscientific gauge to determine my picks: both what impacted the community and what kept our interest (both in how long we talked about the story and how intensely the debates were).

While there were many tragic events – it seems those stories come more frequently every year – crime did not seem to dominate the news this year. Oh, sure, there are a few crime-based stories in my list but not as many as I expected to have when I began this brain-storming exercise.

I certainly don’t mean to downplay the importance or the somber nature of a dead child found in a pond or a double-murder in Callaway County (or anywhere else), but other things kept our attention longer and more intensely in 2011.

Here’s how I see the most talked about and most important stories for our area in 2011:

10) Columbia Public Schools name new high school for Dr. Muriel Battle.

Naming a high school is a big decision: it’s one that lasts for generations and identifies at least part of a community. While there are always worthy candidates and some debate over who should get the honor, Columbia celebrated in unity the decision to bestow it on Dr. Battle.

Her impact is felt long and wide through Columbia. I never met her personally. I’ve had people from three generations of Columbia natives sing her praises to me, though. That includes my father, a Hickman High graduate, who did not hesitate to tell me she was “one of the best, most inspiring teachers [he] ever had.”

Clearly, this is a remarkable woman who continues to impact her community after her passing.

9) Sarah Dickson’s campaign for the Columbia Board of Education

Sara Dickson broke that unspoken, unwritten rule of local government: public education is supposed to be left to liberals, especially in Columbia. At least, that’s the conventional wisdom.

The last-minute campaign of a pro-life, anti-tax increase, conservative Christian generated some white-hot debate over who does and who should have a voice in public education. Dickson was maligned, mocked and dismissed as unqualified (despite her Master’s degree education).

Did Sara Dickson ever really have a chance to win a seat on the School Board? Probably not but she did what she set out to do: inject a conservative voice into an arena where conservatives are generally hesitant to tread, where all new programs and taxes are supposed to be accepted as “for the children”, where the teachers’ union is not to be challenged and where faith – especially Christianity – is often unwelcome: public education.

8 ) Mamtek debacle in Moberly

This story may not be near the end of the news cycle. What started as a promise of 600 jobs in Moberly has turned out to be a case of “what went wrong?” that leaves the city with no new jobs, a downgraded credit rating and state officials with questions about why a Chinese company with a questionable history was offered $39-million in state tax incentives.

The City of Moberly offered the bonds to pay for the artificial sweetener factory, which Mamtek was supposed to pay off, but the city now says it isn’t responsible for the payments (hence the credit downgrade). UMB Bank now has the task of dealing with the mess left after Mamtek failed to make any payments on the bonds.

The state incentives were never paid out and the debate over tax incentive and tax credit reform was kicked up a notch. That discussion will be part of the 2012 legislative session.

7) CPD Officer Rob Sanders fired – debate over Chief Ken Burton results

Was is “excessive force” or just controlling a prisoner who had already been violent that same evening?

Columbia Police officer Rob Sanders was caught on camera shoving a prisoner into a concrete holding cell wall. The prisoner on the business end of the encounter is no stranger to police or handcuffs and had been violent at the time of his arrest (for an outstanding warrant) earlier in the day.

An internal affairs investigation into the matter cleared Sanders of wrongdoing. That wasn’t enough for Chief Ken Burton, who says the investigation was flawed and the video showed a clear case of excessive force.

He fired Sanders less than two years before the officer reached full retirement eligibility. Dueling petitions are now circulating Columbia. One calls for Burton’s ouster and the other calls for him to be kept on the job because of his dealing with what some activists call brutal cops.

6) Columbia City Manager Bill Watkins retires/ Mike Matthes hired

Known as personable, knowledgeable and occasionally caught in the middle of City Hall controversies – as most City Managers are sometimes – Bill Watkins stepped away early in the year due to his wife’s terminal cancer.

The long-time City official had his share of critics and also had plenty of fans both in and out of City Hall. Whether someone agreed or disagreed with Watkins, everyone seems to agree that he was never afraid to deal with issues head on and had an intricate understanding of what was happening around town.

When he was a regular guest on my talk show, no topics and no calls were off limits. Bill was fine with that.

The City Council selected Mike Matthes of Des Moines to replace Watkins after a nationwide search. He assumed the role amid work on the budget and during a period of several changes in key personnel.

5) “Callaway Two” fails in the Legislature

The current nuclear power reactor in Callaway County is getting old and Ameren wants to bring a new on online. They want to get started right away with the permit process from the federal government, which is expensive and cumbersome.

Attempts to allow the company to charge customers extra to pay for that process fell short in the state Legislature. The Construction Work In Progress (CWIP) law prevents just that kind of charge. Ameren says the revenue is needed to get the project underway and would mean an increase in high-paying, long-term jobs in Callaway County.

Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are on board but couldn’t push the idea to the Governor’s desk. Opponents say the law is there for a good reason: consumer protection and to keep customers from being charged for what the utility company should be paying out of pocket.

There’s also a strong crossover between those touting the consumer protection argument and those who oppose any increase in nuclear energy.

The same proposal is likely to be on the agenda in January as the Legislature gets to work in the new session.

4) Gary Pinkel arrested

That was an expensive set of drinks the Mizzou football coach had last month.

Pinkel was pulled over by Boone County Sheriff’s Deputies near Highway 63 and Keene Street on suspicion of DWI. He failed the field sobriety tests and was booked.

Pinkel pled guilty right away and received the standard sentence given to most first-time drunk driving offenders. The University suspended him for a week, causing him to miss Senior Day at Memorial Stadium. He also forfeited his raise, some bonuses and two weeks’ salary, including the week of the suspension. In all, Pinkel’s night out cost him over $300,000.

The coach should be credited for what he did right while he is justifiably criticized for his crime. Pinkel never shied away from the issue. He took full responsibility and blamed no one else and publicly admitted to being wrong and to understanding how his actions hurt so many others.

If that weren’t enough; just over a week later, Pinkel held a press conference at his lawyer’s office to give the media one more shot at him. While Gary Pinkel has a ways to go before winning back the trust and admiration he once had, he got off to a good start by hitting the issue head-on.

3) Ryan Ferguson gets another chance in court

The local case made national television again. Ryan Ferguson (no relation to me) won another chance to present evidence that could lead to a new trial in his murder conviction.

Ferguson is serving time for the murder of former Columbia Daily Tribune sports editor Kent Heitholt. That’s a crime that Ferguson says he didn’t commit and, now, so does his alleged cohort in the murder.

“48 Hours” did a follow up on the case this summer and Ryan’s dad, Bill, made the media rounds (including on my show) to keep the case front and center.

The case has all the makings of a best-selling court thriller or blockbuster movie: an articulate young man as the accused, questionable investigation and interrogation methods used by police, a public-figure victim, controversial court rulings and an accomplice who changed his story after the fact.

Everyone has an opinion on Ryan Ferguson and on whether or not he’s guilty. He may get another chance in court to win his freedom. Either way, I think it’s also important to remember those who are victimized by this ongoing case with every legal twist and turn: the family of Kent Heitholt.

May they have closure and peace regardless of how the case turns out.

2) Ed Robb Passes Away

In late 2010, former State Representative Ed Robb did what was once thought impossible: win election as Boone County’s Presiding Commissioner while being a Republican.

Earlier this year, Ed passed away of a heart attack.

He was outnumbered on the Commission in a partisan sense (two Democrats to one Republican) but had big plans for changing county government. Robb wanted a new look at county official salaries and wanted a discussion about whether or not the Commission itself should be increased to include more members. Those discussions will now not happen, at least not anytime soon.

Robb was known for his attention to economic detail, his no-nonsense approach to politics (he was accused of being gruff more than once by those who didn’t know him) and his loyalty to the GOP.

It’s not easy reporting on the death of a friend, as I had to do in this situation.

The #1 story of the year for Mid-Missouri: M-I-Z-S-E-C

Did Mizzou step up to join the big leagues? Did the Tigers abandon the great tradition of the Big 12? Did M-U just cut and run for a bigger paycheck? Will the Black and Gold be a small fish in a big pond? That depends on who you ask but what is clear is that a new era starts at Mizzou next school year.

The University of Missouri is the newest member of the Southeastern Conference, joining football powerhouses Louisiana State and Alabama and basketball icon Kentucky in men’s sports. The women’s softball team is expected to compete for the SEC title right away.

The move likely means more money for the athletics program, but it also means more stability as the Big 12 is shaky at best right now.

The decision makes this year’s final Big 12 games in all sports more intense, as all the schools want to claim that final victory in the last conference games.

Also considered for this list:

• Frank Haith hired as MU’s basketball coach and the still unfinished investigation into possible recruiting violations at the University of Miami in multiple sports while he was working there. Haith has not been formally accused of any wrongdoing in the case.

• Progressives win 2011 Columbia City Council elections after conservatives won seats in 2010.

• Gary Forsee resigns as MU System President to care for his wife, who is battling cancer.

• Racist vandalism on MU’s campus.

• Double-murder suspect in Dent County leads high-speed police chase to Jefferson City and gets into shootout with police at a Jefferson City hotel.

• Sparky’s cicada ice cream wasn’t just the flavor of the month, it was the flavor of…ewww.

• Alyssa Bustamante case: trial set, education services denied while she waits to go to court.

• Columbia Fire Chief William Markgraf retires after 22 years.

You never know who’s going to stop by the radio station

You never know who’s going to stop by the radio station…part of the fun of working in media is the chance to meet all sorts of interesting people and, every once in a while, even a four-legged visitor.

 That’s a fun start to the day – my 11 year old daughter will be jealous that I got to -play with a puppy.

That’s the easy part of the day. There’s so much big news going on, we won’t have time for everything in today’s show.

Health care is, obviously, a huge story. That will be in the show. We’ll follow up the President’s speech and his push to enact his federal health care plan with “an up or down vote” (aka “reconciliation” or, if you prefer, “the nuclear option”). Yesterday, Senator McCaskill said on our program that the full health care bill can’t be passed that way…apparently, the President disagrees.

This afternoon, the Missouri House of Representatives will be debating the “Health Care Freedom Act” as a push-back against any federal plan that includes mandates of any kind.

There’s also been two arrests in the case of cotton balls being left out front of the Black Culture Center on MU’s campus.

There are many, many angles to this story but, I wonder, are we giving the morons who scattered the cotton balls what they want by dedicating so much media attention to this?

Maybe, maybe not – I’m not sure. My guess is neither of the guys arrested last night wanted to be suspended from MU while the investigation is completes and I’m guessing they didn’t want to be charged with felonies – and a “hate crime”.

The State Supreme Court struck down at least part of a Springfield law pertaining to Red Light Camera-driven tickets. We’re still not sure what the full repercussions will be here in Columbia as a result.

Of course, we’ll have Columbia Mayoral candidate Sid Sullivan in the studio this afternoon. He’ll be in at 5:00 to tell us what he wants to accomplish if elected to succeed Darwin Hindman.

Just another day at the office, right?

What do you think? Which of these should we definitely get to this afternoon? Any topics out there that I didn’t mention?

Mike

We’ll get both sides of the debate this week.

Today, House Majority Whip Steve Tilley and House Budget Chairman Allen Icet will join me in the 4:00 hour. They’ll be talking about tomorrow’s events that relate to the health care issue.

Wednesday is when the Missouri House of Representatives will debate the “Health Care Freedom Act” – which calls for Missourians to more or less opt out of any national health care program and any mandates that may come with it.

A large audience is expected to be on hand in the House chambers to witness the discussion and vote.

Also on Wednesday, US Senator Claire McCaskill will be on “The Mike Ferguson Show” to give us her perspective on the issue and on the possibility of using the reconciliation procedure to bypass a likely Republican filibuster.

Later this week, FOX News Channel contributor (and Newsmax.com columnist) Wayne Allyn Root will be on. He doesn’t want to see any national health care plan – he’ll tell us why.

Don’t forget – we start our series of interviews with the men who would be mayor of Columbia today. Sean O’Day will be in the studio in the 5:00 hour. Sid Sullivan will be answering campaign questions tomorrow.

On a completely unrelated note: my desk here at the Zimmer Radio Group is between Tom Bradley and Shelley Tucker. I sit across from Y107′s Cosmo and JC. Let’s just say life in rarely (never) boring at work…just sayin’

Thank YOU for making our first week eventful and fun. We covered alot of ground last week, as we will this week.

Starting tomorrow (Tues, March 2), all six candidates for Mayor of Columbia will be on “The Mike Ferguson Show” to make their case to you and try to win your vote.

Here’s the schedule:

Tues, March 2 – Sean O’Day

Wed, March 3 – Sid Sullivan

Tues, March 9 – Paul Love

Wed, March 10 – Bob McDavid

Thurs, March 11 – Jerry Wade

Fri, March 12 – Sal Nuccio

What do you want me to ask them? Send me ideas either by posting your question in the comments section or by sending me an email directly to mferguson <at> zrgmail <dot> com.

Mike

He’s worked in television, newspaper, radio and online media. He’s conducted hundreds of interviews over the last fifteen years – from the scenes of breaking news to neighborhood needs to entertainment stars to members of Congress and Presidential candidates.

While taking a break from media, Mike has been a campaign manager, communications consultant and was the National Field Director for former Congressman Bob Barr’s 2008 Libertarian Presidential campaign. He’s also been a business manager in both a small business and large corporate environment.

Before returning to Columbia, Mike served in numerous appointed and elected positions in Grandview, Missouri. He was the city’s chairman of the Transportation Committee, a member of the Planning Commission, an elected member of the local Water District’s Board of Directors and also an elected Alderman.

Mike knows there’s nothing too big or too small to impact our lives. He has a knack for keeping his finger on the pulse of our community and getting to the heart of the issues.

More importantly, Mike is “Dad” to Austin and Amber Ferguson, who are now the fifth generation of Fergusons to call mid-Missouri home.