Manchester Patch's Top 10 Stories of 2011

Can you believe that there's only a few hours left in 2011? And What a busy, crazy, hectic, zany, news-filled year it's been here in town!

Although Manchester Patch plans to continue to bring readers the most in-depth, accurate and up-to-date local news and information to residents in 2012, we wanted to take a little time before the end of the year to highlight some of our favorite stories  of the past year. 

Although the list is far from all-encompassing - and subject mainly to the whims of Manchester Patch Editor David Moran - here's a rundown of the Top 10 stories we covered in the Manchester community in 2011: 

10. After a broke out in the hallways of Manchester High School toward the end of 2010, Superintendent Kathleen Ouellette surprisingly placed Manchester High School Principal Kevin O'Donnell on to start the new year. O'Donnell grieved his suspension, and was eventually at the central office, before he and the school system . 

9. January also brought , and of a number of aggressive snowstorms to start the New Year. But little did we know that the snow was only the start of one of the most unpredictable year's for weather in recent memory… 

8. A month after Manchester High School Principal Kevin O'Donnell was placed on leave - during which Superintendent Kathleen Ouellette personally oversaw the day-to-day duties at the high school - an interim principal was finally selected in the form of , a veteran educator and administrator who spent 40 years with the Plainville School District working as a teacher, athletic director and principal. Ziogas is still in place at Manchester High, as a story further down this list has complicated the search for a new full-time principal at MHS. 

7. In late May, Mayor Louis Spadaccini shocked many in town by announcing , brining a close to his 12 years of service on the board. Spadaccini said he wanted to . 

6. More bad weather came our way in late August in the form of . Fortunately, by the time the storm hit the Manchester area, it was no longer at hurricane status, but it did . 

5. and brought . 

4. in October to accept the superintendent position in Waterbury. , a former Avon superintendent with more than 40 years of teaching and administrative experience, was named interim replacement. 

3. 2011 saw the Manchester Police Department release its , while the Rotary Club of Manchester turned the somber one-year anniversary of the massacre into a cathartic day by raising funds to establish . 

2. There were no shortage of interesting arrests to report about in 2011, but probably the most intriguing of all was the story of , who found himself arrested in Maine on charges that he was involved in a scheme to swindle an elderly man out of his retirement fund. Things only got from there... 

1. And for the sheer inconvenience factor and frustration alone, few stories probably topped and its aftermath, which caused throughout town and knocked out power for many residents for almost a week.