Top 15 Stories of 2015: Counting down from 15 to 11

Major news stories filled 2015 from nearly every corner of the globe. From terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, police officer-involved violence that triggered the “Black Lives Matter” movement, and the political rise of Donald Trump to American Pharoah capturing horse racing’s Triple Crown and the Golden State Warriors seizing their first NBA title in decades and then cruising through a historic winning streak.

Merced County made headlines, too. From the glare of the national spotlight during the attack in November at UC Merced that ended when campus police shot and killed the attacker, to the pediatrician who jumped bail and left town after being charged with child molestation, to the drought-related reliance on groundwater pumping causing portions of the county literally to sink.

During the next three days, we will count down the top 15 Merced County news stories of 2015. The list was compiled by the Sun-Star’s newsroom staff based on several factors, including the stories that were read online the most and the ones most likely to affect county residents in the future.

Think we missed one? Disagree with our picks? Tell us what you think the top news stories of the year were in Merced County in our reader comments section online: www.mercedsunstar.com.

15. Merced priest, families joined pope for Mass

Millions of Americans followed Pope Francis’ first visit to the United States in September. During his visit to Washington, D.C., New York and Philadelphia, hundreds of clergymen, including some from the San Joaquin Valley, were invited to join the pope for Mass. Among those invited was the Rev. Jesus Reynaga of Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church in Merced.

Reynaga participated in a Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, which marked the elevation to sainthood of Junipero Serra, an 18th century Spanish missionary best known for establishing nine of the 21 California missions.

Reynaga described the opportunity as an honor to participate in a historic moment.

Also in attendance were several families from the Valley, including from the Merced and Modesto areas.

14: Carrigan leaves Los Banos, takes over in Merced

Merced’s new top administrator is set to join the fold in the new year, dropping the curtain for the city’s previous leader after he retired this year.

The City Council plucked Steve Carrigan from Los Banos, where he served as city manager for nearly three years. He’ll take over a similar position in Merced on Jan. 25.

Carrigan said he was tempted by the Merced job because the city is at a point where it can catapult its growth. Along with the $1.14 billion expansion planned at UC Merced, the city is supposed to get a stop for the state’s high-speed rail system.

Merced’s city manager for about seven years, John Bramble retired this month, though he’s been brought on in an interim capacity while Carrigan settles in. The hiring of Carrigan also has ramifications for Los Banos, which began the process this month of searching for its next administrator.

13. Stone Ridge Christian sets state shutout record, wins section title

The Stone Ridge Christian High School football team received national recognition this season after setting a California state record with 10 consecutive shutout victories during the season.

The Knights outscored their opponents 565 to 0 during the 10-game stretch of the season.

Stone Ridge Christian went on to win its second consecutive Sac-Joaquin Section Division VII championship with a 69-0 win over Big Valley Christian on Nov. 28.

The Knights then won a CIF NorCal Regional play-in game 70-21 over Mission of San Francisco. Stone Ridge Christian lost a NorCal Regional Bowl Game 34-14 to East Nicolaus.

Stone Ridge Christian dominated its games with an old-school, rushing attack featuring a physical offensive line and three running backs that surpassed the 1,000-yard mark in Shane Casillas (1,991 yards), Jonathan Collazo (1,758) and Austin Rees (1,441). The trio combined for 75 touchdowns as the Knights averaged 50.1 points per game.

12. Big year for John Latorraca Correctional Facility

Merced County celebrated a major win when it was approved in November to receive $40 million to renovate the John Latorraca Correctional Facility.

The funding and renovations will focus on providing programs to inmates with a goal to reduce recidivism. The county tried numerous times in the past to secure similar funding before being approved late this year. John Latorraca was designed to house low-level offenders rather than the violent offenders now sent there. The renovations will also help bolster security at the jail for inmates and correctional staff.

In March, two inmate-release mistakes were linked to a new, and expensive, computer software system the Merced Superior Court implemented. One inmate was kept in custody almost a week too long, and another was allowed to post bail at a lower amount than set by the court. The system, Odyssey Case Management from Tyler Technologies, cost $2.3 million. Authorities have said many of the system’s early struggles have since been sorted out.

In September, six inmates were charged with murder in connection with the death of another inmate, 29-year-old Alejandro Vega. He was beaten in his dorm and taken off life support Sept. 30. Investigators said all involved were linked to Norteño street gangs in Merced County.

11. Atwater police detective convicted in DUI and hit-and-run

A long court battle pitting an Atwater police detective against many of her own co-workers ended this year after a jury convicted Lisa Howard of leaving the scene of a drunken-driving crash.

Howard’s DUI conviction was more than two years in the making and came under additional scrutiny because her 26 months on paid administrative leave cost taxpayers nearly $200,000, including the value of benefits, according to city records.

Howard was convicted in October of driving her 2011 Chevrolet Camaro into a house, a car and a tree on Augusta Lane and then leaving the scene.

During her trial, Howard argued that she was not drunk at the time of the crash and said she tried to contact the property owners, but nobody answered her knocks at the door. Her testimony was contradicted by others, including a witness who said he saw a woman leave the scene of the crash and said he did not see her try to contact the homeowner, authorities said.

The case, which received little attention outside Merced County, sparked great interest locally and triggered numerous heated debates on the Sun-Star’s social media pages.

Police Chief Frank Pietro said Howard’s was the longest period of paid leave he’d ever heard of in his decades-long career.

Howard was sentenced to serve in a work-release program, a common penalty for first-time DUI convictions. She spent no time behind bars. She voluntarily resigned from the Atwater Police Department after her conviction.

This story was originally published December 29, 2015 at 6:06 PM with the headline "Top 15 Stories of 2015: Counting down from 15 to 11."