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By Jim Leach
(Shutterstock)
Each year, we comb through our archives to look back on the biggest stories of the year that is drawing to a close, and we assemble a list of the stories that have had the biggest impact or generated the most discussion locally. To be honest, we could have probably constructed a top ten almost exclusively out of the various ways that the coronavirus pandemic has impacted our lives. But a lot of other things also happened this year.
We dive into the list in more depth on our weekend public affairs show “Podium,” heard on WMAY and our sister stations WNNS (98.7) and WQLZ (97.7), and also available on demand here at wmay.com. But here’s a quick look back at how we viewed and ranked the biggest state and local stories of the year:
Mentoring and meeting needs Michael Phelon started The Outlet mentoring program in 2004. It s located on South 12th Street, though this year, the 30 mentors are mostly connecting with youth remotely. The program serves 48 youth from in and around Springfield with a focus on boys and young men from fatherless households. This year, Phelon has seen an enormous amount of personal loss. His mother and uncle died, as did his mentor, Dr. Clarice Ford, and his right-hand man at The Outlet, Marcus Butler Sr. It s been rough for us. Most of the young guys that I work with, they are already coming from hard situations, said Phelon.