The past 12 months have been an exciting and tumultuous time for the U.S. and the world at large — and Dowagiac has not been excluded from that trend.

The year 2016 marked the changing of the guard for many crucial Cass County leadership positions. The Dowagiac area also experienced important growth, and loss, and was the epicenter of events that captured headlines, both locally and nationally.

Over the next several issues, the editorial staff with the Dowagiac Daily News will countdown its list of the top 10 stories of the year. Stories were selected based on several factors, including newsworthiness, reader interest and community impact, both short- and long-term.

Next on the list are stories four through two:

4. Dowagiac man faces trial for murdering wife

A murder that sent shockwaves across the community in 2015 was settled in June, during an emotional three-day trial in front of Cass County Judge Michael Dodge.

Dowagiac’s Terry Stineback faced charges of open murder, assault with intent to murder and felony firearms for the shooting death of his wife, Laura, at their home on March 12, 2015, during his trial, which took place from June 7 through 9. A Cass County jury returned a guilty verdict on all counts against Stineback, including a charge of second-degree murder, after three hours of deliberation on June 10.

Laura’s murder occurred during the evening hours of March 12, at their residence on Flanders Street in Wayne Township, following an argument between she and Stineback that broke out in the kitchen after he had returned home from work. After the fight — during which the couple’s 9-year-old adopted daughter said she saw her father attempt to strangle Laura — the two went upstairs to their bedroom, where Stineback grabbed a handgun in the room and shot his wife to death, firing three bullets into her back.

The prosecution, led by Assistant Prosecutor Tiffiny Vohwinkle, argued Stineback had set out to murder his wife that night following their argument in the kitchen. According to the prosecutor, the two had been having trouble recently due to Laura being on medical leave from her job following a hysterectomy.

Stineback’s attorney, Edwin Johnson, though, argued the shooting occurred as an act of self-defense, saying his client shot Laura after he incorrectly believed she was reaching for a gun of her own behind the bed.

Both the prosecution and defense called many witnesses to the stand during the trial, including Laura’s parents, the couple’s adopted daughter, Laura’s children from a previous marriage and Stineback himself. The trial reached its emotional climax when the prosecution played back a recording of Stineback’s call to 911 following the shooting, which prompted the otherwise stoic defendant to hang his head in distress while listening back to his words that night.

Stineback was sentenced to 22 years in prison by Dodge in August for the crimes.

3. Controversy over HIV-positive suspect makes national headlines

Dowagiac and Cass County law enforcement officials found themselves in the national spotlight in spring, after a Dowagiac man accused a local police officer of illegally disclosing his HIV status following his arrest for violating parole.

In March, probation officers apprehended 29-year-old Corey Rangel for violating the terms of his two-year-probation sentence, which had been imposed on him June 19, 2015, for several methamphetamine-related charges. According to the probation department, Rangel was pulled over by a Michigan State Police trooper a few days before his arrest, who discovered the man was attempting to leave the state, which was against the terms of his probation.

After his arrest, his phone was turned over to the probation department, who discovered several photos of him at restaurants in Indiana and at bars, two others violations of his probation.

Police also discovered sexually-suggestive photos of him with other people. As someone who is HIV-positive, it is illegal under state law for Rangel to have sexual intercourse with someone without first disclosing his status.

Officer Andrew Hafler, with the Dowagiac Police Department, was asked to follow up to see whether or not Rangel had told his partners about his condition. After visiting Rangel in jail to confirm the identity of the men in the photo, Hafler attempted to call the two, successfully contacting one of them.

Although the officer never directly asked the person whether or not Rangel was HIV-positive, Rangel felt the officer had illegally disclosed his status, which can be only done under certain circumstances without the person’s consent.

After telling others about the incident, several LGBT advocacy groups, including the ACLU, spoke out against Cass County law enforcement for their behavior in the case, with several people protesting outside the courthouse during Rangel’s appearances in court. The case was profiled by several publications, including national blog The Huffington Post.

Rangel was sentenced to three years in prison for his probation violations by Judge Michael Dodge on June 20.

2. Elections mark beginning of new era for county

While undoubtedly the biggest national story of 2016 was GOP candidate Donald Trump’s improbable victory on Election Day to become the 45th U.S. president, Nov. 8 also marked the beginning of a new era for the local political scene.

This year marked the end of the careers of several of Cass County’s most powerful public servants, as earlier in the year, Sheriff Joseph Underwood and Circuit Court Judge Michael Dodge announced their retirements at the end of this year. Both men have served in their offices for longer than any person before them, with 24 years and 34 years, respectively.

Elected to replace Underwood was the sheriff’s longtime second-in-command, Dowagiac’s Richard Behnke. The current undersheriff, himself a 30-year law enforcement veteran, ran unopposed for the position on Election Day after winning a three-way race in August for the Republican nomination.

Selected to replace Dodge on the bench last month was Niles’ Mark Herman. The veteran attorney narrowly defeated former Cass County Prosecutor Scott Teter during the election to win the position.

Behnke and Herman have taken their oaths of office and will assume power on Jan. 1.

The winds of change also came for the Cass County Board of Commissioners, with two new faces joining the board next year.

In August, Dowagiac’s Terry Ausra upset incumbent Robert Wagel to win the Republican nomination for the District 1 seat on the seven-person board in a three-way race. Ausra ran unopposed for the commissioner seat in November.

Also winning in August was Cassopolis’ Michael Grice, securing the GOP nomination for the District 6 seat on the board. Grice, the longtime animal control director, will take over the seat occupied by Chairperson Bernie Williamson, who elected to not seek re-election.

Ausra and Grice will join the five incumbents on the board in January.