A year marked with triumph and tragedy, of new beginnings and fond farewells, of unity and conflict, 2017 was littered with unforgettable moments in the history of Niles.

Before we flip the calendar to yet another New Year, our newsroom will be taking a look back at the seminal events of the past 12 months, as we count down the 10 stories of the year, as determined by our staff. We will recap several stories per day over the next several issues, culminating in our top story of 2017 Friday.

We will kick off our countdown with stories 10 and nine:

10: Former SMCAS director sentenced for embezzlement

Just after the start of the year, Tim Gray, the former director of the Southwestern Michigan Community Ambulance Service, was sentenced to 180 days in jail and five years of probation for embezzlement.

Gray was found guilty by a jury of his peers in late 2016, after a two-week trial in which prosecutors presented evidence that Gray had stolen an estimated $100,000 from the agency in the form of excessive payments for paid time off, holiday pay, dental and vision reimbursement and short-term disability.

Gray served as executive director of SMCAS from 2009 to 2014. After Gray retired in 2014, current SMCAS director Brian Scribner discovered a number of large checks written to Gray — a total of more than $16,000 in less than five months. An investigation found that, over the course of his time in the position, Gray had taken more than $100,000.

The allegations came as a shock to many Niles community members, many of whom found him trustworthy and dedicated to the position. Gray was employed by SMCAS for more than 25 years, starting as an emergency medical technician and working his way up to paramedic, operations manager and eventually executive director.

In the end, though, the jury found sufficient evidence to charge Gray with the crime in November, which later resulted in Judge Angela Pasula handing him six months in jail on Jan. 19.

9: Libations make 

their way to downtown Niles, Buchanan

The national uptick in craft beer and spirits made its way to Niles and Buchanan this year, and the trend is spreading rapidly.

In August, Lehman’s Orchard owner Steve Lecklider opened a farm-to-table craft brewery and restaurant, Lehman’s Orchard & Farmhouse Brewery. Lecklider transformed a once vacant eyesore of a 12,000-square-foot building at 204 N. Red Bud Trail into a popular destination for beer and food, made from locally sourced ingredients.

The restaurant, which has 18 craft beers on tap and a wide variety of homemade fare, has become a hotspot for entertainment in Buchanan, with plans of more events and activities on deck in 2018.

This year also brought news of a new brewery and distillery intended to make their way to downtown Niles in the coming year.

In September, Niles resident Bryan Williams publicly announced his intentions to open a brewery in the former Woolsworth’s building, at 115 E. Main St.

Williams is a longtime advocate of downtown Niles, and owner of The Brass Eye, a bar and cocktail lounge located at 205 N. Second St.

Williams intends to hire 20 to 25 additional employees to operate the brewery, relying on his current staff at the Brass Eye to keep the bar open as well.

Work on the 8,400-square-foot building is well underway, and Williams plans to open sometime in 2018.

Just two months after Williams announced the soon-to-be-open brewery, Edwardsburg resident Howard Tuthill shared his plans to open Iron Shoe Distilling at 3 N. Third St., just a few blocks from the brewery.

Tuthill, who has experience in the distilling industry through past success in Colorado, plans to open the distillery by summer of 2018. The distillery will serve rum, vodka, whiskey and other liquors, as well as cocktails and gourmet burgers made from fresh local ingredients.

Tuthill hopes to expand the building — currently just 900 square feet — to offer more restaurant space. The expansion could include a rooftop patio, which would give customers a westward view of the St. Joseph River.

A month later, Chicagoan Brian Dougherty threw his hat in the ring, announcing an organic farm-to-table brewery he plans to open in Buchanan in late 2018 or 2019. The brewery, dubbed The River St. Joe, has been in the works for three years, and will open on the property of Flatwater Farms.

Buchanan city council members recently gave the greenlight to the project, so in the coming year, Buchanan residents may possibly have two options for locally made beer.