It’s something of a holiday tradition for the Washington Daily News. Each year, toward the end of December, the paper takes a look back at the most significant, impactful and important stories of the previous year.

One might ask, why revisit old news?

While it’s true that some of those stories came to a conclusion in 2019 with no further developments expected, that’s not the case with the majority of the stories touched upon in this year’s Top 10.

From the bottom of the list, one story still in motion involves a pair of lawsuits alleging racial discrimination and retaliation at the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office. While that story first appeared in print June of last year, it likely won’t be resolved until a year later, after attorneys have time to gather all the information needed and present their cases.

Then there are the interconnected issues of bond reform, recovery court and the county jail. Each of these topics impact the judicial system of Beaufort County and the surrounding area, and they will undoubtedly be important going into the new year. Some topics, such as the jail, will likely become a significant public discussion as county leaders determine the best path to move forward. If you don’t think it impacts you, your tax bill might say otherwise.

Moving up the list, the loss of license plate services has been something of an inconvenience for local residents in the past year as they’ve had to travel elsewhere for in-person assistance. Fortunately, a look at today’s front page stories puts a resolution to that story in sight.

That brings us to the top three, and each of those stories are still far from over.

Florence, Dorian, even Matthew — those names will still be discussed in 2020 and beyond. As experience has shown, disasters such as hurricanes have long-reaching implications that can last for years. Though they may seem distant memories to some, there is no doubt that there are still people dealing with the impact of these storms.

At No. 2, the decision by the school system to relocate alternative learning to the Southside High School may seem like it only impacts a handful of students, staff members and parents. But that view fails to take the big picture into account.

The reason behind that move, a million-dollar shortfall in the school system’s budget for this fiscal year, is a story that’s far from over. Because of decreasing student numbers and increasing costs, school finances may be a delicate balancing act for Beaufort County Schools and other school systems throughout the state.

Finally, there’s the tragic story of Brenda Hamilton and the mysterious animal attack that took her life. Perhaps more than any other story, we hope 2020 brings resolution to this one, for the sake of her family, friends, students and the many people who loved her.

Each of these stories will continue into 2020, and perhaps beyond. Part of a newspaper’s job is to try to put these types of events in perspective, looking at where they’ve been and where they’re going. Whatever the case, these are stories we won’t forget in 2020; stories we’ll work to keep in the public eye until they reach a conclusion. We hope you’ll join us in that journey.