By Cynthia Grau/WJEZ

PONTIAC – The year 2016 has been a memorable one for Livingston County, with numerous highs and lows to look back on.

The year began with people still searching for retired Pontiac Correctional Center Assistant Warden Lou Lowery, who went missing just before Christmas in 2015. Pontiac Police Chief Jim Woolford broke the news that he was found dead at the beginning of March.

“He was in the center right field side of Jaycee Park, and standing from home plate, even knowing where he was, you just couldn’t see him,” Woolford said.

But even before that, at the end of January, the news came that Heather Lamie’s 2014 murder conviction appeal had been denied. Wendell Rudesill, grandfather of victim Kianna Rudesill, spoke up after the decision had been made.

“She’s where she belongs. She did murder Kianna. We all know that,” Rudesill said.

Then came the June tornado that hit Pontiac. The county was visited by many looking to view damage from the twister that followed a southeast diagonal line along the southwest of town. Pontiac Fire Chief Scott Runyon describes the damage.

“There is quite a bit of debris, mainly buildings, roofs, just all kinds of different debris blowing around out there. Most of it is not in the street, but be very cognizant of what you’re driving into,” Runyon said.

But the year was also full of positive moments, including the beginning of the Safe Passage program, which started with the Pontiac Police Department and spread to the Fairbury and Dwight departments and the sheriff’s department. Pontiac Police Chief Jim Woolford explains.

“A heroin addict or someone who is addicted to opioids, such as vicodin or other prescription opioids, can come to the police department and we are going to do everything we can to get them into treatment,” Woolford said.

Students turned good Samaritans from Dwight Township High School helped a homeless man with clothes, a jacket and a train ticket to reach his father in Springfield. When the man’s father passed away, Wade Herter returned the favor in the spring with $10,000 gifted to the school in honor of Luke Arnold and Ryan Kodat for the help they lent him. Herter and School Superintendent Richard Janczek decided to turn that into scholarship opportunities. Janczek said his students aren’t the only ones doing good deeds.

“This isn’t the only great story that happens with young people – not just in Dwight, but all around this area, in the state of Illinois and across our country,” Janczek said.

Good deeds in the county didn’t end there, with local fundraising staple Oscar Gorbet raising more than $12,000 for the Muscular Dystrophy association – a fundraising record for him in his six years of work. MDA Fundraising Coordinator Andi Savoree was thankful for Gorbet and all the people who helped.

“I just want to say thank you to everyone in the community for rallying around Oscar year after year, because this year and every year, he seems to keep doing more and more. It wouldn’t be possible without everyone that helps him out,” Savoree said.

These are just some of the stories within Livingston County that we’ve been following throughout 2016.

Cynthia Grau can be reached at news@wjez.com.