Top Chicago News Stories Of 2013
(CBS) As each year does, 2013 brought its fair share of ups and downs for the city of Chicago.
From a rogue Blue Line car to the death of one of the world's most respected film critics, 2013 was a wild ride.
Before we turn the calendar to 2014, let's recount the Top Chicago News Stories Of 2013, in no particular order.
-- Hadiya Pendleton Killed At Age 15: Just days before she was killed, 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton performed with her high school band at the parade for President Obama's second inaugural celebration in Washington.
-- Jesse Jackson Jr. Sentenced: Saying he used his campaign fund as "a personal piggy bank," a federal judge sentenced former Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. to 2 ½ years in prison
-- Chicago Film Critic Roger Ebert Died: Famed Chicago film critic Roger Ebert, the central Illinois native who helped popularize film criticism with his accessible writing and multimedia presence, died at the age of 70.
-- CPS Closes Nearly 50 Schools: The Chicago Board of Education voted to close 49 elementary schools.
-- Same Sex Marriage Bill Passes In Illinois: Illinois became the 15th state to legalize same-sex marriage as both the House and Senate passed the Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act.
-- Former Illinois Governor George Ryan Released From Prison: Former Gov. George Ryan was released from Federal prison after serving five and a half years for racketeering and fraud.
-- Rouge Blue Line Train Crashes: A westbound train with about 40 passengers was standing on the tracks near Harlem Avenue in Forest Park when an eastbound train – without a controller — traveling on the same track smashed into it.
-- Pension Reform Passes: Gov. Pat Quinn signed landmark legislation to reform Illinois' massively-underfunded pension system, though the new law is certain to face threatened lawsuits by labor unions.
-- Tornadoes Hit Washington, Il: Washington Mayor Gary Manier said approximately 1,000 homes were damaged or destroyed after a tornado barreled through the city. In a four-hour stretch Nov. 17 across Central and Southern Illinois, 14 of the 24 twisters were classified as "significant," meteorologists said. Those included two EF-4 tornadoes that accounted for three of six deaths reported in the storms and 127 of 147 total injuries.
-- Gang 'Hit Squad' Targets Chicago Cops: A street gang developed plans to ambush and kill police officers.
-- Boy Buried, Rescued From Indiana Sand Dune: A 6-year-old boy suffered critical injuries to his lungs after being buried in the Indiana Sand Dunes.
-- Restaurant Icon Charlie Trotter Died: Iconic Chicago chef Charlie Trotter, whose namesake restaurant set a global standard for culinary excellence for a quarter century, died at the age of 54.
-- Blackhawks Win Stanley Cup: In an almost improbable comeback, the Chicago Blackhawks scored two goals in 17 seconds to defeated the Boston Bruins 3-2 for their second Stanley Cup title since 2010.
-- Chicago Spring Floods: Gov. Pat Quinn declared 38 counties, including Cook, as state disaster areas because of flood damage caused by several days of severe storms and heavy rainfall.
