KVIA.com’s top stories of 2016

1. Supreme Court Justice Scalia dies during hunting trip in Marfa: An El Paso source close to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia told ABC-7 that the 79-year-old died in his sleep on Feb. 13, after a day of quail hunting at Cibolo Creek Ranch outside of Marfa, Texas. The Justice did not report feeling ill and retired to his room after dinner. The source, who was traveling with Scalia, told ABC-7 a priest was summoned to administer last rites.

2. Police charge eleven in connection with vandalism of ‘Star on the Mountain’: Police arrested and charged seven adults and four juveniles in connection with several incidents of vandalism of El Paso’s iconic star on the Franklin Mountains.

3. Mother of ‘Baby Brianna’ will serve parole in Plainview, Texas: Baby Brianna’s mother will serve the terms of her release in Plainview, Texas, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice told ABC-7. Lopez left the facility in Grants, N.M., after serving just shy of a 13-year sentence for the murder of her 5-month-old daughter.

4. Viewer photos of August storms in the Borderland – WEEKEND OF AUGUST 19-21: A nasty storm swept through the Borderland on the Weekend of Aug. 20. There was flooding, hail and event a tornado warning in the eastern part of El Paso County.

5. 5 parole officers, counselor arrested for allegedly tampering with government records: Five parole officers and a counselor were arrested by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) on suspicion of tampering with government records, according to jail records. Among the wrongdoing investigators described at the parole office was falsely passing urine tests that were never taken or came back negative; and falsely claiming to have made house visits and halfway house visits that did not occur. The TDJC says the six accused will not return to work and will most likely be fired.

6. YISD appoints six new principals: The Ysleta Independent School District (YISD) announced the appointment of new principals at the five elementary campuses: Constance Hulbert, Eastwood Heights, Glen Cove, Loma Terrace, and Vista Hills, as well as Riverside Middle School.

7. Ofc. David Ortiz funeral: Hundreds gathered in the Lower Valley at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church to witness the funeral of Officer David Ortiz. He was a nine-year veteran of the El Paso Police Department, but also served the Socorro and Horizon police departments prior to that. El Paso Police said John Perry, the man who struck the Ortiz, “deliberately and maliciously” killed Ortiz. Officer Ortiz succumbed to his injuries March 14, four days after he was hit from behind by Perry at a stoplight at Lee Trevino and Vista Del Sol in East El Paso.

8. First ever elbow-to-elbow surgery performed on El Pasoan (Warning: Photos may be graphic): Imagine having a body part cut off and reconnected on the opposite side! ABC-7’s Estela Casas introduced us to El Pasoan Reggie Cook, who underwent the first ever elbow to elbow transplant surgery. Reggie and his orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Eric Sides were in the o.r. of the University of California San Francisco Medical Center for the medical milestone.

9. 1 killed, 2 hurt in El Paso carnival ride accident: A teenage girl was killed when she was flung from a spinning carnival ride called “The Sizzler.” She and another girl were ejected from the ride at a Dia De Los Niños carnival at St. Thomas Aquinas Church. A third girl suffered minor injuries. Samantha Aguilar, 16, a Hanks student, was taken to Del Sol Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.

10. Man disappears in the waters of Elephant Butte Lake after saving wife: A family’s trip to Elephant Butte Lake over the Memorial Day weekend turned into heartbreak and despair. New Mexico State Police were investigating a possible drowning, though the body of Dan Villanueva has not been recovered and a family is looking for closure. Geri Villanueva told ABC-7 her husband, 37, just wanted some time to relax with the family.