The past 12 months have been an exciting and tumultuous time for the U.S. and the world at large — and Dowagiac has not been excluded from that trend.

The year 2016 marked the changing of the guard for many crucial Cass County leadership positions. The Dowagiac area also experienced important growth, and loss, as well was the epicenter of events that captured headlines, both locally and nationally.

Over the next several issues, the editorial staff with the Dowagiac Daily News will countdown its list of the top 10 stories of the year. Stories were selected based on several factors, including newsworthiness, reader interest and community impact, both short- and long-term.

Continuing the list are stories seven through five:

7. District wraps up design plans for high school renovation

After celebrating the passage of the $37 million school bonds during the November election in 2015, officials with the Dowagiac Union Schools wasted little time before rolling up their sleeves and preparing for massive overhaul of the district’s facilities.

For the last 12 months, the district has worked alongside architects with 7GenAE to come up with design plans for the planned renovation of Dowagiac Union High School, the largest of the construction projects that will be paid for through the school bonds. After spending more than a year developing blueprints, renders and other design documents, the architectural firm announced it had completed its work in December, bringing the district one step closer to breaking ground on the high school project.

To help develop the design plan, 7GenAE architects met with high school faculty and students, as well as concerned citizens from the public, in a series of “visioning” sessions. These meetings allowed the firm to gather input on what key features the stakeholders wanted to see from a redesigned high school.

The architects took this information into account when coming up with the design, giving the public its first glimpse of the plans in the summer.

The renovation will be a complete overhaul of the high school interior, outfitting the building with new furniture and technology to fit with modern teaching practices, focused more on collaboration and group work instead of traditional lectures. In addition, the building will include the installation of a secure entry vestibule, new heating and cooling systems and an additional gymnasium.

The district expects to have the high school project out for bid in February. The current project timeline places construction to begin in late spring, with building expecting to last for 20 to 21 months before completion.

6. Beloved business owner, young couple die this year

While there was much for Dowagiac residents to celebrate in 2016, there was also plenty to mourn as well.

In February, Ed Kazlauskas, the longtime owner of Jim D’s Body Shop, died following a bout with cancer at 60 years old. A fixture of the Dowagiac business community, alongside his wife Sue, the owner of downtown’s popular clothing boutique The Marshall Shoppe, Kazlauskas’ death was met with tremendous mourning by many in the community who came to know the man as a trusted friend.

One of those individuals was Curt Rohdy, who had helped run the city’s annual Rod and Roll Classic Auto Show alongside Kazlauskas for many years. Wanting to find a way to honor his friend as well as support people battling cancer in the Dowagiac area, Rohdy organized the first Dowagiac Open Header Cruise in August.

In spite of the sporadic rain showers that day, nearly 90 people — including Kazlauskas’ son, Jim — participated in the cruise, driving through downtown Dowagiac in their vintage automobiles. The event raised $2,000 in donations for the Cass County Cancer Service, an organization that supports local cancer patients.

In December, many in the community were left in mourning once again when a young couple died in a traffic accident near Lawton.

On their way back from work in Marcellus, 22-year-old Jaylen Weller and 20-year-old Kylie Benkert were killed instantly after Weller lost control of their vehicle during the heavy snowfall, hitting an oncoming pickup truck in the opposite lane.

5. New businesses booming

The Dowagiac business community saw several new establishments join its ranks in 2016, with their owners wasting little time putting their businesses on the local map.

The first of these businesses, Sister Lakes Brewing Company, opened in June after several months of construction. The brewery, established by Sister Lake’s Jerry Morin and his sons Brian, Joe and David, is located inside a former hardware store on County Road 690, next to the Sister Lakes Fire Department.

The Morins decided to open the business as a way for brothers Brian and Joe to share their love of brewing with the community, as well as to give Sister Lakes residents and visitors a place to gather and have fun throughout the year.

The business was an immediate hit, packing the house its first weekend of operation.

The following month, downtown saw the revival of one of Dowagiac’s former dining hotspots, when Round Oak Revisited opened inside the former Round Oak Restaurant building. Owned by Dowagiac’s Cindy and Bob Brosnan, the business follows in the footsteps of its namesake, offering American cuisine in a casual, family-friendly environment.

In addition to restoring the old dinning room, the restaurant owners built a bistro area with high top seating, and installed a vintage bar top, once used by the House of David. Since opening, the owners have also opened the balcony in the main dining room, giving people even more places to sit and enjoy their meals.

Another business that got off to a fast start was downtown’s Yarn on Front, which opened up next to Rosy Tomorrows in the Masonic Lodge building on Front Street. Opening during Small Business Saturday on Nov. 26, the knitting and crocheting store was packed minutes after opening, with many checking out its selection of yarn and equipment for the popular hobby.

Opened by Sister Lakes’ June Nemeth, the store will soon offer classes aimed at beginners, and currently hosts open yarn nights on Wednesdays.

Several other businesses opened up in Dowagiac this year, including Casual Tees and The Floor Store during the summer.