Each December, The Daily Advance publishes a recap of events that stand out as the year’s top news stories. These stories — the last of which was published in Saturday’s edition — are pulled from hundreds of events covered during the year. Selecting only 10 leaves a lot of news unmentioned — news that probably has affected many lives. Good, bad, sad or just memorable, these stories reflect the year and the people of the Albemarle. Here are my thoughts on a few other stories to look back on.

■Year of the escapee: Updating the list last week, it appears that local law enforcement has some work to do on the security of prisoners outside of jail.

The search for escapee Tracy Fernandaze Whidbee, 31, ended Thursday when he turned himself in to authorities. If it hadn’t been for his girlfriend, who apparently convinced him to give up, he could be still be on the loose. Whidbee, who is considered dangerous, blazed to freedom from an open car door while being transported from Albemarle District Jail to the Magistrate’s Office on Colonial Avenue Tuesday. He was in the custody of a Pasquotank County deputy at the time.

In September, 18-year-old Albemarle District Jail inmate Marcus Lee Moore also escaped from the custody of an officer at the magistrate’s office. After appearing before the magistrate, Moore asked to use the restroom, prompting the officer to re-handcuff Moore in front of his body so Moore could relieve himself. Moore, relieved himself, alright — by fleeing authorities. He was arrested a few days later in the Parsonage Street area.

The same relaxed security apparently extends to other counties. Demetrius Ellis White, 31, of Edenton escaped from police custody Aug. 17 shortly before he was to be jailed on a domestic violence order. He turned himself in at the police station later that night after police agreed not to charge him with fleeing a law enforcement official. That accommodation was nearly as meaningful as not being handcuffed so he could bolt just outside the Chowan County Jail.

Last February, an inmate from the Pasquotank Correctional Institution used the same “got to go” ruse to escape while working on a road crew in Perquimans County. On his way to relieving himself, he apparently decided to heist a new, state-owned Ford F-550 at the DOT transportation maintenance facility in Winfall and drive to New York. George Johnson, 38, was arrested several days later in Brooklyn, after he reportedly was arrested for snatching a woman’s purse.

Before his escape, Johnson was serving time for speeding to elude arrest and receiving a stolen vehicle in Johnston County. Previously scheduled for release June 28, one might say that Johnson was a man in a hurry.

■Shake it up, baby: The Albemarle is no stranger to wind, rain and flooding. But last August, as residents were preoccupied with the approach of Hurricane Irene, along came a rumbling and shaking of ground and structure. The Aug. 23 earthquake registered a respectable 5.9 magnitude on the Richter scale, giving residents a sudden new appreciation for the area’s geological capabilities.

■Anniversaries: The Daily Advance looked back on 100 years of newspapering that started when Herbert Peele arrived in 1911. We celebrated with a May 19 social to note Peele’s founding of The Weekly Advance, which preceded the Advance, a semi-weekly, and then The Daily Advance. Our year-long celebration included a special section reviewing news of the Albemarle events and people that have been reported in the pages of the newspaper during the last century.

Also celebrating a century of community engagement in 2011 was The Elizabeth City Area Chamber of Commerce.

Another cornerstone institution celebrating a milestone in 2011 was College of the Albemarle, which opened its doors a half century ago. Look at COA now.

■A life: Seventeen-year-old James Holley seemed so typically teen-age-normal, but died under the most atypical of circumstances on Nov. 20.

The Northeastern High School student had a wide circle of friends, liked and played sports, was respectful of others, held a job and was the product of loving, nurturing parents, with whom he talked about future career plans. He died after being shoved from his car, where he was caught in a seatbelt and dragged. Another teen, a 16-year-old, is charged. What dark motivations at that age could have been so potent as to warrant the taking of James’ promising life?

■Grandma’s Idol: Albemarle residents have boasted a local connection to the blockbuster Fox television talent show American Idol three years running. But last year Pasquotank County’s Janet Cooke got the thrill of a lifetime when her grandson, Scotty McCreery, the teen country crooner from Garner, won it all.

McCreery was named the new American Idol in May following the series of weekly televised competitions that began in January. Grandma Cooke, surrounded by her friends from Berea Baptist Church on the final night of competition, erupted with an enthusiastic cheer when grandson Scotty was named the singing competition’s winner. Great Grandma!

■Teacher: Our story in December about the caring actions of Camden County public school teacher Jennifer Kelsey makes my list. Kelsey, 34, is a special education teacher who was named the nation’s most inspiring teacher in a competition sponsored by a drink company. She received $10,000 and a year’s supply of beverage for the honor, which she won by creating a Disney experience in her classroom for a student whose life-threatening disease prevented her from taking a trip to the actual theme park.

Public education and educators are frequent targets of our blame-disposed culture. Yet, like Kelsey, most public school educators go to work with the intention of making a positive difference in the lives of their students.

■Wild Kingdom: The spotting — and photographing — of full-grown alligators in local, typically friendly waters where residents fish, boat and swim, raised public concerns last April and May.

The sightings were played down as nothing unusual by state wildlife officials who recommended that residents not feed the creatures. That shouldn’t be a problem. But this spring, residents may need assurances local gators are sufficiently fed and not looking for a handout.

Happy New Year!

Mike Goodman is the editor 
of The Daily Advance.