It's been an interesting year - full of ups and downs in politics and people on both the local and national scale. Since it's our job to take care of the former, we ran just short of 2,000 news stories during the year to keep you on top of what's going on in your community. From that massive quantity, we picked a few - not necessarily show stoppers, but definitely a few "Hey Martha's" - that we'd like to remind you about.

Los Angeles County officials hoping deer will be found.

Sometime Wednesday night or Thursday morning, a female deer vanished from William S. Hart Park in Newhall.

The 12 year-old California mule deer, named Jane Doe, was not in her pen when Los Angeles County workers checked this morning, and the fencing around her dwelling had been cut open.

Jane had been a resident at the park since 1997, after she was found as a youngling wandering the streets of Sylmar.

Wacky ways of wishing happy New Year around the world.

Sayonara, 2009. It's been a rough year to cap off a rough decade, so here's to better times ahead. But hoping that the next 365 goes better than the last is nothing new; cultures the world over have developed superstitions and good luck traditions to help ring the New Year in right.

Fundraising drive to help maintain key services.

The Santa Clarita Valley Senior Center Foundation is asking local residents to remember the moms, dads, and grandparents who have given so much to younger generations - and to contribute toward preserving valuable services for seniors in need.