Around our office recently the news staff and publisher Rich Macke sifted through 12 months of headlines to craft a “Top 5” stories list for 2018. Easier said than done.

What’s a “top story,” anyway? Does it mean something of lasting impact? Or does it mean something that lingered in the news, even if it was of lesser importance to the whole community?

We published many stories of particular impact to one city or part of a city, but stories that were of lesser impact to most or all people. For example, our newspaper published at least 19 stories, editorials and columns on the Kansas City Southern Engine 503, once a relic of some distinction displayed here, generously contributed to this city by the railroad to celebrate its century-old relationship with Port Arthur.

That story generated a lot of passion but as the old year gives way to the new, little has happened. Nowadays, it’s a rust bucket in little-used city park, an embarrassment to Port Arthur’s neglect of what was a local treasure.

It has also been a source of environmental concern, little noticed behind a Chain-link fence at the park until Hurricane and Tropical Storm Harvey in 2017, when neighbors grew worried about the threat of oil or asbestos leaking from the train.

The City Council permitted former Councilman John Beard to raise funds to get the train restored. We’ve heard nothing in months; its importance as a story has diminished for apparent lack of effective action.

Other important stories involved important people but their impact has been more specific. County Judge Jeff Branick won re-election during an election year when other offices — U.S. Senate, governor, lieutenant governor — were up for grabs.

Police Chief Darrell Bush retired after 44 years in Nederland, of great importance in that city. School Superintendent Mark Porterie won regional accolades, of great importance to Port Arthur. All drew consideration for top news story, none made the Top 5 cut.

We chose two, related stories: post Harvey recovery, which involves myriad aspects of our lives and livelihoods; and drainage, which was of critical importance during Harvey but also beyond. We also selected the story about 14 homicide cases in Port Arthur this year, nearly triple the number in 2017; police chief changes in Port Arthur, which occurred as a backdrop during that spate of citywide violence; and the ouster of Cross Coburn from the Groves City Council, which seemed to overshadow all things political in that city this year, a story chronicled in publications like The New York Times.

Our community was beset by imposing challenges — no one was ever flooded like us — many of which we’ve faced bravely, if not always successfully. And here comes 2019.