As we spend the final days of the year with family and friends, we remember 2016 by telling stories of the 366 days now past (2016 was a leap year, remember?).

When we at LakeExpo.com review the biggest stories of the year, we're reminded of the incredible experiences that compose life in our unique community: tales of the good, the bad, and the ugly.

So this week, we'll re-tell the stories of 2016. The list below contains some of the most dramatic, high-profile events at the Lake. Check back each day for lists of our favorite stories, photo galleries, and boating-related articles, among the 1,637 unique stories about the Lake we got to tell this year.

TOP TEN BREAKING NEWS STORIES OF 2016:

#10 -- Confessed Child Rapist's Case Dismissal Is Upheld By Missouri Appeals Court

In a saga that has now lasted more than seven years, the Western District Court of Appeals upheld the dismissal of the rape/sodomy charges against Aaron Fisher, who confessed to assaulting his infant daughter in 2009. Fisher's case was dismissed in late 2015 after Cole County Judge Patricia Joyce ruled his constitutional right to a speedy trial had been violated. The state appealed that dismissal, but the appeals court unanimously upheld Joyce's decision. As of this writing, the state only has a few days left to file for a hearing before the Missouri Supreme Court.

Our team at LakeExpo.com has covered this case extensively. Click here to read more...

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#9 -- 17 Osage School Buses Vandalized; Accused Teen Drowns

The School of the Osage District said more than half of its 33 buses were vandalized, with windows smashed, tires deflated and valve stems destroyed.

Shane Sabourin and Alexander Keith were both charged with 18 counts of 1st Degree Tampering, a Class C Felony. The prosecution alleged Sabourin and Keith damaged 18 school buses.

Tragically, 19-year-old Alexander Keith drowned in the Lake only two months later. Sabourin's trial is scheduled for April of 2017.

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#8 -- Earthquakes Shake The Lake

A pair of earthquakes rattled homes at the Lake this fall, both having their epicenter in north-central Oklahoma.

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#7 -- Double-Murder Arson Investigated By FBI

A horrific crime that shocked the Lake: on Aug. 29, 27-year-old Danielle Smith and 61-year-old Teresa Jackson were murdered and their mobile home was burned to the ground. Steven Ray Endsley, 54, of Camdenton, is charged with six felonies in connection with the crime, and it was also initially investigated by the FBI as a possible hate crime, due to anti-gay texts allegedly sent by Endsley referencing Danielle Smith, who was bisexual.

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#6 -- Fatal Airplane Crash At State Park

A father and daughter, reportedly on a cross-country airplane trip, were killed when their recently-purchased plane crashed at Lake of the Ozarks State Park, shortly after a stop at Lee C. Fine Airport.

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#5 -- Camden On The Lake Sold To Kansas City Area Investor

A premier waterfront resort is under new ownership. Camden on the Lake, originally opened in 2008 as the Resort & Yacht Club at Toad Cove, has a short but interesting history: built at a cost of more than $30 million by local developer Merlyn Vandervort, it suffered under the 2008 recession, and soon was foreclosed. Valley View Bank bought it out of foreclosure in 2010 for $25 million. Leawood-based Lodging One Hospitality LLC bought it for much less than that this year.

Ken Heinz, a principal with that hotel investment and management firm, said the ownership entity it formed paid $14 million for Camden on the Lake Resort, Spa & Yacht Club in Lake Ozark. "It feels like a five-star resort," Heinz said, "and we saw an opportunity to buy something that was priced considerably lower than its actual value."

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#4 -- Castle In The Clouds Destroyed By Fire

A four-story mansion known as “The Castle in the Clouds” burned to its foundation at sundown on Feb. 9, atop a ridge overlooking the Niangua Lake. 

The castle was unoccupied at the time of the fire, but several pets died.

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#3 -- Raceboat Driver Survives Wild Shootout Crash

Jeff McCann of Morehead, N.C., had a rough run down the race course in Jack's Waterfront, a 23-foot Donzi, before spinning out and crashing at the finish line.

Missouri State Highway Patrol Corporal David Echternacht leapt into the water to rescue McCann, who made a quick recovery from the harrowing incident.

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#2 -- FBI Investigates Camden County Courthouse, Taking Over Computers, Shutting Down Communication

A data breach at the Camden Courthouse resulted in months of disrupted communications and an FBI investigation.

The investigation is still underway.

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#1 -- Powerboat Racers Killed In High-Speed Crash On The Lake

In the biggest powerboating week of the year, Richard "Richie" Prince and Bradley Dunphy were killed when the MTI catamaran Prince was driving went airborne on Aug. 27, around the 10 Mile Marker. The crash happened the day before the annual Lake of the Ozarks Shootout boat race.


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