Year in Review: A look back at the photos that defined 2021

December 30, 2021

It might seem like 2021 flew by, but it was an incredible year packed with events and moments that were documented through news stories and images shared by Bluebonnet News.

From the swearing-in of new leaders and the rollout of vaccines in January to celebrations of sport achievements in the spring and summer, and rodeos and parades in the fall, Liberty County had a lot going on.

Over the last year, Bluebonnet News has snapped thousands of images with only a small portion making their way onto the website. Here are some of our favorite photos:

Liberty County Court at Law No. 2 Judge Wes Hinch takes his oath of office in January 2021 as wife, Kimber, holds a Bible, and their children, Jack and Hannah, watch the historic moment. (File photo)

Jennifer Bergman Harkness was sworn in as Liberty County’s first female district attorney on Monday, Jan. 4. She is the third generation of her family to hold public office. Her maternal grandfather and grandmother were both Pct. 3 commissioners while her father, Louis Bergman, is the former county engineer. Her husband, Zack Harkness, is the new constable for Liberty County Pct. 6.

Liberty County has six prosecutors in the District Attorney’s office. Left to right, front row, are ADA Nicole Washington, DA Jennifer Bergman, ADA Kayla Herrington; (back row) 1st ADA Steve Taylor, ADA Mark Boemio and ADA Kevin Barnes.

Dirt was officially turned on Thursday, Jan. 7, at the site of First Liberty National Bank’s new location in Mont Belvieu. The bank will not be a branch but will serve as a hub for banking, offering the latest in financial technology and capabilities, including interactive teller machines with live video tellers. FLNB’s board, as well as representatives of Cox Commercial Construction, took part in turning the first ceremonial shovels of dirt.

FLNB’s President and CEO Kelly Stretcher welcomes guests to a groundbreaking for the bank’s new hub in Mont Belvieu.

A westbound train approaches the bridge crossing the Trinity River in Liberty. Next to the bridge is a crane that Union Pacific crews will use to replace two spans that cross the river.

Maxine Morris (left), the director of Cleveland Senior Citizens Center, waits as paperwork is completed for her COVID-19 shot at the Health Center of Southeast Texas in Cleveland.

Cyndie Abshire (second from right) accepts checks for $450 from some of the sponsors of Light Up Liberty, a Christmas lighting contest for Liberty. The contest was founded by Betty Runkle, owner of The Health Fix, and sponsored by Meadow Noyer AllState, Bluebonnet News, Precision Lawns and the Liberty-Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce. Pictured left to right are Mary Anne Campbell with the chamber, Runkle, Abshire and Meadow Noyer.

Students, teachers and people who were instrumental in bringing vocational classes to Cleveland celebrated the completion of a welding course for the first 20 students on Jan. 11. The classes are being offered by Prairie View A&M’s Texas Rural Workforce Academy and a grant by the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Firefighters who worked alongside Devin Ray Whiteley are mourning his loss. He died suddenly on Jan. 12 from a heart attack at the Hull-Daisetta fire station. He was 40.

A wreath is placed outside Hull-Daisetta fire station to honor Devin Ray Whiteley, a firefighter who died on Jan. 12 from a heart attack. He was working at the fire station at the time.

Texas EquuSearch volunteers head into the Westlake community to look for signs of a missing Baytown man on Friday, Jan. 15.

A city employee removes the Lilley Street sign to make way for the James Carter Sr. St. sign in Cleveland in February.

Family members of James Carter Sr. and family friend Roscoe Warrick hold the sign that was placed at the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. street and James Carter Sr. Ave. in February. Previously Lilley Street, James Carter Sr. Ave. is where Carter raised his family of five children.

Participants in the Cops Vs. Kids basketball game on Feb. 20 pose for a group photo after the special-need kids beat the cops with a final score of 56-12.

Liberty County Sheriff Bobby Rader brought along jokes and BC powders for the Cops Vs. Kids basketball game on Feb. 20.

Texas Ranger Brandon Bess (right) covers his face in mock shame while Liberty County Court at Law No. 2 Bailiff John Coleman flashes a thumbs-up after their “Cops” team was badly beaten in the Cops Vs. Kids basketball game on Feb. 20 at the Dayton High School gym.

Cyclists in the Sixth Annual Freedom Ride set off on routes that took them as far as Rye in north Liberty County on Saturday, Feb. 13.

Liberty Mayor Carl Pickett welcomes cyclists to the Sixth Annual Liberty Freedom Ride on Saturday, Feb. 13. Looking on is Bruce Wright, Liberty ISD Education Foundation past president and organizer of the ride.

Emergency Hospital Systems Chief Operating Officer Patti Foster (right) reviews the forms for Michelle Picard of Cleveland just before she received the Pfizer vaccination for COVID-19. The hospital has been inundated with people wanting the vaccine since it was announced that the hospital is a vaccine hub for the Texas Department of State Health Services.

Players and coaches for Liberty High School’s baseball program gather for a group photo at the LHS Panther Baseball Fourth Annual Benefit Gala on Saturday, Feb. 4, at the TVE Exposition Center. The baseball program is under the guidance of Head Baseball Coach Robb Kirkland.

Dayton City Manager Theo Melancon on Saturday, March 27, prepares to toss out the first pitch at the start of the 2021 opening day of the Dayton Youth Sports Association’s spring baseball and softball seasons.

After the opening ceremony, children and coaches lined up along the perimeter wall of the Jesse Woods Memorial Field. Woods, who died in 2020, was an ardent support of the Dayton Youth Sports Association.

Youths hold up an oversized American flag at the Tarkington ball fields on Saturday. The flag served as the backdrop for first pitch to be thrown out by a World War II veteran, Earl Joseph Ayers.

World War II veteran Earl Joseph Ayers throws out the first baseball to kick off the start of the new softball and baseball seasons on Saturday, March 27, at the Tarkington ball fields. Ayers, 94, was a 2nd Class Seaman for the United States Navy during World War.

Monica Hopkins and her dog, Norma, visited Dayton Police Department to say thanks to the officers who saved her life during a vicious dog attack on Feb. 10. Pictured with her are Officers Jason Barnes and Greg Rodriguez, and Animal Control Officers Sandy Guerra and Danyell Trousdale.

Sheet piling is being installed on the eastern bank of the Trinity River bridge on FM 787 where major erosion has taken place.

Looking fresh and ready to play, the “Cops” team was made up of Liberty Police Department officers and one Liberty firefighter.

Chris Watson makes the most of being pushed to the ground by Liberty Middle School Coach Jerry Lacefield during the Cops vs. Kids game on March 4. Watson fell twice during the game. He was mocked during the second fall when one of the student athletes fell to the ground and imitated Watson’s antics.

Liberty Middle School basketball players and Liberty police officers join hands in prayer at the end of the Cops vs. Kids game on March 4 at the Liberty High School gym. The game raised money for Liberty ISD athletic programs.

Family members of the late Otis Cohn on Thursday, March 4, unveil a marker honoring Cohn for his service to the community. Cohn was mayor of Cleveland at the time of his death on March 6, 2020, following a valiant battle with cancer. Pictured with the family members – Scott Lamber, Sadie Cohn, Anna Claire Lambert, Mollie Lambert and Cohn’s widow, Mary Merrill Cohn – is Mayor Richard Boyett (right).

Bob Steely, Cleveland Councilwomen Carolyn McWaters and Eisha Jones, founder of Tuff Kids in Cleveland, were among the participants in a candlelight vigil in recognition of Child Abuse Prevention Month and Crime Victims’ Rights Week.

James Grays, president of Colbert-Rosenwald Corporation, unveils the official state marker recognizing the Annie Colbert-Rosenwald School in Dayton on Saturday, April 24.

Dayton ISD employees stand alongside the official state marker for the Annie Colbert-Rosenwald School in Dayton on Saturday, April 24.

Keilee Day of Tarkington FFA gets a little help in the auction arena from Paxton Condra as she leads her Grand Champion Market Swine before bidders at the Cleveland Livestock Show youth livestock auction on Friday, April 23, at Stancil Exposition Center in Cleveland. The hog sold for $3,500 to Trey Harris with Colony Ridge Land.

Many of the directors of the Liberty-Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce joined Chamber Staff to hand out meals for the Chamber’s Administrative Professionals’ Day luncheon. Pictured are (left to right) Chamber board members Melissa Richard, Nan Headrick, Andrew Landrey and Sheila Zacharias; Michail Gkiros, owner of Tuscany’s Restaurant in Dayton; Chamber board members Daisy Bordeau and Candy Rucka; Chamber Director Mary Anne Campbell; and Chamber board members Ken Coleman, Stephanie Blume and Anthony Landry.

The 2021 Cleveland Livestock Show and Dairy Day Miss Rodeo Queen Marlee Brooks (left) receives some assistance in fitting her crown onto her cowgirl hat from outgoing rodeo queen Haley Crowson on Saturday, April 17, at the Stancil Exposition Center in Cleveland.

Contestants for the 2021 Cleveland Livestock Show and Dairy Day Miss Rodeo Queen line up to enter the Stancil Exposition Center arena on Saturday, April 17.

U.S. Rep. Brian Babin (right) addresses the guests at a ceremonial groundbreaking for Gulf Inland Logistics Park in Dayton on April 7.

Special guests at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Liberty County Law Enforcement Center turn soil on the project on April 1.

Children scramble for eggs at Bunny Blast on April 3 in Cleveland. Thousands of candy-filled plastic eggs were up for grabs.

On April 1, one minute of silence was observed by law enforcement agencies across the state at 1 p.m. Thursday to pay tribute to Trooper Chad Walker, who was killed in a roadside ambush. In Liberty County, the observance was held on US 90 just east of Dayton.

The veil is dropped, revealing the new historical marker at Ryan Cemetery in Tarkington on Sunday. (Photo by Brandon Mullens with Texas Style Photography of Tarkington.)

First America Homes, the homebuilding division of the Signorelli company, presented bikes to 64 deserving Cottonwood Elementary students on Wednesday, May 26. The students who received bikes had the highest math scores for Cleveland ISD in the First in Math program. Danny Signorelli (center), owner of The Signorelli Company, said he was pleased to be part of giving back to the community and for rewarding the students’ successes.

Relatives of Reuben “Sugarbear” and Esther Johnson helped celebrate 1st Street being renamed to Johnson Street during a special ceremony on May 8 in Cleveland.

Liberty County Pct. 6 Constable Zack Harkness, who pulls a double duty as a member of the Special Response Team for the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, manned an armored vehicle at a standoff with law enforcement on May 19 on the FM 787 bridge over the Trinity River.

In May, Jenny Rodriguez (right), Lisa Hilton (seated), Kim “Brat” Hilton and Lidia Martinez volunteered hours of their time on Mother’s Day to help dogs in need in the Plum Grove area. Dogs running at large is a real problem in the Colony Ridge communities, according to Rodriguez, a spokesperson for This is Houston Animal Rescue.

Siblings Tommy and Rebecca Dunn get a first look at the historical marker outside the Texan Theater in Cleveland, which their parents, Cliff and Peggy Dunn, owned for many years before selling to Clint and Dana Pendleton.

State Rep. Ernest Bailes (left) presents a State of Texas resolution recognizing the Texan Theater and its long history in Cleveland. The resolution was given to theater owner Clint Pendleton (second from left) as Wesley Matlock and Tommy Dunn join in the recognition. Matlock, an employee for the City of Cleveland, has worked for the Texan Theater for decades and was an employee of the late Cliff Dunn, who owned the theater until recently. Dunn was the father of Tommy Dunn of Cleveland.

The Dayton Garden Club is responsible for planting a wildflower garden on the east side of US 90 near the gateway marker. Pictured left to right are Garden Club members Rachel Sackett, Samantha Gutierrez, Vanessa Brewer, Kelsey Conner, Erin Duff, Harlie Head, Alisha Dale and Alaina Coleman.

Dayton Garden Club members Rachel Sackett and Vanessa Brewer try to identify some of the wildflowers using an app.

Liberty Fire Department paid tribute to Army Spec. Jerry Offer on Thursday. Offer died unexpectedly on April 24 at the age of 24.

Patriot Guard riders attended the funeral Thursday of Army Spc. Jerry Offer and escorted his funeral procession to Cooke Memorial Cemetery for a graveside service.

The flag-draped casket of Army Spc. Jerry Offer is carried to the entrance of Allison Funeral Home in Liberty on Monday. Offer, a 2015 graduate of Liberty High School, died unexpectedly on April 24.

Liberty firefighters watch as a boat is launched into the Trinity River on May 3 to look for a missing Crosby man.

Liberty County Historical Commission members, board members of Liberty County Hospital District No. 1 and staff of Liberty-Dayton Regional Medical Center gathered on Monday, June 29, for an unveiling of a historical marker on the Travis Street side of the hospital. The marker honors the life of the late Yettie Kersting.

Liberty County Hospital District No. 1 Vice President Paul Henry and President Bruce Stratton pull away the drape covering the historical marker honoring the remarkable life of the late Yettie Kersting. Looking on are Liberty County Historical Commission Chair Linda Jamison and Hospital District Treasurer Victor Barranco.

Firefighters and first responders from throughout Liberty County volunteered their time on Saturday, June 26, to pitch in at the benefit for Carissa Jackson, a medic with Allegiance EMS who is battling ovarian cancer.

U.S. Rep. Brian Babin read a special congressional recognition for Millennium Physicians’ cancer treatment center in Cleveland, which was named in honor of the late Cleveland mayor Otis Cohn Jr.

Mobil Credit Union staff enjoy a food-tasting event hosted by the Dayton Chamber of Commerce.

Will Carter, Pct. 2 Commissioner Bruce Karbowski, Sheriff Bobby Rader and Liberty County Court at Law No. 2 Bailiff John Coleman look over plans for the new courtroom on June 22.

City leaders and staff, and chamber staff and directors held a ribbon cutting for The Crossroads Plaza pavilion on Friday, June 18.

Kami Whitten, the widow of LCSO Sheriff’s Deputy Richard Whitten, snaps a photo of her beloved husband on the End of Watch Ride bus on June 16 outside of the Jack Hartel Building in Liberty.

The Lady Panthers varsity softball team, the state champs in Class 4A, are pictured with their coaches and local dignitaries including Pct. 2 Commissioner Greg Arthur, Will Carter with U.S. Rep. Brian Babin’s office, Liberty Mayor Carl Pickett, County Judge Jay Knight and State Rep. Ernest Bailes.

The Lady Panthers were greeted by hundreds of supporters, family members and friends at a parade in their honor on Monday, June 14.

The Crossroads Plaza pavilion is nearly ready to open to the public. The $30,000 project was funded by hotel occupancy taxes.

Ronnie Denton with the State Fire Marshal’s Office enters the woods where a truck that apparently was dragging a man’s body was set on fire on June 12.

Henry Dugat, a 2005 graduate of Dayton High School, offers words of encouragement to young athletes at a basketball camp on July 9.

Stuart Marcus zooms in on moths that were lured to lighted white sheets for Moth Night Out at the Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge in Liberty as Texas Country Reporter Bob Phillips and wife, Kelli, look on.

Viorica Maldovan (left) listens as Cassie Cavanaugh (middle), chief nursing officer for Texas Emergency Hospital, reads the nomination form that resulted in Maldovan being picked as the first-ever recipient of the DAISY Foundation Award. Looking on from the right is Patti Foster, chief operating officer for Texas Emergency Hospital.

Texas Game Warden Jake Noxon watches as a young bald eagle is released into the wild on July 25 in the Simmons Bottom area near Kenefick.

Former KSHN owner Bill Buchanan and Dayton City Manager Theo Melancon chat at a farewell party for Melancon on Wednesday, July 21.

Chad McKinney (left) is the new game warden for Liberty County. He joins Game Warden Jake Noxon (right), who has served in Liberty County since 2016.

The hearse carrying the body of Lance Cpl. Armando Hernandez is escorted through city streets in Splendora on July 17.

Family, friends and supporters of AIM Team Camp turned out Sunday, July 4, for the grand opening of the Jessica Faith Bostwick Aquatic Center on July 4.

Liberty County Pct. 2 Commissioner Greg Arthur (left) joined Union Pacific’s John Kovatch, Ed Dickens and Jim Leonard in front of Big Boy No. 4014 during a historic stop in Hardin, Texas, on Aug. 18. Dickens (second from right) is the engineer for the steam locomotive.

Jeff Holzaepfel of Beach City, Texas, brought along sons, Jacob and Joshua, to see Big Boy No. 4014 as it arrived in Hardin, Texas, on Aug. 18. They chatted with UP’s Jim Leonard during the stop.

Ed Dickens, engineer for Big Boy No. 4014, looks down the rail lines that will be the next leg of the journey on Aug. 18.

Coach Karen Slack and representatives from the Liberty Rotary Club, First Liberty National Bank, Liberty County Teachers Federal Credit Union, Allegiance Bank and Prosperity Bank gather in front of the new billboard honoring the Class 4A State softball champs, the Lady Panthers.

Heaven’s Army supporters gathered Saturday, July 31, to celebrate the grand opening of the Christian-based non-profit located in Tarkington.

A prayer walk was held Monday, Aug. 2, to kick off the start of the new school year for Liberty students and staff.

Thanks to a lot of team effort, volunteers made quick work of setting up pumpkins at First United Methodist Church in Dayton.

A day of remembrance was held Sunday, Sept. 13, for the 13 U.S. service personnel killed in Kabul, Afghanistan. The walk originated at Dayton PD, traveled east on US 90 to Liberty, then to the county courthouse before returning to Dayton PD.

Dancers don a Chinese dragon costume for the ILTexas campus groundbreaking on Sept. 9.

Eddie Congers, superintendent and founder of ILTexas, (center) and other stakeholders took part in a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday, Sept. 9, for ILTexas’ campus in the Santa Fe community south of Plum Grove.

Burgerworks provided this cookie cake in celebration of the efforts of Liberty Whataburger employees to raise money for MDA.

The funeral procession for former Tarkington Fire Chief Dalton Laffie Gregory arrives at Pace-Stancil Memorial Rest Gardens on Sept. 4 for interment.

The congregation of Rural Shade Baptist Church — along with guests Liberty County Judge Jay Knight and Will Carter with U.S. Rep. Brian Babin’s Office — gather for a group photo outside the church on Sunday, Oct. 31, for the sesquicentennial anniversary of the church’s founding.

Students in the Liberty High School Law Enforcement and Corrections class held a fundraiser on Friday, Oct. 29, for Liberty County Sheriff’s Deputy Willie Davie, who was injured on Sept. 27 while working on a second job. He is unable to qualify for workman’s compensation or the county’s sick pool as the incident happened off the job.

Convicted murderer Andrew Jared Bass is led away from the Liberty County Courthouse on Oct. 28 to begin his life sentence in prison. He will not be eligible for parole.

Mayors of the three largest cities in Liberty County – Cleveland Mayor Richard Boyett, Dayton Mayor Caroline Wadzeck and Liberty Mayor Carl Pickett – show off the bandages they received after getting COVID-19 vaccine booster shots on Tuesday, Oct. 26.

Raylene Atkinson, the director of operations for Cleveland Emergency Hospital, thanks the City of Cleveland for recognizing the hospital with proclamations that were presented on Oct. 14.

Patti Foster, COO of Texas Emergency Hospital in Cleveland, and Michael Adkins, CEO of Emergency Hospital Systems, hold the letter TEH received from Texas Governor Greg Abbott, recognizing the hospital for its efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hayden Coleman with Plum Grove 4-H raised the Grand Champion Steer for this year’s Trinity Valley Exposition livestock competition. The steer fetched $17,000 at the premium sale on Oct. 22 in the TVE Arena in Liberty. The buyer was the Tommy Watts Group.

Colony Ridge owner Trey Harris (center) was recognized for being the volume buyer at the 2020 Youth Auction. Pictured with him are Greg Dodson and Gary Lott with TVE.

Former and current state troopers and Texas Rangers gather for a group photo at the Ol’ Farts Fish Fry and Retiree Shoot in Cleveland on Tuesday, Oct. 19.

Retired Liberty County Pct. 5 Constable L.W. Despain was among the honored guests at the Ol Farts Fish Fry and Retiree Shoot on Tuesday, Oct. 19, in Cleveland. He was accompanied by Pct. 5 Constable David Hunter, who worked under Despain for many years before becoming constable.

Pct. 1 Commissioner Bruce Karbowski and Pct. 2 Commissioner Greg Arthur, and their wives, rode in the TVE Rodeo parade on Oct. 20 in downtown Liberty.

County Judge Jay Knight and Liberty City Councilman Neal Thorton rode in the TVE Rodeo Parade on Oct. 20 in downtown Liberty.

Liberty County commissioners discuss the boundary lines of road and bridge precincts at a workshop on Oct. 14. Left to right standing are Pct. 2 Commissioner Greg Arthur, Elections Administrator Klint Bush, Pct. 3 Commissioner David Whitmire and Pct. 1 Commissioner Bruce Karbowski. Seated are County Judge Jay Knight and Pct. 4 Commissioner Leon Wilson.

Frosty Pruitt accepted the induction of the Colbert Tigers Alumni Association into the Sports Hall of Fame.

Dayton ISD Athletic Director Jeff Nations (center) poses with some of the recent inductees into the Dayton ISD Sports Hall of Fame.

Flanked by her children – stepson Charles Wellborn and daughter Anna Lynn McClelland, 100-year-old Weesie McClelland of Cleveland was celebrated at a drive-by birthday parade on Oct. 13.

Landscapers plant crepe myrtles along US 90 west of Dayton.

At the Liberty County Prayer March on Oct. 2, prayers of protection were offered for Clay Huston, of Illinois, who is being deployed with the Army Reserves the following Monday.

Liberty Police Lt. Chip Fairchild opened the Liberty County Prayer March on Oct. 2 with a Bible verse, II Chronicles 7:14, which states, “If My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

Cadets with the Dayton High School Marine JROTC presented colors at the historical marker unveiling on Oct. 2.

Members of the Liberty County Historical Commission were on hand on Oct. 2 to celebrate the unveiling of a county historical marker at the 1937 Dayton City Hall.

Liberty County Historical Commission Chair Linda Jamison, Dayton City Councilwoman Sherial Lawson and Dayton Mayor Caroline Wadzeck (left to right) took part in the unveiling of a historical marker at the 1937 Dayton City Hall on Oct. 2.

Klint Bush (seated) shares information about the new voting precincts during a break from commissioners court on Nov. 23. Pictured with him (left to right) are Trey Harris and Jim Clark with Colony Ridge, new jail architect Kenny Burns, Pct. 3 Road and Bridge’s Billy Ross and Liberty County Sheriff’s Capt. Billy Knox.

JAYS (Just Amazing Youth Sports) hosted a special-needs game for teams this fall.

J. Rice surprised Tarkington library founder Ruth Stetson with an award honoring her.

Cyclists are excited to start their routes for Rock N Ride bike ride in Cleveland on Saturday, Nov. 14.

Military veterans were the honored guests at a special recognition program at Liberty High School on Veterans Day, Nov. 11. (Photo by Richey Ewing)

Liberty County Sheriff’s Capt. Ken DeFoor and wife, Jo, love surprising people with their costumes. For the Veterans Day event on Thursday, Nov. 11, DeFoor showed up as Captain America. On other occasions, he has dressed as Batman or Elvis.

Commissioners sign off on the new maps for the county’s four road and bridge precincts on Nov. 9. Pictured left to right are Pct. 1 Commissioner Bruce Karbowski, Pct. 2 Commissioner Greg Arthur, Tax Assessor-Collector Richard Brown, Pct. 4 Commissioner Leon Wilson and Elections Administrator Klint Bush.

All rise! Four judges were present for the grand opening of Liberty County Court at Law No. 2 on Wednesday. Pictured left to right are Pct. 4 Justice of the Peace Larry Wilburn, Judge Tommy Chambers with Liberty County Court at Law No. 1, Judge Wes Hinch with Liberty County Court at Law No. 2 and County Judge Jay Knight.

Small U.S. flags were placed in the chairs for the honored military veterans at the Nov. 6 Old Spanish Trail event in Dayton. (Photo by Angel Rick Leal)

The Third Annual Old Spanish Trail Veterans Parade makes its way through the Trinity River valley between Dayton and Liberty, as it is escorted by Dayton Police Officer Chris Duos and other Dayton police officers. The event was held on Nov. 6.

Veterans were recognized during the Third Annual Old Spanish Trail event on Nov. 6 in Dayton.

A new mural on the Tracy Williams State Farm Insurance office in Liberty was created by artist Cherry Meek (left). She is pictured with Williams in front of the mural on Tuesday, Dec. 28.

Ryder Wilson was surprised by a visit from Liberty Police Department on Tuesday. He was given an honorary police badge. Pictured with him is School Resource Officer Dykeba Bryant.

This aerial photo shows the new Whataburger restaurant in Dayton. (Courtesy of BurgerWorks)

Dayton Police Department employees pose for a final photo with Police Chief Robert Vine before he departs for a job in Paris, Texas. He served as police chief and deputy city manager in Dayton for three years.

Veterans and guests at the dedication of the expansion of the Dayton Veterans Wall of Honor stand for the national anthem while Dayton ISD Marine JROTC cadets present the American flag.

Clint Majors, a local military veteran, takes a cell phone photo of the plaque that bears his name on the Dayton Veterans Wall of Honor.

Scenes from the Spirit of Christmas parade in Dayton on Dec. 4.

The Royal Braves Band performs during the Hometown Christmas parade on Dec. 4 in downtown Cleveland.

Crosby artist Michael Criswell painted this beautiful mural on the wall of Dayton Family Medical Clinic on the 200 block of N. Main St. in Dayton.

A plane crash along the west shoulder of US 59 north of Cleveland caused traffic delays on Thursday.

Do you agree with our picks for the top photos of the year? We would love to hear from you. Just send an email to Bluebonnet News Publisher/Editor Vanesa Brashier at editor@bluebonnetnews.com.

You can also weigh in with a comment on the website or by going to the Bluebonnet News Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/bluebonnetnews.