5 Top Stories of 2010

There are many news organizations that have been coming out with the year's top stories. The Gulf spill, health care reform and several other stories make those lists. There are several that are overlooked that shouldn't have been. Here are five that should be noted.

1.The overlooked story of the year has to be the flooding of Tennessee. There weren't riots, there wasn't looting and there wasn't a great deal of attention. It was the largest disaster in history. The majority of the public still doesn't know how bad it is. They didn't see the waterlogged homes and destroyed lives. Damage throughout the state was beyond belief and recovery will take years. Over 10,000 properties were damaged in the Nashville area, 111,000 tons of debris removed and precious little time or attention. It didn't warrant a presidential visit...ever. The region picked up and cleaned up themselves with far too little support from the rest of the country. Shamefully even national news outlets still ignore the magnitude of damage and lives uprooted by the floods. In weeks Nashville had cleaned up enough to host the CMA Festival, while just miles away remained shattered lives. Many falsely thought all was back to normal, but for many the recovery is continuing. Garth Brooks played several fundraising shows as well as many of country music's biggest and brightest - but too few from Hollywood and other celebrity that jump to help other countries looked at helping Tennessee. It should get more support and hopefully in 2011 more will support tourism and rebuilding efforts that continue.

2.Zenyatta's quest for perfection. With all the political rifts, the wars, crime and celebrity drama that have made the news there's one celebrity who didn't get arrested, assault anyone or behave inappropriately to generate headlines. She came in the form of a 6 year old Thoroughbred that captured the imagination of thousands of fans and for a little while took their minds off the troubles of the day. Zenyatta has been retired to breed but her star has never burned hotter.

3.Food issues from eggs tainted with salmonella to organic beef recalls for e.coli to food wars in politics. The food politics are unrelenting and will continue in 2011. Food is something that concerns everyone - we deal with it several times per day. Stories of obesity, food bans and other issues are often rift with conflicting information. So concerned are producers the AgChat Foundation was formed to empower farmers and ranchers to connect with consumers directly.

4.Border issues in Arizona. From protests to legal actions to pleas for action to defend our borders, the border situation is an issue that needs action. Ranchers and residents near the border are often unsafe in their own homes, and the murder of an Arizona rancher who had asked for help keeping illegals off his ranch did nothing to calm the upheaval.

5.Haiti seems like a distant memory to many. In the days after the devastating disasters that hammered the country aid was sent from throughout the USA and beyond. Over a million people were affected and food was among the supplies desperately needed. The rebuilding continues, with many lives changed forever from loss or survival.

2010 was a trying year for many and there are many unresolved things still. Here's to a more prosperous, peaceful 2011.