The top vote-getter for Most Bizarre News Story of the Past Year was an event that took place in April. Police responded to a theft complaint at the Eau Claire Walmart and arrested two people: a 46-year-old woman, who tried karate kicking officers, and her 25-year-old son, who exposed himself in the store. The pair’s odd behavior was spotlighted by news outlets nationwide. Later, both received short jail sentences.

A viral incident with a lighter tone occurred In June, when Marika Daniels of Eau Claire asked her sons to pose for a picture at a children’s museum in South Dakota, her 18-month-old decided to put a rubber fish in his mouth. The resulting goofy snapshot was shared hundreds of thousands of times on social media and grabbed the attention of “Good Morning America” and other outlets.

In less light-hearted news, the Valley endured a record-breaking winter, with 97.9 inches of snow falling, most of it during February and later. – Tom Giffey