As if 2020 wasn’t bizarre enough, a few local stories had us all scratching our heads, with the Joe Luginbill scandal taking center stage. At the beginning of last year the former Eau Claire school board member seemed to vanish, leaving unpaid bills, unfinished projects, and unanswered questions. Next came the heartbreaking national coverage – including a front-page story in The Washington Post – about the toll of the COVID-19 surge in the Valley, which at times was among the nation’s hotspots. Last but not least, undercover agents busted an illegal “shake-of-the-day” dice game at Big T’s Saloon in Eau Claire.  –Will Seward