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WWLTV.com's stories of the decade

This list was compiled and authored by Tom Planchet, WWLTV.com's managing editor.

I started my first year on the news side of journalism in January 2000 following nearly two decades in the sports department of WWL-TV.

During this decade we have witnessed several major stories – the Edwards trial, Jefferson trial, serial killers, corruption, floods, 9-11, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and of course hurricanes.

That Hurricane Katrina was the major story of the decade comes as no surprise. Perhaps it will be surprising that it occupies two spots on my personal list of top stories of the decade for Southeast Louisiana.

For my generation, my parent’s generation and my children’s generation, everything going forward will be characterized as Pre-K or Post-K. It’s a line of demarcation and most things will be remembered as being better before the storm, or improved thereafter.

This is my list, and no doubt I’ve left out several important items. Some were left out because they fell under the Katrina umbrella, others just didn’t seem to have the seismic effect of these 10 categories.

It was a decade unlike any other.

by Tom Planchet / WWLTV.com Managing Editor

wwltv.com

Posted on December 31, 2009 at 7:10 PM

Updated Sunday, Jan 3 at 3:08 PM

NEW ORLEANS -- I started my first year on the news side of journalism in January 2000 following nearly two decades in the sports department of WWL-TV.

During this decade we have witnessed several major stories – the Edwards trial, Jefferson trial, serial killers, corruption, floods, 9-11, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and of course hurricanes.

That Hurricane Katrina was the major story of the decade comes as no surprise. Perhaps it will be surprising that it occupies two spots on my personal list of top stories of the decade for Southeast Louisiana.

For my generation, my parent’s generation and my children’s generation, everything going forward will be characterized as Pre-K or Post-K. It’s a line of demarcation and most things will be remembered as being better before the storm, or improved thereafter.

This is my list, and no doubt I’ve left out several important items. Some were left out because they fell under the Katrina umbrella, others just didn’t seem to have the seismic effect of these 10 categories.

It was a decade unlike any other.

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Comments: Displaying 1 - 6 of 6

cusonrisa said on January 1, 2010 at 12:30 AM

cargogirl.... you're a MORON!!! Welcome to the new decade Happy New Year!!!

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cargogirl said on December 31, 2009 at 11:03 PM

i couldnt help but notice you have the words "the" and "a" in quotations, is that like bill clintons "is"?. couldnt resist. its all semantics anyway isnt it. lol.

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cargogirl said on December 31, 2009 at 11:00 PM

nice try at spinning it, the mainstream media is good at spinning things to make them look right, reguardless of who is right, HAPPY NEW YEAR ALL. by the way, if you count. 2000-2001=1 2001-2002=2 2002-2003=3 2009-2010=10, look at the last #s of the years, 2010 is year 10, 2011 starts the new decade.

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chadbower said on December 31, 2009 at 9:49 PM

Cargogirl, It's kind of an arbitrary distinction, isn't it? A case of semantics? A decade is 10 years, as you labeled it. The decade referenced in this story is from 2000-2009. By my count there's 10 years in that span, so regardless of which decade we're talking about when we say "the" new decade, it's still "a" decade. There's really no right or wrong here -- no official source to say the decade began in 1990 or 1991, for example. 1 AD is often used as a reason why the decade would begin in 2011, since there was no year 0, but in modern times (and in the days of "I Love the 80s") we don't look at the beginning of the common calendar when colloquially discussing decades. We discuss them in reference to the 10s column -- for example, the 1970s or 1980s. We chose to view the decade when compiling this piece as most of our viewers do: from 2000-2009. It may not be what you'd consider as "the" decade, but you must admit, it is "a" decade. Chad Bower, WWLTV.com Producer

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swamplady said on December 31, 2009 at 9:32 PM

Cargogirl, I am so glad somebody else knows when the new decade begins. It's sad when our trusted news people don't even know the decade began in 2001. For those who disagree, the first year was the year 1 not 0. Do the math.

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cargogirl said on December 31, 2009 at 9:11 PM

a decade is 10 yrs., the new decade dont start till jan,1, 2011. please learn to count, its only been 9 yrs. before the decade is over dec31,2010, we will see a lot more bad news, happy new year,

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