Since December 21st, Performance Radio News has given you the opportunity to vote for the top news story of 2012. Today, we bring you the results. Receiving 50 percent of all votes in the poll, the number one story of 2012 as voted on by Performance Radio listeners is the conviction and 100 year prison sentence of Werner Fajardo.
Beadle County States Attorney Mike Moore made those comments on August seventh, less than an hour after jury found the 35-year old former bar owner guilty of eight counts including First Degree Rape, three counts of Third Degree Rape, two counts of Fourth Degree Rape, and a single count each of sexual contact with a person incapable of consent and violating South Dakota alcoholic beverage laws. Fajardo was given a total of nearly 225 years in prison but only a 75 year and 25 year sentence are running back to back. the remaining sentences are running 
consecutively. The number two story of the year, with 35-percent of the vote was the construction of the Huron Water park and naming of the facility, which Huron Mayor Dave McGirr announced at a groundbreaking on February 24th…
Huron’s implementation of a texting and distracted driving ban was voted the third biggest story of the year getting nine-percent of the vote. Number four with four-percent of the vote was the retirement of Huron Police Captain Dan Marotteck after 22 years of service.. City officials remained silent about why Marotteck chose to retire and declined to make any connection between Marotteck’s retirement and news that two minors were charged with underage consumption at Marotteck’s home. The fifth and final story receiving votes with two-percent of votes were five Huron Corner Pantry stores and the 281 Travel Center in Wolsey being charged with selling mislabeled fuel. Both M-G Oil of Rapid City, owners of the Corner Pantry’s and the 281 Travel Center pleaded no contest to the charges and fined 2500 and 500 dollars respectively. Both also were sentenced to community service. Inadvertently left off of the list and there for receiving an honorable mention, is the Huron Police Department getting a drug-detecting canine. Other stories that did not get votes included the fire that destroyed Springs Auto in Wessington Springs in January the closing of the FSA office in Wessington Springs. Dakota Central being listed for closure by the U-S Postal Service, although officials said Dakota Central will remain open through 2014. Huron’s decision to start a recycling program and 28 year-old James Harris of Anoka, Minnesota being sentenced to 10 years in prison for killing 16 year-old Zachary Eichstadt of De Smet in a drunk driving accident. Voting for the story of the year took place on the Peformance Radio News page on Facebook