If you polled any Limestone Countian and asked him or her about the top stories of 2018, the announcement of the new Mazda Toyota Manufacturing U.S.A. plant in southern Limestone County would likely be included.

Those who helped land the $1.6 billion plant have called the announcement both “generational” and “a game-changer” for the region. In addition to the 4,000 jobs the plant is expected to bring, thousands of spinoff jobs will likely be created by related suppliers.

When the plant opens in 2021, officials have estimated it will produce 300,000 vehicles per year. Specifically, the plant will produce the Toyota Corolla and a new yet-to-be-revealed Mazda crossover vehicle.

The announcement followed other large-scale manufacturing wins in recent years. Those include Carpenter Technology, GE Aviation, Polaris, Asahi Kasei and Shape Corp.

Site work on the 2,500-acre MTM plant is now under construction on Powell Road, north of Old Highway 20 and east of Mooresville Road. Physical construction of the 3.3-million-square-foot facility will begin once site work is complete.

The same site was previously considered by Volkswagen before the company decided on Chattanooga instead. In the years following Volkswagen’s painful decision, rumors of another car manufacturer coming here persisted. In 2011, various published media reports said Volvo was interested in the site, though Huntsville officials called the rumor “speculative.”

Still, Huntsville and Limestone County officials continued to make improvements to infrastructure around what was known as “the Sewell tract.” Chief among those improvements was a decision to build the five-lane Greenbrier Parkway and the five-lane Holladay Road.

Huntsville also worked with the Tennessee Valley Authority and Athens Utilities on plans to improve the power infrastructure to the property. Huntsville also spent millions to improve the sewer infrastructure in the vicinity of the site.

Plans took a large leap forward in June 2016 when the 1,252-acre Sewell tract received a “megasite” designation from TVA. The designation essentially meant the property was shovel-ready for any large manufacturer.

On Jan. 9, news outlets began to report Toyota and Mazda would build its new company in Huntsville-annexed Limestone County. Gov. Kay Ivey would confirm the rumor the following day. The announcement sent shockwaves through the world, nation, state and region. Media outlets from across the country and — yes, even Japan — descended on Limestone County in the days after the announcement.

“We are committed to becoming a ‘best-in-town company’ in the city of Huntsville and the state of Alabama, a new hometown for Toyota and Mazda,” said Akio Toyoda, president of Toyota Motor Corp., at a Jan. 10 press conference formally announcing the project.

Officials from Mazda and Toyota not only pledged to produce world-class automobiles in Limestone County, but also be good community partners and environmental stewards. Their latter pledge was tested when the endangered spring pygmy fish was discovered in a creek complex near the site of the plant’s construction. The discovery of the fish temporarily halted the project on at least one occasion, though construction resumed several days later.

The Center for Biological Diversity and Tennessee Riverkeeper also threatened legal action against the companies and the city of Huntsville in an effort to protect the fish. Earlier this month, all parties announced a $6 million agreement had been reached to ensure the safety of the fish.

During the company’s groundbreaking on Nov. 16, the companies affirmed their community partner promise by providing $500,000 to the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce to launch a new online career platform dedicated to recruiting workers for the project. It also donated $250,000 to six school systems, including Limestone County Schools, to advance education in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.

Lastly, MTM provided $50,000 to the Boys & Girls Club of North Alabama, $50,000 to the Food Bank of North Alabama and $20,000 to the Greater Huntsville Human Society.

Company officials also reiterated the fact Limestone County would be its new “home.” As a robotic arm broke ground on the project, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama” played.

“We are proud to be breaking ground on a new ‘home’ here in Huntsville — a city that believes in the possibilities of technology and manufacturing, and has striven to realize mankind’s greatest dream,” said Kiyotaka Shobuda, Mazda’s senior managing executive officer.

From the day of the announcement through this week, The News Courier published more than 130 articles and photos referencing the Mazda Toyota plant. Those articles were either about the project itself or the project’s impact on education, infrastructure, housing, quality of life and — of course — the spring pygmy sunfish. We anticipate covering the project with the same dedication through the plant’s projected opening in 2021.

Here’s a look at several other stories popular with our readers in 2018:

Flu outbreak

Athens-Limestone Hospital issued a flu alert in January as the virus swept across the Tennessee Valley. At the time, state health officials said hospitals in nearly one-third of the state’s counties were at 90 percent capacity. Gov. Ivey issued a flu emergency, which gave hospitals some leeway in following their care plans.

Sheriff candidate denied

Jason White, an openly gay candidate for Limestone County Sheriff, was denied ballot access by the Limestone County Republican Executive Committee. Party leaders said White’s sexual orientation was not the reason, but instead because party officials doubted White’s Republican credentials.

Election upset

Collin Daly, a Limestone County Water & Sewer Authority employee, qualified for Limestone County Commission Chairman in February. Four months later, in the June Republican primary, he notched an upset win over incumbent Mark Yarbrough, who had run on his record of fiscal responsibility and job creation. Daly would go on to defeat a Democratic challenger in the November general election.

New Athens businesses

A number of new restaurants and businesses opened in Athens, including Terranova’s on The Square, The Hummus People in downtown Athens, a new Popeyes at the intersection of U.S. 72 and Houston Street, a Smoothie King in the former Nestle Tollhouse store and Kat’s Restaurant in the former Clark’s Restaurant behind Cracker Barrel. Other new businesses included Boneyard Antiques and mattress retailer Bedzzz Express. Athens City Council briefly considered providing $250,000 in incentives to lure a Panera Bread restaurant to U.S. 72, but the measure was pulled off the agenda after some business owners protested the proposal.

Housing boom

A number of housing developments were either announced or expanded in 2018. City and county officials cited the industrial development and a new Athens High School as some of the reasons for the growth. The Athens City Council recently approved zoning for 456 apartments and more than 100 town homes off Lindsay Lane, south of U.S. 72. Six other subdivisions have been in the works since March. Two of those subdivisions are Boardwalk, which will be built in the vicinity of Pryor Street and U.S. 31 and has plans for 156 homes, and Links at Canebrake, which will be near the Canebrake subdivision and has plans for 296 homes. A senior apartment complex near U.S. 72 and Piney Creek is also being constructed. Peyton Ridge Village is set to have 56 units.

Dollar Generals

Officials with Dollar General announced in October Limestone County’s 18th Dollar General was under construction and two others are under consideration. In a county of 94,000 residents, a 20th Dollar General store would mean one store for every 4,700 residents. With 607 square miles in the county, that would also equate to one store every 30.35 miles.

Pearl Harbor remains ID’d

A Limestone County man who died in Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, was positively identified. The remains Water Tender 2nd Class Edgar D. Gross, who hailed from the Carriger community, is set to be buried in Limestone County on Memorial Day 2019.

Ethics complaint

The Alabama Ethics Commission voted in October to have Attorney General Steve Marshall’s office investigate a potential ethics violation committed by longtime Limestone County Sheriff Mike Blakely. A spokeswoman for the AG’s office would not confirm an ongoing investigation. Blakely, who easily won re-election to his seat in the November general election, told the media he would be exonerated.

Shelter shut down

A viral outbreak of canine distemper this month resulted in the Athens-Limestone Animal Shelter closing temporarily and more than 30 dogs being euthanized. An unrelated respiratory infection resulted in the deaths of 20 cats, an official said. After being cleaned by staff, the shelter reopened to the public on Dec. 26.