ATLANTA — 2016 was a big year, y'all. A presidential election ushers in a new era for American history and the world and a number of beloved figures passed away.
Big news stories also happened right here in Georgia. From the conviction of the father who left his son to die in a hot car in Cobb County to a hurricane that swept along the southern and coast line of the state.
We've put together the most impactful stories of the year:
The conviction of Ross Harris
A jury found a Cobb County father guilty of murder in his son’s hot car death. Ross Harris left his 22-month-old son Cooper in his SUV in 2014 and let him sit in the sweltering car for hours, leading to the boy's death.
Ross Harris showed little emotion when the verdict was read on Nov. 14, 2016. He was sentenced to life in prison.
Hurricane Matthew ravages Georgia coast
Thousands of Georgians felt the wrath of Hurricane Matthew as it brushed the southern and coastal portion of the state in October.
Winds topped 100 mph when the storm made landfall in Georgia and portions of the coast were forced to evacuate.
The storm left dozens of people dead across the Caribbean and U.S. coast and caused millions of damage.
Protesters took to the streets after police shootings
More than 1,000 protesters took to the streets of Atlanta in July, demonstrating after deadly police-involved shootings and shootings the targeted officers.
On July 8, the group began marching from Centennial Olympic Park to Connector where the demonstrators faced off with police and troopers.
Several people were arrested but the protests were mainly peaceful.
Tornado outbreak leaves damage across metro Atlanta
December 1 proved to be violent day for the skies of Georgia. A confirmed four tornadoes tore through parts of metro Atlanta in the afternoon.
The twisters popped up in Carroll, Cobb, Haralson, Paulding and North Fulton counties leaving damage strewn around. Thousands took shelter across the metro area as Channel 2 Action News brought continious severe weather coverage for hours on air and online.
Crash claims lives of 4 UGA students
Just days before graduation, the University of Georgia is dealing with a loss to their college community. Four UGA students were killed in a car wreck, and one more was critically injured.
The head-on crash happened along a rural highway just south of Watkinsville in Oconee County in April.
The survivor in the car with the UGA students, Agnes Kim, suffered a serious brain injury. The driver of the other car suffered serious injuries.
Gov. Deal vetoes controversial 'Religious Freedom' bill
It was a showdown months in the making -- and the Governor put his foot down.
Supporters of HB 757 argued that it protects pastors and churches from being compelled to perform same-sex marriages and religious organizations from being forced to serve or employ people at odds with their religious beliefs.
Critics said the bill would've allowed discrimination, and for it to potentially extend beyond opposition to same-sex marriage.
In the end, Gov. Deal held a news conference saying the bill sends the wrong message to the world about Georgia's hospitality.
Cox Media Group
