There was distinct theme through 2019

On New Year’s Eve this newspaper will share the Top 10 stories of 2019.

But be warned: The Top 10 stories are those determined by readers in the digital sphere only. And if we’ve learned anything by plunging into the analytics universe over the last decade or so, it’s this: Articles online readers feast upon aren’t necessarily the savory stuff many print subscribers consume.

Online: Crime and punishment generally rules.

Print: Politics, human interest stories, local business and economic news and local sports and education are often cited as most sought-after content.

In that spirit, we could argue that growth was the top story of 2019.

And No. 2.

And No. 3.

All the way through No. 10.

With the possible exception of local sports, growth was either the catalyst for or the arena in which many of the most important local stories of 2019 played out.

If you look at the local elections from November, virtually every candidate based her or his platform on how to deal with growth. The three largest school districts in Kootenai County all sent spending measures to voters in 2019, based on needs dictated by growth. The recent approval of a new urban renewal district in Coeur d’Alene to accommodate a health corridor is all about growth and a mostly land-locked medical community. Transportation, that eye of the drivers’ storm, is often ridiculed, and not because there are two few vehicles on roads that don’t need widening or reworking.

Kootenai County government had its hands full with a couple of facility-related issues — the old house across from the Administration Center and the possibility of taking several acres from the Fairgrounds to build a new justice facility. Those are topics that wouldn’t have arisen without the population and resulting demands of county services increasing.

Also a county government hot-button issue: The new transit center at Riverstone. Yes, that was fueled by the need for more administrative services and passengers for the regional bus service, Citylink.

We could beat the growth drum almost to no end, but you get the point. It’s here, and there’s no end in sight.

We also would add that dealing with growth is infinitely better than struggling to stay alive. Compare your community with those people are fleeing from and see if you disagree.