Happy Anniversary, Patch: A Look at the Year's Highlights

Yesterday was the one year anniversary of Lilburn-Mountain Park Patch. It's been a momentous year for both Patch and for Lilburn, and the anniversary is the perfect opportunity to have a look at the highlights:

On Dec. 7, 2010, after being struck by a hit-and-run driver near Gwinnett Place Mall.

Old town Lilburn lost a landmark when the just after Christmas last year. The Downtown Development Authority caused almost as big a stir when it said it would

A rare snow storm shut down the metro area schools for a week in January.

Lilburnite Ivy Cromer witnessed the January robbery of Wells Fargo Bank on Lawrenceville Highway, and then by following them for miles, talking to cops while tailing the perps.

in February in a house on Spring Mill Drive.

in March, saying he was concerned about the "direction, and the performance and morale of the department," which were "short of expectations." as the new chief in April.

The in May, with 13 runs in the seventh inning.

The Lilburn in August, ending a over the issue. The U.S. Department of Justice more than a week later filed a lawsuit against the city, claiming religious discrimination, and the , citing the cost involved in fighting the suit.

in August in the grisly murder of his fellow Mercer University Law School graduate Lauren Giddings. That drew a lot of from people who knew McDaniel.

Johnny Crist was elected mayor of Lilburn in the , and a referendum to allow alcohol sales in the city on Sundays was passed by voters.

A family and their dog escaped unharmed from a earlier this month.

Gwinnett County Police recently solved a spate of August car break-in cases, .