Why Last Year Did Not Suck (11 Legitimate Reasons)

Was last year a "Sweet '16"?
The buzz is nay,
but say,
only 31% of people in a new survey think the year went terribly for this country
and only 19% think it went terribly for them personally.

• Scientists may have found the gene responsible for ALS. And funding for the study came from the Ice Bucket Challenge.
• We figured out a new stem-cell therapy that can halt the effects of Multiple Sclerosis
• Kamiakin Braves won the State 3A football title. The first state title in football in the history of the City of Kennewick. *Special note for the touching Homecoming story at KaHS.
• In March, 800 hostages were rescued from the terror group Boko Haram in Nigeria.
• In July, volunteers in India planted 50 million trees in less than 24 hours.
• The hole in the ozone layer finally started healing itself. Scientists have been waiting for it to happen since we banned certain chemicals in aerosols 30 years ago.
• Rogue One: A Star Wars Story became the third-highest grossing movie of the year, after only two weeks...and three weekends...in theatres. Its U.S. gross is up to $440 million
• You can now buy Fireball whiskey in a box, just like boxed wine
• We're closer to helping paralyzed people walk again. Swiss scientists said they used a brain implant to help a paralyzed monkey walk again
• Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory. Hanford and twin observatory in Louisiana. Einstein's Theory of Relativity confirmed. the first gravitational waves detected were created by two black holes that collided 1.3 billion years ago, sending ripples thru space and time that passed through the earth. Wow. Heavy.
• The Marines' Mad Dog James Mattis (retired general) will be the next Secretary of Defense. He graduated from Columbia High School (now RHS).