Major projects by local governments to a late July rain helped define the county's news stories for 2015. Activities to preserve native languages produced stories of local efforts to influence state policies and new efforts to preserve native cultures. And stories that reflected the close-knit nature of our communities on the prairie shaped the news for this year. Here are some of the news stories that shaped our lives during the past year.

Government actions at all levels

Late November Blaine County Commissioners completed the purchase of the National Guard Armory in Chinook for $385,000....