Here are 2008’s top 10 local stories, as voted by Phoenix staff:

1. Teen Mayor Elected

Muskogee received national and international attention when 19-year-old John Tyler Hammons was elected mayor in May.

He succeeded Wren Stratton after defeating 70-year-old former mayor Hershel McBride in a runoff election.

Hammons’ election got mention in news broadcasts throughout the world and he appeared on the television show “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” over the summer.

He also was an at-large delegate to the Republican National Convention, where he was introduced to former New York Mayor Rudy Guiliani.

2. Embezzlement Cases

Several area residents were facing embezzlement or fraud charges.

• Rhonda Harris, 51, a former Wagoner bank manager, was sentenced in July to 14 years for embezzling more than $5.5 million over a 25-year period from the bank whose latest owner is Arvest Bank. She was ordered to pay more than $5 million restitution.

• Larry Duane Couch, former Marble City School superintendent, was sentenced in October to two concurrent 24-month prison sentences for embezzling up to $1 million from the school over 10 years and cheating on his taxes. He made restitution of $979,000 to the school and paid $109,948.48 in court costs.

• Phillip Raglin, 23, of Wagoner was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison after admitting in May to selling unregistered securities. He also was ordered to pay more than $1 million in restitution. He faces 67 counts of obtaining money by false pretenses in Wagoner County District Court, which will be scheduled for trial in 2009.

• Jackie L. Borovetz, 57, former Muskogee County Court Clerk bookkeeper, is accused of embezzling more than $595,000 from July 1, 2007 through September 2008. She was the bookkeeper in the court clerk’s office since September 2002.