From now until New Year's Eve, the Times-Gazette is looking back at 2007 by counting down the top 10 news stories of the year as voted by a panel of T-G staffers. Here are the stories revealed so far:

10) Standardized School Attire proposed

9) Celebration runs smoothly, but numbers down

7 - tie) Bedford County observes Bicentennial

7 - tie) SCHS renovation and expansion / $44M borrowed for school projects

6) Cartwright elected mayor of Shelbyville

5) Drought / water restrictions

Today, we look at the fourth and third most-newsworthy stories:

4) BCMC builds new hospital / CEO leaves (52 points)

Breaking ground in April for a new Bedford County Medical Center were, from left, Cathryn Hibbs of Community Healh Systems; BCMC board chair Mike Rittenberry; then-Shelbyville Mayor Geneva Smith; Bedford County Mayor Eugene Ray; Sydney C. "Bud" McGrew, board of trustees; Bill Macri, who was CEO of BCMC at the time; and board members Dr. Frank Jayakody, Walt Wood and Dr. William Russell. Macri resigned unexpectedly in December. (T-G File Photo by John I. Carney) [Click to enlarge]

Bedford County Medical Center had a ceremonial groundbreaking April 18 for its new facility in Airport Industrial Park. A topping-out ceremony was held in September and the exterior of the building had taken shape at year's end.

The new $35 million hospital, owned by Williamson County-based Community Health Systems, is scheduled to open in the second half of 2008. A new medical office building was started near the hospital as well.

At the topping-out ceremony, some ceremonial items bore the name "Bedford Regional Medical Center," a sign -- though still unconfirmed -- that the hospital plans to begin using that name when it moves to the new site.

Then, in early December, the hospital startled the community by announcing that Bill Macri had resigned as CEO. Dan Buckner, who most recently ran a hospital in Cleveland, Tenn., was appointed as interim CEO.

3) Bob McLean takes his own life behind Shelbyville church (64 points)

Police Chief Austin Swing inspects the area behind First Christian Church where the body of Robert "Bob" McLean was found Sept. 26. (T-G File Photo by David Melson) [Click to enlarge]

Shelbyville native and Murfreesboro resident Bob McLean, whose investment business was crumbling beneath allegations of fraud made in a lawsuit on behalf of his investors, was found dead in September behind First Christian Church. A scholarship fund tangentially related to the church had figured into the lawsuit against McLean.

McLean had been a philanthropist as well as a financier, and investors -- claiming his money was the result of fraud, and therefore not McLean's to give -- sought the return or sale of items McLean had given Middle Tennessee State University and the Country Music Hall of Fame.

McLean was also a major investor in "Our Very Own," the independent film shot in Shelbyville, on which he had the title of executive producer.

Top story suggestions were solicited from the T-G news staff. A ballot containing 22 story possibilities was circulated to 10 different T-G staffers, each of whom selected his or her top 10 choices. Ten points were awarded for a first place vote, nine for a second place vote and so on.

MONDAY: Stressful times, drastic measures