The Item’s top 14 stories of 2014

The year 2014 was punctuated by bad weather, from a succession of “polar vortices” in the winter to a devastating tornado in Revere July 28 that damaged 65 buildings, with 13 of them deemed uninhabitable.But it wasn?t just the weather that changed in 2014. The local political landscape changed in a big way, with a nine-term congressman ousted in the September primary, and a Swampscott resident winning the corner office in the State House.The ascension of Charles Duane “Charlie” Baker Jr. to the governor?s office stands as the top regional story of the year.Baker, a former Swampscott selectman as well as the CEO of Harvard Vanguard and Harvard Pilgrim Health, won election on Nov. 4 in a close election, narrowly defeating Martha Coakley, 48.5 percent to 46.6.The election avenged somewhat the 2010 campaign, in which Baker lost to incumbent Deval Patrick, who chose not to run for a third term in 2014.The rest of the Top 14 from ?14:John Tierney loses to Seth Moulton in 6th District primaryAfter narrowly squeaking by Wakefield Republican Richard Tisei in 2012, Tierney was seen as vulnerable in this election cycle, and that proved to be the correct assumption.Moulton, 36, of Marblehead, was a relative unknown when he announced his candidacy on July 8, 2013. The man who served four tours of duty in Iraq, earning the Bronze Star and the Navy Commendation medal, persevered for more than a year, with the payoff coming with a stunningly decisive victory (11 percent) over Tierney, who had served in Washington for 18 years.Once again, Tisei represented the Republicans in the November election, and, once again, Moulton?s victory was convincing (14 percent).Tornado touches down in RevereAt 9:32 a.m. on the morning of July 28, an EF1 tornado – which carries wind gusts from 86 to 110 mph – cut a swath through the center of Revere, causing millions of dollars in damage, including to the roof of the Cronin Skating Rink and Revere City Hall. It wended its way up Broadway before lifting off the ground at 9:36 ? a full four minutes of devastation. There was no warning. In fact, the first tornado warnings to hit the airwaves did not come until after the funnel cloud had touched down (it actually began in Chelsea before crossing over to Revere and gaining strength).From 1950 to 2013, there were 159 tornados of varying strength in Massachusetts. Few have caused the devastation of the July 28 Revere tornado. However, Mayor Daniel Rizzo expressed amazement that there were no fatalities during the storm.The demise of Suffolk DownsWhen the Mass. Gaming Commission decided in September to award the state?s lone casino in the Boston area to Wynn Resorts in Everett, rejecting a bid by Mohegan Sun to build a casino on the Revere side of Suffolk Downs, it seemed to spell the end for the venerable racetrack, which had teetered on the brink of closure several times (and went without live racing from 1989 through 1991).Suffolk Downs, which opened in 1935, made no secret that its future depended on the casino bid. On Oct. 3 it held its farewell live racing card, complete with reminiscences of past glory (including footage of famous horses Seabiscuit and Cigar; as well as the Beatles? 1966 concert).However, on Monday, the state senate passed a bill that would allow Suffolk to remain open for simulcasting only for two years. The bill must also be approved by the House of Representatives and signed by the governor.Political unrest in SaugusPolitical infighting in Saugus reached dizzying heights in 2014, when Town Manager Scott Crabtree was first suspended, and then fired, by the Board of Selectmen. That set a chain reaction in motion that included a recall petition, organized by Save Saugus PAC, that led to the successful gathering of nearly 5,000 certified signatures of voters seeking to oust selectmen chair Ellen Faiella, along with selectmen Paul Allan, Maureen Dever and Stephen Castinetti. Only Debra Panetta, who had opposed Crabtree?s ouster, has been spared.Faie