All week, Eight Forty-Eight presented special encore editions of the show--on Friday, producer Eilee Heikenen-Weiss closed out the week with a final Year in Review. Before gearing up for 2012, Eight Forty-Eight wanted to say goodbye to 2011.

It was a busy year around Chicago—residents got a new mayor, a new City Council and plenty of severe weather. The year was marked by labor issues and continued budget challenges--and lots more for the history books, too!

A panel of esteemed journalists joined Eight Forty-Eight's Alison Cuddy to weigh in on the highs and lows of the year: WBBM Newsradio reporter and co-host of the Noon Business Hour Kris Kridel, Chicago Reader senior writer Mick Dumke and Chicago Sun-Times columnist Mary Mitchell, who started off by sharing her choice for the significant story of the year.