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As part of a special encore presentation of Eight Forty-Eight, producer Katie O'Brien revisited the milestones that marked 2011. Local sports teams and franchise players often become part of a city’s identity.

Turnout for Tuesday's runoff election was low. But there were some exciting stories among the outcomes. Four incumbent aldermen appear to have lost. Those seats represent just a portion the turnover in the council. That means a lot of fresh faces at City Hall, assuming the election results hold.

Some real gems sprang from the mind of Dan Sinker as he took on the persona of @Mayor Emanuel. Debate prep: "If we end up in a dance-off, those other bleepers are bleeping done. Black Swan, bitches!" Speech preview: "So Chicago, let's stop screwing around.

Updated at 10:20 p.m.  It appears that state Rep. Susana Mendoza will replace mayoral candidate Miguel del Valle as the next city clerk of Chicago.

The Associated Press has declared the following candidates winners of uncontested races:City Treasurer - Chicago: Stephanie Neely (i) Alderman - Ward 13: Marty QuinnAlderman - Ward 14: Edward Burke (i)Alderman - Ward 31: Ray Suarez (i)Alderman - Ward 33: Richard Mell (i)Alderman - Ward 40: Patr

It's just eight days until the Feb. 22 municipal election. And if you want to vote early, there's only three more days to fill out a ballot. Last week Eight Forty- kicked off its one-on-one interviews with the candidates for mayor.

Bad weather on an election day can also have a bad effect on politics by keeping voters away from the polls. In theory, early voting, which in the race for Chicago mayor got underway earlier this week, can encourage turnout.