The first decade of the 21st Century ends this year. Because of that, the Eagle is publishing a look back at major events that occurred in the past 10 years. Each year will run in one day's edition. This is the fourth in this series and focuses on 2003. ——Butler County residents watched with the rest of the world as a coalition of international forces toppled Baghdad, putting an end to the regime of Saddam Hussein.Eight months later, they watched the capture of Saddam, found hiding in a small, underground hole at a house outside of his hometown of Tikrit.Jack Tomko of Evans City lost his son, Sgt. Nicholas Tomko, during combat Nov. 9 when his son's convoy was attacked near Baghdad. The fallen soldier left behind a fiance and a son.——Butler County, like the rest of the nation, hit hard economic times.In February, the county hit its highest unemployment rate in almost 10 years, reaching 7.3 percent. It fell to 4.7 percent in October.The county jobless rate went up to 8 percent this fall.Tyco's closure in Harmony and in East Butler cost the county 260 jobs, while the loss of Napco's East Butler facility equaled another 100 jobs lost. Castle Rubber, also in East Butler, lost 100 jobs.AK Steel idled Plant 2, one of its stainless steel lines, and in October announced a company layoff of more than 400 management jobs, with 100 of those coming from the Butler Works. AK blamed the bad economy and the ailing steel industry for the layoffs.There was some good news including an announcement that the Commodore Corp., a modular home manufacturer, started building a plant in the Allegheny-Clarion Industrial Park off Route 38 in Allegheny Township.Gov. Ed Rendell visited the county in May for the ground breaking of the Aldi Warehouse in the Victory Road Business Park, which would add 100 jobs.——A devastating fire destroyed the landmark Morgan Management Building on June 27 that spawned a plume of smoke that could be seen for miles. Damage from the fire at the 85-year-old Brugh Avenue building and 29 offices inside was estimated at $30 million.The damage was so severe that a cause was never determined. The fire was not considered suspicious.That site is now a parking lot.——Butler Memorial Hospital announced it was looking to move out of the city, starting a three year fight between the hospital and the community.Hospital officials said they were considering buying land in Butler Township, but the city began a campaign to keep the hospital at its current location.After Joseph Stewart, former Butler Health System president, retired in November 2006, current president and CEO Ken DeFurio announced a construction and renovation project, including a seven-story surgical tower on the hospital's East Brady Street campus.That project is expected to be completed by July.——A fatal collision occurred July 7 at the intersection of Branchton Road and Route 8 in Slippery Rock Township.A family of five died after their car burst into flames when a truck driver crashed into their vehicle. Kenneth Kerr Jr. and his wife, Janet, both 35 of Smithfield, N.C., and their three children died in the crash.The truck driver, Ejub Grcic, 55, of West Valley, Utah, was charged with five counts of vehicular homicide.In 2005, Grcic was sentenced to serve 15 to 30 months in state prison, followed by 90 months probation.Butler County Judge George Hancher said the punishment reflected an equal 3 to 6 months of incarceration for each member of the Kerr family killed.——After two years of planning, a groundbreaking ceremony was held April 2 for the Maridon Museum at 322 N. McKean St.Mary Hulton Phillips, a Butler philanthropist, funded the renovation of the former Hite Electric Building.The museum, which continues today, displays jade, ivory and Meissen porcelain figures.——On Aug. 17, hundreds of people braved thunderstorms at Butler Memorial Park to celebrate the city's bicentennial.Two-hundred years earlier on March 12, 1800, the state Legislature approved an act creating Butler and other counties and required the county seat be within four miles of the center of each.——A severe windstorm Oct. 14 blasted Cranberry Township and other parts of Butler County.In Cranberry the storm injured six people and damaged 68 homes and more than a dozen businesses, some of which remained closed for repairs days afterward.The microburst had winds exceeding 100 mph.——Buffalo Township and proponents of the Butler Freeport Community Trail saw a series of legal victories and an end to a nine-year legal battle over land issues regarding the trail.The trail, which runs along an abandoned railroad bed, will go between Freeport and Butler.Volunteers expect to complete the final few miles of the trail in 2010.——On July 9, Scott and Marian Calligan of Cranberry Township bought a $5 Powerball lottery ticket and ended up winning $73.6 million in a single payment, splitting the prize with another winner.