Here are several other significant events this year that affected Butler County residents.

Whether you find wintery weather frightful or delightful, Butler County got its share in the winter of 2013-2014.The statistics speak for themselves: By March, the county had endured 52 inches of snow and 17 days with temperatures below zero, more than three times the average.Bitter temperatures bottomed out at minus 13 Jan. 28 and 29. A few weeks earlier, on Jan. 8, the high for the day was 5 degrees, making it the lowest high in two decades.Residents shoveled and scraped their way through multiple snowstorms, as well as ice, sleet, freezing rain and even thunder and lightning in February.The weather led to numerous school closings and delays. And ice jams on the Allegheny River near East Brady caused the river to overflow and flood some communities.While many complained as the winter wore on, other county residents took delight in the opportunity to play in the snow, build snowmen and play outdoor ice hockey on a frozen Lake Arthur.And just the right types of snow, wind and terrain brought a winter anomaly — snow rollers — to the county in January. The somewhat rare creations are naturally formed snow balls, hollowed like doughnuts, and reported in sizes ranging from 10 inches to 2 feet around the county.

Butler County government started 2014 by receiving bids to construct a new office building on South Washington Street.The bids totaled less than $12 million. Vendrick Construction of Brookfield, Ohio, was hired to be the general contractor for the project, which includes installing new roofs to the courthouse and government center and replacing air conditioning units at the government center.Construction of the four-level building, which will house county human services, began in early June.Project completion is set for August 2015.

Funding for the new county office building project came from the sale of the Sunnyview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center to the Lakewood, N.J., company Investment 360.The county commissioners in January approved the sale for $20.4 million.Investment 360 took over the nursing home's operations in May.

A powerful storm with 85-mph winds knocked down nine utility poles along Route 228 on June 24, closing the busiest road in the county for more than three days.The road in Cranberry Township remained closed from its intersection with Route 19 to Cranberry Woods Drive, a stretch about a quarter of a mile long.That includes the ramps for Interstate 79, meaning the closure had a profound effect on commuters.A team of township officials, public safety officials, Penn Power officials and PennDOT officials worked to reopen the road.Crews worked around the clock to clean up the downed utility lines, erect new poles and restore power. The road finally reopened June 27 just before midnight.

Mayor Tom Donaldson took office Jan. 6 replacing Maggie Stock, who had held that position for eight years.Shortly after taking office, Donaldson named Ron Brown the new chief of police. Brown replaced former chief Ron Fierst, who was made a captain.Bill May on Jan. 22 was appointed by council to fill a council seat made vacant by the resignation of councilman Lisa Guard. May was selected over nearly a dozen other applicants.More than two years of arbitration between the city and its fire department resulted in a new contract in August. That deal was retroactive to Jan. 1, 2012.The city was able to negotiate new agreements with its firefighters, police officers and nonuniform workers by December.The new three-year deals gave each of the unions 2.5, 2.75 and 3 percent annual raises.The city included a 1.25 mill tax hike in its 2015 budget, making the first raise in taxes in five years.The city's debt service tax was increased to 7.5 mills, up from 6.25 mills to help fund street paving projects.

The Cranberry Township Community Chest unveiled its 2015 Project of the Year in July and immediately started fundraising for the $500,000 initiative.The project is an effort to recruit and retain more volunteer firefighters in the county. The Community Chest has raised about $350,000.At least $130,000 of that money will go to an emergency trailer for training, educational and recruitment purposes.The rest will go to establishing at least 20 scholarships at the Butler County Community College. Anyone who pledges two years of service to a volunteer fire department will be eligible for a scholarship.The Community Chest will continue its fundraising through the new year. To make a donation, visit the organization's website at <a href="http://www.ctcchest.org" target="_blank">www.ctcchest.org</a>.