The first decade of the 21st Century ended in 2009. 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 seventh in this series and focuses on 2006.———Butler County was caught up in Steelers fever at the start of 2006.The Pittsburgh Steelers were in the NFL playoffs and ended up winning the team's fifth Super Bowl trophy.Played in Detroit, the Steelers defeated the Seattle Seahawks for "one for the thumb."———Job growth and business activity went through several fluctuations in 2006. Some was good and some was bad.On the positive side was the addition of more than 500 jobs from the construction of a packaging facility for medical device manufacturer MEDRAD in the Victory Road Business Park in Clinton Township.However, United Steelworkers Local 889 at Penreco in Karns City went on strike for a number of weeks, ending with a three-year contract for the plant's 130 union workers.Teachers for the Allegheny-Clarion School District also went on strike. They reached a new contract in August.Napco, a window and door manufacturer, closed its Route 356 facility in Buffalo Township putting 75 people out of work. The Shop 'n Save grocery store closed in the Pullman Business Park in November, laying off another 70 workers.———Development was brought to a halt in the Butler Area Sewer Authority service area because of the authority's failure to meet a state Department of Environmental Protection deadline in regards to ending sewage line overflows.The loss of sewage permits meant nothing could be built in BASA's coverage area for a number of months.DEP and BASA eventually put together a new consent agreement that calls for all work to be done by 2012.———Butler Health System announced in December it would build a seven-story surgical tower on Butler Memorial Hospital's East Brady Street campus.The $152 million building project features a 150,000-square-foot tower that stretches from the eastern side of the hospital to the road that takes visitors to the eastern parking lot near the helicopter landing pad and down to the front curb of the current hospital.The tower will feature new operating rooms and private patient rooms and is scheduled to be open by July.———The state Department of Transportation continued its work on the Gen. Richard Butler Bridge that replaced the former Main Street Viaduct, and on a replacement bridge in East Brady, Clarion County.———Two fires stood out in 2006.One that was deliberately set was the fire of the wooden train trestle near Chicora in May, which disrupted train service for Penreco, Indspec and Sonneborn.In November, 137 people lost their homes when an apartment building at Concordia Lutheran Homes in Cabot burned to the ground.A rebuilt Haven I opened for residents in July 2008.———The Butler Area Merchants Association Auction, which benefitted nonprofit agencies, was held for the 25th and last time.———Longtime state Rep. Frank LaGrotta lost his seat to Jaret Gibbons in the primary. LaGrotta lost the Democrat nomination after serving 10 terms in the state Legislature.Gibbons was 26 at the time of his election in November.