The headlines in Baton Rouge in 2014 were dominated by scandalous crimes and political controversies.

Well-known figures in the community dominated the news, ranging from a legendary politician seeking a comeback, to a longtime LSU official whose career crumbled. Sordid details emerged about the lives of a couple of Baton Rouge's best-known television figures.

But at the same time, there were broader developments for the community: Baton Rouge continued to establish its reputation nationwide, drawing people to town for major tourism events. And one of the city's best assets, in danger of fading away, is set for a rebirth.

Here are the top 10 news stories of 2014, as selected by NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune's Baton Rouge staff.

1. Scott Rogers' sordid past revealed

Scott Rogers seemed an unassuming man, cheerfully hosting community events and highlighting local nonprofits on his TV show, Around Town. But the 52-year-old local celebrity and minister was living a secret life seemingly beyond even what a Lifetime movie could dream up. And when his murder exposed those secrets, it shocked the Baton Rouge community and drew international attention.

In August, Rogers was shot and killed in St. Gabriel by his son-in law, Matthew Hodgkinson, who committed suicide. It soon emerged that Hodginkson was Rogers' long-time lover. And from there, Rogers' whole past came out into the open.

Rogers had moved away from England in the mid-90s, leaving behind a host of allegations that he had molested young boys. He started a new life in the U.S., ultimately ending up in Baton Rouge with his daughter, Hodginkson, and another man from England. While Rogers lived with the two men, who he had allegedly sexually abused as teenagers back in England, Hodgkinson was married to Rogers' daughter in an apparent sham union to prevent his deportation.

In the months before his death, Rogers' life was crumbling, and his secrets were about to be exposed. He was under federal investigation for falsifying immigration documents, and the authorities had just taken two children -- one who he had adopted, and one who he was trying to adopt -- from his home.

Officials said they found a suicide note from Hodginkson: "They broke our happy loving home," it read. "They do not get to take Scott too."

2. Metro Council votes down 'fairness ordinance'

The July Baton Rouge Metro Council meeting on the "fairness ordinance" has to go down as one of the most bizarre meetings in that body's history. From LSU basketball coaching great Dale Brown's rousing call for the council to vote its conscience, to a graphic description of AIDS transmission between two men, to Mayor Kip Holden's ponderings on how much of a sin it is to steal a banana, it was certainly memorable.

In the end, the council voted down the ordinance, proposed by C. Denise Marcelle, which would have outlawed discrimination against people on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity --as well as race, gender, religion and a host of other factors -- in employment, public accommodation and housing. But the debate highlighted the divide in Baton Rouge when it comes to issues of LGBT rights -- a topic we're sure to see more on in 2015.

3. The St. George movement pushes forward

The first half of 2014 was dominated by huge news about the effort to incorporate the city of St. George in East Baton Rouge Parish.

Residents packed the council chambers to protest or applaud the city's annexation of the Mall of Louisiana, keeping its tax revenue from the proposed new city. The issue became a key theme during the legislative session. And it received national media attention, including a PBS Frontline documentary that was must-see TV in Baton Rouge that night.

The one major thing that didn't happen in 2014 was an election. The momentum faded in the second half of the year, and the last signatures for the petition drive proved a bear to get. Now, the signatures are in the hands of the East Baton Rouge Parish Registrar of Voters, and the parish is waiting to see when and if an election will be called next year.

4. Miss USA puts Baton Rouge in the spotlight

It cost them hundreds of thousands of dollars in incentives and freebies, but local officials and business owners say the Miss USA Pageant provided invaluable marketing for Baton Rouge that will pay off for years to come.

Visit Baton Rouge and the state's Office of Tourism ponied up a collective $350,000 in cash, while the Baton Rouge River Center, which hosted the June 8 competition, waived an approximately $80,000 rental fee. In return, the Miss USA broadcast put a major spotlight on Baton Rouge, with extended segments showing the pageant competitors touring the city.

The pageant undoubtedly put Baton Rouge on the national stage and had a strong economic impact, bringing in $2.6 million in hotel occupancy alone during the official pageant weekend. But when it was all said and done, the U.S. Soccer Association Southern Regional Championships actually generated more revenues than the Miss USA Pageant and Bayou Country Superfest combined -- $6.7 million. Between the three events, though, there's no doubt it was a banner year for Baton Rouge tourism.

5. Edwin Edwards reignites political career

Edwin Edwards shocked those who didn't know better than to expect the unexpected from him when the former four-term Louisiana governor and ex-convict announced in March he would run as a Democrat in the Sixth Congressional District.

The highest name recognition in the voting booth at least propelled him into a runoff, where he came in first place with about 30 percent of the vote in the Nov. 4 primary. But his political party, regardless of his peppered past, likely prevented him from winning the conservatively drawn district, and first-time political candidate Republican Garret Graves won the seat.

6. Public employees make headlines for bad behavior

Whether it was police officers, teachers, administrators, or elected officials, public servants dominated the headlines in 2014 – particularly on the crime pages.

Among the stories: Two former mayors from Port Allen and Sorrento are battling cases in court, multiple police officers are accused of coercing a woman to have sex with one of them in a park, another police officer was fired for sending racist text messages, and the former president of the LSU alumni association president's inappropriate sexual relationship with an employee was exposed when she sued him.

Click here for more on those stories. And given that our taxpayer dollars fund most of these folks' salaries, let's hope we have less of this kind of news in 2015.

7. Ice storms shut the city down, twice

We may complain about our hot and sticky summers in Louisiana, but usually we can make it through the winter in relative comfort. Not so in 2014. Ice storms hit the region not once, but twice in late January, forcing officials to shut down the interstates, schools, and effectively, the entire city.

The storms were estimated to have cost the area about $40 million in lost gross regional product. But by and large, the cautious official response and decision to shut down roads met with kudos from residents, who said they were glad keeping people off the roads led to few car accidents.

8. Longtime leader of LSU Alumni Association resigns amid scandal

After 30 years as president and CEO of the LSU Alumni Association, Charlie Roberts' career spiraled down to an end fast when a lawsuit filed in August surfaced.

The suit, brought by a former LSUAA employee, accused the 78-year-old of, among other things: A) having an inappropriate sexual relationship with the plaintiff, a subordinate; B) getting the plaintiff a job because of their sexual relationship C) reneging on a promise to pay the plaintiff more than $3,000 a month for life if she resigned instead of him when board members found out about the affair; and D) having other sexual relationships with other female employees who received work-related compensation because of the relationship.

Roberts, though his lawyer, admitted to the relationship with the plaintiff, Kay Heath, but denied any agreement he made, as well as affairs with other women at the office. Even so, he resigned, internal and outside investigations and audits were launched and LSU announced it was creating a new position to oversee all alumni activities.

9. Baton Rouge reality show star booked on rape charges

Will Hayden, a star of the now-canceled reality TV, "Sons of Guns," and founder of the Baton Rouge-based Red Jacket Firearms, made headlines when he was accused of raping a young girl in August.

Soon after, Hayden was also accused of inappropriately touching his now adult daughter Stephanie Hayden-Ford when she was 12-years-old -- an event she tearfully described on the Dr. Phil talk show.

Red Jacket Firearms officially cut ties with Hayden after he was booked on multiple rape charges, the Discovery Channel got out of the "Sons of Guns" business and Hayden is now facing prison time. The first episode of his show aired on Jan. 26, 2011 and the final episode aired on May 16, 2014.

10. LSU Lakes in line for a makeover

One Baton Rouge resident described the LSU lakes – generally thought of as one of Baton Rouge's best assets -- as a "glorified ditch."

He was referring to the sickly health of the six-lake system, which will revert to its original state of swampland if nothing is done. But the Baton Rouge Foundation in March announced plans to fund plans to restore the lakes and improve the 275 acres surrounding them. The goal is to improve the health of the lakes, which is a favorite spot for recreation, and add amenities for the community to enjoy.

BRAF hired planners out of Houston and Lafayette for the project, and the meetings that started in late 2014 to gather public input will continue into the new year.

NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune reporters Quincy Hodges, Diana Samuels, Emily Lane and Renita Young contributed to this report.