Bellevue Patch Year in Review: The Biggest Stories of 2011

The disappearance of Sky Metalwala

Sky Metalwala, 2, is still missing, nearly two months after his mother, Julia Biryukova told . , Biryukova of Redmond and Solomon Metwalwala of Kirkland. Since the reported disappearance, Biryukova has refused to talk directly to the Bellevue Police Department, her car was found to be in working order and. Police have not named anyone a "person of interest" and the investigation continues.

More coverage of the Sky Metalwala case.

State Route 520 gets Tolled

, , nearly 30 years after the last toll was collected for that bridge. The state embarked on a plan to collect all the tolls electronically, either through a transponder installed in each vehicle or via a photo identification system, which would either debit a motorist's account or send a bill. The legislature approved the toll early in the spring, but , about . While the first few days of the toll have gone smoothly, , when commuters return from vacations, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.

More about the 520 Bridge

Sound Transit picks an East Link Route

After years of discussion, and objections from some city council members and neighbors of Bellevue Way Southeast, . Though , other neighbors and city residents also organized in support of the route ultimately approved by Sound Transit. The route which brings light rail from Interstate 90 to Bellevue Way Southeast, 112th Avenue Southeast and to the Bellevue Transit Center in the city's downtown. The city council, which had been divided on the route, .

More coverage of Sound Transit's East Link light rail route.

Medina Fires Its Police Chief

When the neighboring city of Medina announced the departure of its police chief Jeffery Chen last December, that didn't give a hint of the turmoil that surrounded what ultimately resulted in Chen's firing. , the majority of the city council backed city manager Donna Hanson's decision to fire him based on what she called violations of the code of conduct, including lying during two city investigations, abusing his position in voiding some tickets, making improper purchases and improperly accessing the city’s email archives. Chen denied the reports, and residents defended Chen's honor,

Editor's note: A timeline of stories on this topic are , which started before Bellevue Patch's topic system began.

Bellevue High School Wolverines Football Are State Champions

The Wolverines have made their mark on local and national prep sports scene, including winning its . The Wolverines' highlights this year included in southern California, and a .

The inspiration of 9-year-old Rachel Beckwith

Rachel Beckwith of Issaquah suffered , which she had dedicated to raising money that would help bring water to underdeveloped countries in Africa. . The inspiring , the nonprofit that collects donations to bring fresh drinking water to developing communities.

Read more about Rachel Beckwith's story here.