Year in Review: Hanford government -- a year of controversy and change

The corn ethanol controversy hit home in Hanford in 2008. A distilling plant proposed by Great Valley Ethanol -- a $115 million project pushed by the boom -- was proposed in south Hanford. Despite concerns over its impact on air quality and water supply, it was approved, prompting a lawsuit. In February, prosecutors criminally charged a former director of the city-funded visitor agency for embezzlement. The prosecution came a year after a major financial shortfall and budget irregularities within the tax-funded organization came to light.