“Maryland Tough. Baltimore Strong.”

You know that when that’s your catchphrase, it’s been a challenging year. And so it was in a 2024 that was headlined by the March 26 collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge after it was struck by the container ship Dali in the early morning hours causing six members of a highway maintenance crew to plunge to their deaths in the chilly waters of the Patapsco River. It was a horrifying event with broad and costly ramifications for shipping at the Port of Baltimore and commuting in the Baltimore area. Yet by year’s end, Congress agreed to fund a $2 billion replacement span — with pre-construction activities, including soil sampling and surveying, expected to start in a week.

That was an extraordinary turnaround by any standard — and shoutout to Maryland’s delegation to Congress and Gov. Wes Moore for helping make it happen. Given the many challenges that lie ahead for this city and state, it was also instructive. And so, we would humbly submit, the big events of 2024 continue to echo. Whether we learn from our successes (and mistakes) will surely define our 2025. Our picks for the other Top 5 news events of the past year — and what they mean for the 12 months ahead.

Baltimore’s homicide numbers fall (again). With the city’s homicide count down in 2024 for the second consecutive year, it’s reasonable to suggest that Mayor Brandon Scott’s violence reduction strategy focusing not just on catching criminals but preventing those shootings from happening in the first place has merit. More progress needs to be made but it’s clear that the city police department’s community outreach efforts are paying off and we need to see more of them.

Alleged CEO killer has deep roots in the Baltimore area. While the caught-on-camera murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in New York City on Dec. 4 was shocking all by itself, for Marylanders there was the added jolt of discovering the prime suspect was Gilman School’s 2016 valedictorian, Luigi Mangione who grew up in the Towson area. The grisly ambush has triggered a renewed conversation about the failures of the health care system — but also poses questions about the adequacy and availability of mental health care.

Maryland chooses Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks to succeed Ben Cardin in the U.S. Senate. While 2024 may well be remembered outside this state for the return of Donald Trump, voters inside the state picked a 53-year-old former prosecutor who will soon be the first African American to represent the state in the upper chamber over still-popular former Gov. Larry Hogan, the GOP nominee.

Baltimore decides it’s time for a new direction at the Inner Harbor. One of the most talked about and hotly debated choices on Baltimore’s November ballot didn’t involve elected office but redevelopment. By a hefty 60-40% margin, city voters endorsed Question F which will allow MCB Real Estate to go forward with its $900 million plan which includes tearing down the Harborplace pavilions, building two high-rise towers, expanding the waterfront park and adding an amphitheater. The lesson here: While many have fond memories of James Rouse and the magic he helped make possible, times have changed and strategies must as well.

Indeed, that may be the biggest lesson of all: Nothing lasts forever. We must sometimes rethink our strategies for dealing with crime in Baltimore or plenty of other local, state and national issues ahead. Progress is not linear and, with each passing day, we must stop and think critically of our strategies to combat those issues.

Finally, one last piece of advice for 2025: Compassion works, too. Whether we honor the workers who died in the Key Bridge collapse or seek to steer our young people on a better path (whether they come from the upper class or just dropped out of high school classes), the better we demonstrate that we are not just strong and tough but maybe a little bit caring, too.

Baltimore Sun editorial writers offer opinions and analysis on news and issues relevant to readers. They operate separately from the newsroom.