'13 was lucky for most of the Auburn community and most of the news was good for our top stories in Auburn this year.

Top Ten Stories for 2013   1. Team of Destiny   2. Vanishing Auburn   3. Read Our Lips!   4. Police Squad   5. Corner Bare   6. Evans Battles   7. Dufnering   8. No.1 with a Bullet   9. AHS, Baby! 10. Cam Back Again

1. When 80,000 showed up for the Auburn Football Spring game after a 3-9 2012 campaign, it was a hint what was to come. Through the rains of Baton Rouge to The Miracle at Jordan-Hare and Kick Six, the unlikely path of the Auburn Tigers to the top of college football is Access Auburn's top story for 2013.

2. Now you see it, now you don't. Entire blocks of houses and established small businesses in the downtown area gave way to new construction. Auburn landmark motel the Heart of Auburn fell to make way for a drugstore, as well as blocks of South Gay, North Gay, Ross and East Glenn.

3. When the city council asked the voters to approve a plan for a new high school linked to an increase in property taxes, the measure was soundly defeated.

4. The Auburn Public Safety Division had to cope with allegations of ticket and arrest quotas on the heels of the loss of police chief Tommy Dawson to illness-forced retirement.

5. The dead oak trees at Toomer's Corner fell to the chain saw as a result of the poisoning by a malicious self-professed Alabama fan, but not before tens of thousands paid their respects with one last roll of the venerable trees.

6. Auburn Golf Coach Kim Evans' public battle with ovarian cancer provided inspiration and hope to the Auburn family.

7. Auburn celebrated with hometown favorite Jason Dufner who won the 2013 Professional Golf Association Championship.

8. With recognition for being being among the top cites for families and businesses, Auburn continued area improvements including increasing downtown parking by 17% and the opening of the impressive Auburn University Wellness Center on the AU campus.

9. The Auburn High School Football Tigers made history in 2013 by advancing to the Alabama High School Championship game for the first time in school history.

10. When Spring Semester started at Auburn University in 2013 the Twittersphere lit up because of Cam Newton sightings all over campus. The part-time student, part-time NFL quarterback attended classes at Auburn last Spring and is expecting to graduate this Spring. Those plans may be on hold as Newton has guided his Carolina Panthers to the NFC South title and a berth in the NFL Playoffs.