Elmwood Township's Don Barrows, Noel Flohe, and John Stanek are listed among the region's champion bad actors in the Record-Eagle's annual roundup of the news. The three were convicted in November of smearing Elmwood Township Supervisor Deri Smith in an anonymous mailing.

The Record-Eagle opinion piece includes a roster of those who made our region worse, not better. Others include disgraced former township officials Jan Gee and Joe Bartko of East Bay, as well as State Senator Jason Allen.