The tornado that left the community of Northwood in ruins, killing one man and injuring 18, has been voted North Dakota's top news story of 2007 by print and broadcast members of The Associated Press.

Northwood, a town of about 950, was struck on the night of Aug. 26, by a storm packing winds of up to 170 mph. It was rated an F-4 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, one level below the worst possible tornado, the National Weather Service said.

The community about 30 miles southwest of Grand Forks lost its school, businesses and most of its homes were damaged. Help came from the National Guard, from Washington and from neighbors around North Dakota. As the new year approaches, residents are waiting for the snow to clear to start rebuilding.

"I think everyone's fairly optimistic. A few people have some hard feelings - when these government programs come along, some qualify and some don't," Mayor Rick Johnson said.

"2008's going to be strictly rebuilding, tree planting," the mayor said. "There's lists of things to do."

Northwood's 125th anniversary is in 2009, he said, and he hopes much of the rebuilding can be finished by then.

Some are still dazed, trying to say, 'Did this really happen here?' Johnson said.

"It has, and we'll just have to deal with it," he said.

The case of former Barnes County jailer Moe Gibbs was the ranked the second top news story of the year. Gibbs was convicted of killing Valley City State University student Mindy Morgenstern by jurors in his second murder trial, held in Bismarck, after the first trial in Minot ended in a jury deadlock. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole with more prison time for assaulting female jail inmates and for a 2004 rape in Fargo.

Ranked third on the top 10 list was the formal sentencing of Alfonso Rodriguez Jr., to death for the killing of University of North Dakota student Dru Sjodin. The sentence was handed down in February, affirming the death sentence voted by jurors after Rodriguez's trial in late 2006.

UND's settlement with the NCAA over its Fighting Sioux nickname was voted the fourth top story of the year. Under the settlement, UND must get the support of the state's Sioux tribes in three years to keep the nickname and logo without penalties.

Tied for fifth place were a flight that proved costly for the Minot Air Force Base, and turmoil at the state workers compensation agency.

The Minot base commander was replaced, and about 65 airmen were barred from handling nuclear weapons after a B-52 bomber mistakenly flew .six nuclear-tipped cruise missiles from the Minot Air Force Base to Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana in August.

The director of the state's Workforce Safety and Insurance Agency, Sandy Blunt, was fired in December after employee turmoil. Felony charges against him had been dropped.

Rounding out the top 10 news stories of the year:

7. - President Bush's nomination of former North Dakota Gov. Ed Schafer as his new agriculture secretary.

8. - Legislators' approval of a property tax measure that would returns about $115 million to North Dakotans over two years.

9. - The case of teenager Sergei Carlson, accused of killing his 16-year-old sister in Fargo and having sexual contact with her.

10. - The death of two soldiers in Iraq. Army Staff Sgt. David Kuehl of Wahpeton, was serving his third tour of duty overseas. Army Reserve Maj. Alan Johnson of Yakima, Wash., joined the National Guard in North Dakota and grew up in Montpelier.