Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nev., left, and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., center, listen as Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin of Ill. speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 24, 2009, after the Senate passed the health care reform bill. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) Just because it was a holiday doesn’t mean there hasn’t been news going on. Here’s a few samples of what you might have missed while eating, opening presents, and soaking in some holiday cheer. The U.S. Senate passed President Obama’s Health Care Reform bill , setting the stage for an eventful January when the House and Senate will try to hammer out a bill that suits both houses. The South Side Irish Parade will be reborn in 2010 as a 10-day fest encompassing several different events, including a film festival. There’s a sexting scandal in a Plainfield high school. Another deep freeze for the city’s parking meter payboxes. Two teens were injured in a shooting incident on board a CTA bus. A local carpenter and police officer each showed some amazing holiday goodwill. The Associated Press named its top 10 Illinois stories of the ’00s.

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