Our top story this week marked what will likely prove to be a pivotal moment in 2017: City lawmakers voted unanimously to tear down four controversial statues honoring the Confederate legacy in Baltimore.

Following last weekendโ€™s violent, hate-motivated unrest that began with protests about a Confederate statue in Charlottesville, Va., cities around the country moved to eject their controversial monuments with lightning speed. While Baltimore didnโ€™t beat out the citizens of Durham, N.C., lawmakers here nonetheless acted quickly. Over the weekend, Councilman Brandon Scott drafted a resolution that called for the city to โ€œdestroyโ€ the statues. On Monday night, right after he modified the proposal by subbing out โ€œdeconstructโ€ for โ€œdestroy,โ€ he and his colleagues all voted in favor.

The following night, Mayor Catherine Pugh ordered all of them to be torn and carted off, and the rest wasโ€ฆactually, that history is still playing out.

Here were the other most popular stories from Baltimore Fishbowl this week:

Ethan McLeod โ€“ โ€œSomeone Toppled the โ€˜Madre Luzโ€™ Sculpture that Briefly Replaced Baltimoreโ€™s Lee-Jackson Monumentโ€ โ€“ Thursday, Aug. 17

Rachel Monroe โ€“ โ€œThe Ku Klux Klan Is Apparently Still Alive and Well in Marylandโ€ โ€“ April 8, 2016

Ethan McLeod โ€“ โ€œConfederate Monument in Bolton Hill Defaced with Lots of Red Paintโ€ โ€“ Monday, Aug. 14

Kit Pollard โ€“ โ€œHot Plate: Blue Moon Cafe Turns 21, Peach Festival at Weberโ€™s, Cocktail Dinner at Ouzo Bayโ€ โ€“ Friday, Aug. 11

Ethan McLeod โ€“ โ€œHow Many Hate Groups Have Put Down Roots in Maryland?โ€ โ€“ Monday, Aug. 14

Ethan McLeod โ€“ โ€œCity Removes its Four Confederate Monuments Overnightโ€ โ€“ Wednesday, Aug. 16

Ethan McLeod โ€“ โ€œLocal Eateries Band Together for Cityโ€™s First-Ever Vegan Restaurant Weekโ€ โ€“ Thursday, Aug. 17

Ethan McLeod โ€“ โ€œHundreds Gather at Wyman Park Dell to Protest White Supremacism Following Charlottesville Violenceโ€ โ€“ Monday, Aug. 14

Ethan McLeod โ€“ โ€œThis Family is Selling its 55-Acre, Goat-Filled Island in the Bay for $1.5Mโ€ โ€“ Monday, Aug. 7

Ethan McLeod is a freelance reporter in Baltimore. He previously worked as an editor for the Baltimore Business Journal and Baltimore Fishbowl. His work has appeared in Bloomberg CityLab, Next City and...