The Emporia Gazette

May 28, 2012

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During the final weeks of the year, staff in newsrooms around the globe are delving into the morgues and archives to track down the top stories of the year.

In years past, the process went something like this — one reporter would look through back issues and compile 15 to 20 stories that he thought were noteworthy. (I say “he” because for years, Reporter Scott Rochat took on this duty.) Once the list is compiled, it’s passed to the rest of the newsroom staff for voting.

This year, however, we decided to quantify our findings. Rather than having the list dictated by what we in the business consider important, we turned to our website, emporiagazette.com and looked for what was most important to our online readers.

We have compiled the top 10 stories of 2010 based on the number of times the online story was clicked on. Remember, though, that each click does not represent an individual reader. Obviously, online stories that generated lengthy comment threads also generated lots of clicks because each time someone went to comment counts as a click.

So, here are the emporiagazette.com top stories of 2010:

10. Hartford counselor dies in wreck

Don Roberts was known in Lyon, Chase, Coffey and Osage counties thanks to his education career. And he was known even further afield thanks for his musical talent. When he died suddenly in a one-vehicle accident on March 10, the news sent shock waves through the area.

The news broke first on The Gazette’s website before the March 11 edition hit the stands. It generated 3,977 page views.

9. Love the Way You Lie

In an editorial published Aug. 12, Reporter Brandy Nance took issue with a music video by Eminem and Rihanna that portrayed domestic violence. Although realistic, Nance said she preferred the video would go farther and show the hope of recovery.

Nance’s opinion generated a lengthy thread and logged 4,330 page views.

8. One-year-old dies in car accident

Young Kolten Erwin was strapped into a car seat in his mother’s van when she turned left across U.S. Highway 50. At the same time, a semi driver headed toward the Erwin vehicle pulled onto the right shoulder to pass a second semi stopped to make its own left turn. The passing semi collided with the van.

Comments and condolences continued for three days, generating 4,340 clicks.

7. Hartford wants to add Olpe

School finance and tightened budgets were hot topics during the 2009-10 school year. In the Southern Lyon County school district, the debate about how to cut costs resulted in a series of town hall meetings in both Olpe and Hartford. In the SLC district, Olpe has a K-12 campus. Neosho Rapids has an elementary school. The building in Hartford houses the Neosho Rapids Junior High and Hartford High School.

This story about the town hall meeting in Hartford, published March 4, drew 5,076 page views. In the end, at its April 14 meeting, the SLC school board voted unanimously to keep all buildings open and cut costs by adjusting the school calendar to fewer — but longer — days in session. The board also instituted fees for participating in athletic activities and cheerleading.

6. Childhood Obesity in America

This column written by Emporia pediatrician Dr. Derek J. Brown was part of the weekly Shape Up, Emporia! feature on the Health and Fitness page. The column was timely because concern about childhood obesity helped shape some public policy in 2010.

First Lady Michelle Obama tackled the issue; school nutrition guidelines were changed, requiring healthier fare in school vending machines and some legislators attempted to add additional tax to high-sugar beverages.

In Emporia, the topic generated 5,327 page views.

5. Foul play not suspected

Emporia businessman Tony Belt was found dead in his downtown business on May 10. The online story, although brief, generated 6,993 page views, likely because the story continued to be updated throughout the day.

4. Boating accident at John Redmond

The branches of the Jenkins and Yeager family trees spread far, so many were glued to the story of the discovery of a capsized boat from which Jason Jenkins, his son Jeremy Jenkins and his brother-in-law Clint Yeager had been hunting waterfowl.

The bodies of the elder Jenkins and Yeager were found quickly. Jeremy Jenkins has not yet been found. Continuing coverage from Dec. 5 through 7 drew 15,179 page views in three stories.

3. Heights mourns deaths

A sophomore, junior and senior at Northern Heights High School died in a two-car accident after school on Sept. 8. Three days worth of stories, that included friends’ memories of Lenny Brown, Kasi Hart and Joanna Posey, generated 21,097 clicks.

2. One girl dies after mud-a-thon accident

A teenage girl from Shawnee died July 31 while watching the mud-a-thon at the Lyon County Fair. Hannah Deaver was sitting with friends in a pickup bed watching the action when a vehicle in the competition came out of the mud pit and drove over the pickup truck.

A series of three stories about the accident and its aftermath generated 22,231 page views.

1. Baby abandoned in Dumpster

Another story that kept changing as the day went on, the account of a baby boy found abandoned in a trash receptacle at an Emporia apartment complex generated 22,325 page views in four stories. First came news that the baby was found, then information that the baby was in good condition at Newman Regional Health. Finally, word came that authorities believed they had found the baby’s mother.

Christina Devine was later charged with attempted murder. Her case will wind through the court system in 2011.