Helicopter Crash at JBLM Is University Place Patch's Most-Read Story of 2011

The death of four Joint Base Lewis-McChord soldiers this month topped the list of University Place Patch’s most-viewed stories of 2011.

The crash – which involved soldiers from the 16th Combat Aviation Brigade, University Place’s “Community Connector” – garnered the most views of any article.

The list features other stories of note, as well as articles that gained plenty of traffic because they were shared or linked with other sites. Our synopsis? It was a year that showed how much readers are interested in crime and breaking news, and UP Patch is going to be there to bring you every minute of it.

Here are the top ten stories of University Place Patch’s most viewed stories:

1)

The news rocked the South Sound as four soldiers with the 16th CAB went down during an early morning, foggy training exercise near the rural Thurston County community of Rainier. The story gained national notoriety, as well as further coverage from Patch and other media outlets.

2)

We know that a book signing at the University Place library, a family walk at Adriana Hess Park and breakfast/bowling at Narrows Plaza Bowl sound like the stuff of viral legend, but I'll chalk this story up to being heavily linked or shared.

3) JBLM Soldier Dies On Rollover Accident During Stryker Training Exercise

A soldier assigned to JBLM was killed, and four other personnel from the local installation were injured in November when the Stryker vehicle the soldiers were traveling in rolled over during a training exercise at the National Training Center, at Fort Irwin, CA.

4) Amber Alert Woman Stabbed in UP, Child Kidnapped

Details of this story seemed to break by the hour after Joseph Lester allegedly stabbed his girlfriend and kidnapped their daughter. Hours after the stabbing and ensuing Amber Alert, as well as heightened media coverage, Lester surrendered himself to authorities at a Puyallup hospital, baby safe in hand. The Pierce County Sheriff's Office put out the following message on Twitter: “Suspect In custody baby recovered more to follow.”

5) Bin Laden Dead; What Does It Mean To Us?

The Internet lit up with news, information and engagmenet regarding the death of the man behind the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Given our ties with JBLM, I offered a column that was active in the Twittersphere.

6) Dockery Plans To Join The Pirate's Ship This Spring

Word of Rahmel Dockery - the explosive Curtis grad who committed to WSU earlier in the year - seemed to fade as the season progressed. And for good reason. Dockery was back in University Place working to get his grades up. He did, as Patch's Jennifer Chancellor first reported, and told us that he plans to play for the Cougars' recently hired coach, Mike Leach, next year.

7) The List: Last Minute Mother's Day Gifts

Kim Thompson writes plenty for UP Patch. But the numbers say that her most widely read contribution involved a Mother's Day edition of her weekly help article. How much you wanna bet that many of those viewers were sons, husbands and other men who needed help making one of the most special women in their lives happy? Just a guess.

8) Helicopter Will Take Radiological Readings Throughout Puget Sound

In the wake of the Japan earthquake and tsunami this year, officials dispatched a low-flying helicopter to measure radiation levels throughout the region.  The project had been in the works since 2009. It's funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

9) BREAKING NEWS: Captain Nemos Closes Its Doors

This news came as a shock to many in the community as Captain Nemos, a restaurant with three decades in UP, abruptly closed for business. It wasn't long, however, before another restaurant, Massimo's, owned by couple with deep ties to UP, opened months later in the same Bridgeport Way West location.

10) ELECTION: Initial Results

Elections are always a hot topic in University Place, and this year was no different. Three spots on the City Council were up for grabs, as voters elected a pair of new candidates and one who was appointed to the position.