Top hits on SunJournal.com in 2009
It’s that time of year again — we’ve compiled a list of the top 10 most-visited stories on SunJournal.com of the year. Some are funny, some are sad, some are historic, and some are just plain weird.
10. Almanac editor apologizes for wet summer; more to come
We had a historically wet summer — and the Farmers’ Alamanac’s prediction was pretty accurate. Thundershowers, wind, rain and record-low temperatures for three straight months. The Farmers’ Almanac is based in Lewiston and predicts the forecast 16 months in advance. Fortunately, Peter Geiger, the Alamanc’s editor, promises that summer 2010 won’t be like summer 2009.
“I’m not positive wood is the answer, but gasoline sure isn’t,” Ford Reiche wrote on his blog, blog.safehandling.com.
The truck could travel 5,000 miles on a cord of wood.
8. Man falls 30 feet into Screw Auger Falls gorge, suffers serious injuries
In mid-July, a man sightseeing at Screw Auger Falls in Grafton Township suffered serious injuries after he fell 30 feet off a cliff into a lower gorge pool.
As the state prepares for wind power, some doctors caution that more research needs to be done on the health implications for wind turbines.
Concerned about the health effects of commercial windmills on an unsuspecting populace, Dr. Albert Aniel, an internist at Rumford Community Hospital, wrote a letter to the state asking for at least a yearlong moratorium on new wind turbines in Maine, and he’s gotten medical staff at the hospital to sign on.
“We didn’t know about asbestos, we didn’t know about tobacco or coal mines,” said Aniel. He says knowing about those future health issues decades ago would have prevented suffering.
The state’s chief medical officer expressed doubts about turbine-related health effects. When it comes to potential hazards, “If anything, there’s evidence to put a moratorium on fossil fuels not on wind turbines,” Dr. Dora Ann Mills said.
5. History burning: Fire consumes Cowan Mill
here.
4. Turkey knocks Hartford motorcycle rider off bike
A Sunday afternoon motorcycle ride to shake off winter’s cabin fever took a serious turn for a Hartford rider after he was knocked off his bike by a wild turkey in Buckfield. Ouch!
3. Capes and cake: Tony and Sarah’s big superhero wedding.
He gave her a green diamond ring. Then he got planning.
The couple won each other’s hearts and the hearts of SunJournal.com readers with their super-hero summer wedding.
2. Woman convicted of animal cruelty uses stun gun on trooper
Police say a 65-year-old New Sharon woman assaulted a state trooper with a 975,000-volt stun gun during an investigation into possible animal hoarding at her house on Lane Road.
The story had cops, tasers and cute animals — a recipe for high karma on certain news aggregation sites.
1. National Guard drill at high school to prepare for possible H1N1 riot
Our No. 1 article of the year, which was linked on The Drudge Report, reported that officials were concerned there would be a rush to get H1N1 vaccinations and established a plan to quell a disturbance should one occur — which fortunately never happened.
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