The 11 most-read local stories of 2011

The end of the year is almost here, so all news websites are contractually bound to bring you their top 10 lists. Well, we here at HeraldNet can do better. Therefore, here are the 11 most-read stories on our site this year, countdown-style.

One caveat: Because of the way our site measures things, some stories get shortchanged because their headline changed as they developed. Now, on with the list:

11. Free help for Boeing job seekers: WorkSource put on a series of free workshops in the spring.

10. Rape wasn’t a lie, Lynnwood police now say: A woman was wrongfully accused of filing a false charge. Police arrested a serial rape suspect, who was later sentenced to 325 years in prison for other charges in Colorado.

9. Gerry Andal, businessman, musician and cowboy, dies at 68: The popular local celebrity died after heart surgery in March.

8. Stan Boreson’s ‘I Just Don’t Look Good Naked Anymore’ (video): This video from 2007 is the gift that keeps on giving. One suspects that the intervening years have not improved matters.

7. Police throughout county seeing increase in heroin; 11 arrests in Snohomish alone: Snohomish police saw an increase in use of the drug among young people.

6. Seismic fault beneath us is ‘fully loaded’ after 311 years: Try not to let Julie Muhlstein’s column keep you up at night.

5. Graduation rates at Snohomish County high schools: Our Need to Know blog provided searchable graduation data for every local high school.

4. Boeing hiring 100 a week; here’s how to join the ranks: Some good advice for job hunters from this story last spring.

3. Steve Wolfe recounts his fight with swine flu; his twin didn’t survive: A very sad story about how swine flu struck a Camano Island family.

2. Two sentenced for car crash that killed 3: The two drivers were sharing the wheel when they caused a horrific crash in Oak Harbor. They got eight and five years in prison, respectively.

1. Boeing’s 747-8 prepares for first flight: As we now know, the Intercontinental did in fact fly.

Coming Thursday: The 11 most popular photo galleries of 2011.

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