I grew up in Minnesota, so the recent cold temperatures we experienced in Snohomish County would not register on the frigid scale by Midwest standards. But still, the past week was chilly and, most of all, it seemed so dark.

Even though daylight is beginning a bit earlier and holding on longer for a few more minutes each day, I feel surrounded by darkness. One of the ways I deal with this dark and cold time of winter is to dig into some good reading.

The stories I’m enjoying most right now are the kind that enlighten me with facts I didn’t know before. Those that keep me informed, explain what’s going on and why, and introduce me to new people, places and opportunities — all in my community.

I find these kinds of stories each day in The Daily Herald, but what I’m focused on now are the annual roundups of the most-read and biggest stories of the year. These compilations showed up on heraldnet.com and in the print editions of the Herald at the end of last year and the beginning of this one.

If your holiday season was anything like mine, there was little time for sitting down and enjoying a quiet, long read. But now, during the dark and cold days of January, I’m taking a look back at the best of and the most clicked, and I’m loving the journey.

First of all, it’s noteworthy that a news team of about two dozen individuals provides comprehensive coverage on a daily basis of Washington state’s third-largest county with about 835,000 residents. Our trained journalists are out in the community, listening to you, telling your stories and lifting up the voices of those who often feel unheard. Our reporting often sparks change and sets the agenda for public policy debate.

Secondly, it’s worth noting what kinds of stories made the end-of-year lists. In the reader survey that nearly 1,400 of you participated in last July, you ranked the topics that mattered most to you and the roles you see the Herald serving in our community. Did the stories that made those lists match what you said was important to you in the survey?

If you want to explore that question with me, check out a collection of Herald year-end lists for 2023. This overview provides links to the different compilations the Herald staff pulled together of some of their top journalistic work from last year. The lists range from the photos of the year to notable deaths to our most share-worthy social content to a chronological look at the biggest stories of the year. It’s all in one place, making it easy for you to catch up on what you missed or read it again.

Here’s what we discovered through an observation of the top 10 most-read Herald stories of 2023, a list developed from heraldnet.com articles with the most page views from readers online, according to web traffic data from Google Analytics. (Now keep in mind, online clicks on stories don’t capture what caught the attention of readers who choose to consume the Herald’s local journalism as a printed newspaper.) On the list were stories relating to government, business, crime and public safety, health, the environment and, just for fun, our community’s connection with Hollywood. Usually, each story touched on a variety of themes.

We also noticed that the stories resonating most with you in 2023 provided fact-based information to keep you informed, help you understand the issues and hold leaders accountable. They offered ways for you to connect with your community, take action or simply enjoy a good story.

All of that aligns with what you said was important for a local newspaper to do in last year’s survey, including this: record our history.

If you look back on the Herald’s biggest and best from 2023 — and the many stories that didn’t make any of the lists but readers expect to have each day — the reporting in the Herald records our local history like no one else can.

By providing local journalism that covers what matters most to Snohomish County — now and in the future — the Herald serves our community and supports a healthy democracy. Reading the stories that make that possible helps me get through the dark and cold winter.

If reading the Herald makes a difference in your daily life, share the stories on your “best of” list with friends, family, colleagues and neighbors. Let them discover firsthand the value of trusted local news.

Brenda Mann Harrison is the journalism development director for The Daily Herald. To learn more about the impact of local news and how you can join others in supporting community journalism, go to heraldnet.com/local-news-impact, send an email to brenda.harrison@heraldnet.com or call 425-339-3452. The Daily Herald maintains editorial control over content produced through community-funded initiatives.