Montville Patch's Top 10 Stories of 2012

2012 was a busy year for news in Montville. From local issues such as the investigation into alleged wrongdoing by Lt. Leonard Bunnell to top national stories like the presidential election and the Newtown school shootings, here's the Top 10 stories that ran on Montville Patch during the year, based on readership.

1. : It perhaps comes as no surprise that one of the stories about the Newtown shootings would be our most-read story for 2012. The tragedy at Sandy Hook was the second-worst school-shooting incident in the nation's history, behind only the Virginia Tech massacre, and it happened only an hour from Montville.

2. Misquamicut Beach Devastated by Hurricane Sandy [Photos/Video]: Around these parts, everyone has been to Misquamicut Beach. And after Hurricane Sandy laid waste to the popular summer destination, thousands of you clicked on this story to view the considerable damage.

3. Presidential Debate Schedule 2012: In November, the nation faced a tough choice in an important election, and the interest was extremely high in the series of debates that changed minds — and votes.

4. Montville Pics & Clips: No surprise here ... this is where you, our readers, uploaded dozens and dozens of your great photographs and videos, and people kept coming back to view the imagistic awesomeness.

5. UPDATED: Male Juvenile Arrested in Lockdown Incident: When a student at the high school sent some text messages in May that implied he had a gun, the high school went into lockdown and police took action. 

6. Major Crime Unit Investigates Bunnell: When news broke that the Connecticut State Police Eastern District Major Crimes Unit was investigation longtime police Lt. Leonard Bunnell, many were shocked.

7. UPDATE: Medical Examiner Says Autopsy Results Are "Pending Further Study": The discovery of the body of a Montville High graduate who lived in Gales Ferry generated a lot of interest. Tricia Beattie's death was never solved but was ruled a suicide when the autopsy report finally came out months later.

8. McNally Fired From WPCA: When the town axed WPCA Assistant Superintendent Tom McNally in early June, many charged that the termination was politically motivated.

9. Uncasville Massage Business Owner Has Prostitution Conviction in New York: After an investigation, editor Ellyn Santiago broke the story that the owner of an Uncasville massage business had been convicted in New York of prostitution-related charges. 

10. : After two structures on Old Colchester Road caught fire in November and were ruled possible arsons, it took Fire Marshal Ray Occhialini to squash rumors of a serial arsonist.

What will be the top stories in 2013? It's anybody's guess, but keep checking Montville Patch for full coverage.