Top 10 Lilburn News Stories in 2012

You've been there with us the entire year, and for that we are thankful.

In honor of the year coming to a close, we are looking back at the top ten stories read on Lilburn-Mountain Park in 2012.

-- Which story do you think should have made the list? What kinds of different stories would you like to see in 2013. Let us know in the comment section. --

Top 10 Lilburn Stories (local):

10. Berkmar Seniors Earn QuestBridge Scholarships: We know our readers love school news, but we were still shocked to see 84 Facebook recomends for this short apiece. But, with six Berkmar High students getting these coveted, all-tuition-paid-for scholarships, it's really not that surprising that the community loved hearing about it.

Even the Chief Executive Officer of QuestBridge sent us an email:

"I very much enjoyed your article on the six Berkmar seniors who earned QB College Match Scholarships. They sound like a very talented group! Having six Matches from one high school is very impressive -- congratulations to the students, their parents, and the teachers and counselors at Berkmar! Best, David Hunter, CEO Quest Scholars Program/QuestBridge"

9. : These things just are not supposed to happen in our neck of the woods, right? But, sadly they do. In this news item, one man was killed and a woman was critically hurt in the shooting that happened inside a home. Demarcus Collins, 29, was later identified as the deceased victim. Eventually, Jamell Richmond was charged with the shooting and faced one count of murder and two counts of aggravated assault. 

8. Machete Attack Reported in Publix Parking Lot: Huh? Yep, it's true there was once was a man who had a machete... And, for this guy who chased another man round and round with the weapon, he got all riled up because of what basically amounts to road rage. Don't be that guy. The victim who was chased down was OK, though likely shaken up, and as for the suspect, last we heard he was awaiting his trial. 

7. Parkview Knocks Off Grayson: 'Doubters Motivated Us': We're sad the Panthers didn't make it all the way to the championship, but this year turned out to be one of their best played years. And, when the team beat the No. 1 team from the previous season, all eyes definitely turned to the squad. While the Parkview Panthers used this win as super momentum, Grayson High School sat stunned.

6. Man Identified in Fatal Beaver Ruin Road Accident: Many of our readers were keenly interested in who the victim was in this accident on Beaver Ruin Road, which runs through Lilburn. Police found that a driver hit several stationary vehicles, which caused the driver of a motorcycle -- Brandon Roy from McDonough -- to be hit and killed. The man who caused the accident was Kenneth Griffin from Dacula.

5. Updated: Lilburn Police Release Report of Attempted Kidnapping: This story caught the attention of readers in Lilburn, especially when the whole thing turned out to be fabricated. Although reported as an attempted kidnapping, it was later discovered that the witness made up the whole thing because she was upset that a father had left his son alone in a Lilburn thrift store. For a made up story, there was definitely a lengthy police report, and Patch had those details -- albeit completely fiction.

4. Bryson Park Construction on Schedule: It's not surprising that this topic showed up more than once in the most-read local stories. It was the newest park opened in Gwinnett County, and it is located in Lilburn, where many schools, athletic leagues, and residents were beyond ready for it to open.

3. Gwinnett Police Warn of Rising Home Burglary Scams: Some of these crimes actually happened in Lilburn. And, with the growing number in Gwinnett County, police believed a warning  was needed to the general public. In the scams, suspects either acted like they know the victims or pretended that they are at the residence to work.

2. : For the No. 2 local story, readers turned to this crime story that happened in our next-door neighbor's yard -- Norcross. With Norcross being so close to us, readers are keenly interested in what goes on there. And, the crime can seem to close to home.

1. Bryson Park to Open Memorial Day Weekend: Well, this park didn't end up opening until much later in the year. But, it's clear our readers were concerned about the progress, as evident by this story reaching the No. 1 spot for local news. (Lilburn's photo gallery actually had the most viewers, as tracked by our system. However, it is not an article, so it was not included in this list. Still, readers can see those photos here.) 

Top 3 Stories (general):

3. : This was not a local story, but it drew many, many visitors to the Lilburn website during the summer. As it turns out, people in Lilburn -- and way beyond -- are interested in celestial happenings.

2. The CDC Speaks Out About the Possibility of a Zombie Apocalypse: Still not sure what all this was really about, but it took the No. 2 slot of the stories most read on Lilburn-Mountain Park Patch. There's no doubt that many of these readers were outside of our area.

1. Can This Quiz Help You Pick the Right Presidential Candidate?: This little poll, posted on multiple Patch sites, was the big winner in terms of visits to our site. Leading up to the 2012 presidential election, it appears this story went somewhat viral, popping up in search engines all over the place. That was just fine by us because it took our October readership through the roof.

See also:

• Year in Review: 20 Lilburn Crime Stories to Remember