Community Corner

Howell Patch's Top 10 Stories of 2011

A look at the 10 most read stories in our first full year

It has without question been a busy year here in Howell. From blizzards, to earthquakes to floods there is very little we did not see in town this year. With 2012 just a few hours away we wanted to look back at some of the stories you read most. 

10. Howell Officer Assaulted During Routine Traffic Stop

Officer Thomas Matthews of the was making what he thought was a routine traffic stop for a cell phone violation when he was attacked by the person he pulled over. Click to read more.

Find out what's happening in Howellwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

9. Viewing the Damage of a Hurricane

The damage cause by Hurricane Irene was more than most lifelong residents of the township had ever seen. Between roads like Bergerville Rd. and Route 9 being flooded and residents being without power for days at a time it made for an interesting end to the summer here. Click to read more. 

Find out what's happening in Howellwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

8. Child Badly Hurt in Car Accident

Back in May we had a story about a 6-year-old child who had to be sent to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of Jersey Shore university Medical Center after an accident on Arnold Blvd. Click to read more.

7. Irene Knocks Out Howell's Power

As Hurricane Irene settled over the area it became very clear that she was not going to make things easy for the people on the ground. In addition to the flooding there were mass power outages. Thousands of people lost power not only in Howell but across the Northeast during one of the worst storms in recent memory. Click to read more.

6. Irene Also Forces Road Closures

We were very glad to be a source of information during Hurricane Irene. That also included when the township shut down all the roads until they were safe to be driven on. The only people allowed on the roads at a certain point were emergency vehicles and those making their way to the emergency shelter at Colts Neck High School. Click to read more.

5. Road Rage Suspect Identified

When word came from the Howell Police Department that they were looking for a subject involved in a road rage incident you were there to help them find him. Click to read more.

4. Wind Storm Knocks Out Power

It was the end of July when what at first looked like a tornado ended up being just a powerful windstorm. Even still more than 10,000 people lost power in the township before Hurricane Irene was even a thought. Thanks to the efforts of JCP&L most of the power was restored within one day of the storm. Click to read more.

3. Teen Charged With DWI After Crash

Two weeks before the big windstorm we had a story about a 17-year-old Jackson teen who was involved in a crash on Havens Bridge Rd. The crash resulted in three people being sent to the hospital for treatment and the teen being charged with driving while intoxicated. Click to read more.

2. Howell Resident Charged in Crash that Killed Police Officer

Our first year also showed that while we are a hyperlocal news source, we can work with other Patches all around the state. Back in October a Howell man was charged in a crash that resulted in the death of a Mount Arlington police officer in the northern part of the state. Click to read more.

1. Missing Girl Located 

By far the most read story this year involved a girl from town who went missing but was found safe six days later. The search for the girl involved social networking sites like Facebook. Click to read more. 

For our first year it has definitely been eventful and we've been proud to bring you these stories and so many others. We're looking forward to continuing to serve you well into 2012 and beyond.


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