The Methow Valley Examiner launched April 23, 2024 and relaunched Oct. 4 following a series of technical issues. All data with the previous hosting provider was lost and the current stats, except for the one in the first paragraph, are since Oct. 4, 2024.
The murder of Sharon Gray, 49, by her husband, Jason Rumohr, was overwhelmingly the most viewed article on the Methow Valley Examiner in 2024. Whether out of curiosity or compassion for a woman who was clearly loved by her community, the article was viewed and reviewed more than 1500 times. The huge interest supports the adage if it bleeds, it leads, but let’s not hope for any more murders in 2025.
Q&A with Nick Timm came in at a solid second, but this might be because Timm put a link to the article on his Facebook page, which brought in visitors. Semi Bird’s, Jerrod Sessler’s and Marc Doney’s visit to Twisp also brought in a lot of readers.
New Twisp Development Addresses Housing Shortage came in third. Housing development in our valley will be an important topic in 2025.
Next came an opinion piece about incoming PUD Commissioner Lauren McCloy entitled, Stevie’s Absence Obscured McCloy. I hope we will hear more from this pioneering woman.
The top ten concludes with
5. Paul Budrow’s announcement that he has leukemia
6. Controversial Books Find a Home in the LBHS library
7. Doney, Timm Spar at Candidate Forum,
9. Community Addresses School Board on Transgender Athletes and Parents’ Rights
10. Canvassing Board Dismisses Challenge to Timm’s Voter Registration Address
My Personal Favorites
Top hits aren’t always the ones performers love the most. I can’t conclude without mentioning a few of my faves:
What Happened at Snowball 2024?
Who are the Characters in LBHS’ Musical, Ride the Cyclone?
FOP Chair Admits Mistakes During Prop 1 Campaign
The Rural Doctor: A Life of House Calls and Unforgettable Patients
The Power of a Speaker’s Corner
I studied in London in the mid-nineties and was inspired by the speaker’s corner in Hyde Park- a place where anyone can say what they want, within reason, in a public space.
I believe it is essential for a newspaper to be in dialogue with its community. To that end, I have published two articles/letters to the editor that were not published by the News, for reasons that were not disclosed or that I disagree with. The articles are Sticks and Stones by Mike Liu and a comment at the end of Controversial Books Find a Home in LBHS Library. I look forward to publishing more reader submitted content in 2025. It is by sharing with each other that we are truly informed.
