Most Read Stories of 2011 on Kent Patch

You may be surprised by some of our top 10 most-read stories this year

In our first year reporting on Kent, Kent Patch produced more than 1,700 news articles — excluding events and announcements — about everything from lost pets to the city budget. But only 10 of those stories were the most read on our site after having garnered thousands of individual readers each. Here are the top 10 most read stories on our site with the No. 1 story being the absolute most popular story, in terms of reads or views, for 2011.

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POLL: The Biggest Story in Kent for 2011 Was...

Vote for the biggest news story to happen in Kent in the past year

Our poll is composed of stories that were the most-read on the site in the past year and from suggestions given to us from you, the readers. There's so much news happening in Kent this year that it was hard to pick just a few options for our poll. If we missed a story you think should have been included, tell us what the story was and add it in our comments section below. So, what do you think was the biggest news story to break in Kent for the past year...

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Erik Clarke

3:58 pm on Tuesday, January 17, 2012

I agree with Dina Harley and M.J. Holloway. The biggest story of the year was the Silver Oaks Place situation.   more ›

Editor's Picks for Top Stories of 2011

Editor's Picks: Downtown Kent Redevelopment

Kent Patch is republishing the editor's picks for top stories of 2011 this week with brief updates.

Editor's Note: It could easily be argued that the redevelopment of a large portion of downtown Kent is the biggest story of 2011, and will be the biggest story again for 2012. Kent Patch has been there with multiple stories, videos and dozens of photos from every groundbreaking and major development of the individual projects. Below is one of the original stories, republished today as one of the editor's picks for top stories of 2011. Aug. 9, 2011 Kent officials broke ground this morning with Cleveland-based development partner Fairmount Properties on a $29 million mixed-use project key to the downtown revival efforts. The groundbreaking represents several years of work toward building 185,000 square feet of new retail, commercial and …

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What Were Kent's Top Stories of 2011?

Kent Patch invites readers to suggest the biggest news stories from the past year

Kent has seen its share of big news in 2011. Construction has started on some very big redevelopment projects, including the Kent Central Gateway transit center, the Kent State University Hotel and Conference Center and the city's mixed-use development with Fairmount Properties. Meanwhile, the story of the old Kent hotel seems to have started a new chapter. There were two murders. Kent lost one of it's bravest. And a young girl was saved from drowning in the Cuyahoga River. What do you think was the biggest story in Kent for 2011? Tell us in the comments, and the staff at Kent Patch will take your suggestions and organize them into a poll for readers to pick the biggest story of 2011.

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Veteran's Day Ceremony at Kent State University

The university hosted a Veteran's Day ceremony at Risman Plaza.

Kent State University held it's annual Veteran's Day ceremony Thursday, one day before the holiday to honor veterans past and present. A crowd of more than 100 people, including veterans, their families, students, and members of the Kent State ROTC program filled Risman Plaza outside the Kent State Student Center for the ceremony.

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Matt Fredmonsky

11:14 am on Friday, November 11, 2011

Have you thanked a Veteran today for their service?   more ›

Roosevelt Senior Advances in Rudy Award Voting

Ryan Anderson is among top 50 semi-finalists for national football award

The Theodore Roosevelt senior battling bone cancer is now among the top 50 semi-finalists for the national Rudy Award. And it's your votes that have helped Ryan Anderson progress in the contest for the 2011 Rudy Award, which celebrates "outstanding young athletes — not because of their statistical performance, but because of their ability to inspire teammates, classmates and communities." Anderson's mother, Sharon Zurbrugg, said there were more than 260 nominees this year. "The voting continues into January, with the top 12 finalists being announced Dec. 11," Zurbrugg said. "The more people who vote for Ryan, the better his chances for making the finals." Supporters can go to Anderson's page on the award website to vote for him and post …

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PHOTOS: Homecoming Parade at Kent State

An hour-long parade marched through the city Saturday morning.

Picture-perfect fall weather — gray skies and biting winds — set the backdrop for Kent State University's 2011 Homecoming Parade Saturday. Crowds lined East Main Street from Midway Drive all the way to Franklin Avenue for the parade, which started at 10 a.m. and finished about an hour later. The parade was just one of several events held yesterday for homecoming weekend. If you took photos or video yesterday, add them to this story by clicking "Add photos..." underneath the main feature.

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Kent State Homecoming Parade, Game this Weekend

'Kiss on the K' new event added this year

Thousands of alumni of Kent State University will return to Kent this weekend for Homecoming 2011 festivities. Homecoming starts Saturday with the 11th Annual Bowman Cup 5K race, which starts at 8 a.m. at the Student Recreation and Wellness Center. The start of the race is followed with a continental breakfast for alumni from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at the Williamson Alumni Center at 1200 E. Main St. The Homecoming Parade steps off at 10 a.m. and will travel west on Main Street into downtown Kent. This year's grand marshal is Kent State alumnus Chad Zumock, who co-hosts The Alan Cox Show on 100.7 WMMS. Zumock also works with the university for the Thursday night comedy shows in the Rathskeller. Following the parade, the Class of 1962 will hold its…

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