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A Look Back at 2015: The Top 10 at The-Journal.com

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Thursday, Dec. 31, 2015 11:28 PM

Actor Robert Carradine was issued a citation after hitting at semi-trailer two miles east of Dolores. His wife, Edith, was injured in the accident.

Sam Green/The Journal

Wayne Englehart submitted this photo of the pileup on U.S. Highway 491 on Wednesday, Dec. 23.

Wayne Englehart/Contributed photo

Drive-by gunfire along Main Street hit eight businesses including the Fiesta Theater. Police later reported that they recovered a single BB.

Sam Green/The Journal

A plane drops fire retardant on the Sleeping Ute fire in August.

Sam Green/The Journal

Following are the most-read stories at The-Journal.com in 2015.

1. Seven semis and 12 vehicles crash, shut down U.S. 491

A 19-vehicle accident shut down U.S. 491 from County Road Z to Dove Creek, creating jams and crashes on the detour route.

2. Actor Carradine, wife injured in Dolores collision

“Revenge of the Nerds” actor Robert Carradine was cited after a collision with a semi-trailer east of Dolores.

3. Woman survives shotgun blasts, beating

A Cortez woman survived three shotgun blasts after being beaten nearly unconscious. Garrett (Ty) Baxstrom has been identified as the suspect.

4. Ancient N. America connected to Mexico

North American civilizations from 1,000 years ago were outliers of a vast empire in Mexico.

5. Baxstrom is charged with attempted murder

Garrett (Ty) Baxstrom faced charges of attempted murder in the shooting of his common-law wife.

6. Mesa Verde will light Cliff Palace

Mesa Verde National Park plans to illuminate of Cliff Palace on Dec. 9, and the annual holiday open house on Dec. 10.

7. Officials search for man who killed baby

Officials searched for a man who pleaded guilty in the death of his daughter.

8. Car chase ends in apparent suicide

Two suspects involved in a police chase that began in Cortez were found dead in Shiprock, New Mexico.

9. Assault suspected after rafters hit cable

A metal cable stretched across the Dolores River scraped five people off their raft. The Montezuma County Sheriff’s Office investigated it as a possible assault.

10. Ute Mountain fire out of control

A rapidly moving wildfire burned out of control on the west side of Sleeping Ute Mountain.

Top Tweets of the Year

Among more than 200 Twitter follwers, more readers clicked on a Tweet about an angry police officer in 2015 than a judge barring an annual marijuana smoking competition.
According to social media data, Twitter followers of @tcbCortez were most intrigued by the following top five stories in 2015.
1. Aug. 26: “Officer with history of anger issues tackles pedestrian” (1,224 clicks)
A pedestrian that upset Walmart customers with a loud stereo was later tackled by a Cortez police officer. Earlier in the year, the same officer deployed his stun gun after he was unable to catch a suspect during a foot pursuit, and in 2014, the officer was reprimanded and ordered to seek anger-management counseling after destroying city property in a moment a rage.
2. June 18: “Dog-killing neighbor gets jail time” (1,171 clicks)
A Cortez woman was sentenced to two days in jail and 100 hours of public service after she fatally shot a neighbor’s dog three times with a rifle. Prosecutors said the dog was unnecessarily killed because it was barking.
3. June 8: “Bones, skulls discovered in home garage” (1,040 clicks)
A mortgage company’s house cleaner found more than just dirt and grime. He also found four boxes of bones, including two human skulls. The remains were believed to be Indian artifacts unearthed by the previous property owner.
4. June 25: “Samoan pleads guilty in $60K scam” (877 clicks)
A Salt Lake City man pleaded guilty to felony and misdemeanor theft charges in connection to a bizarre international scam that bilked Cortez-area residents and the Unlimited Learning Center out of $62,000. He was subsequently sentenced to six months in jail after spearheading the 2013 scam.
5. July 22: “Judge stops bong-a-thon near Stoner” (850 clicks)
A local judge issued a restraining order, banning the 32nd annual Colorado Invitational Bong-A-Thon from taking place on private property near Stoner. The court order was issued after Montezuma County commissioners denied a land-use permit for North America’s oldest marijuana smoking competition.
For live updates and coverage in 2016, follow Tobie Baker on Twitter, @tcbCortez.

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