Certain stories strike a chord with readers and get shared hundreds and thousands of times. Here's a list of some of the most viral stories Sudbury.com published in 2016.
Creepy clown phenomenon hits Sudbury:
The month of October saw the trend of people dressed as creepy clowns and scaring people reach the Nickel City. Greater Sudbury Police Services received three complaints about people dressed as clowns in the Long Lake area. Some people on Sudbury.com's Facebook page described seeing a group dressed as clowns trying to scare people. In response to a call out from Sudbury.com about clown sightings, people reported seeing clowns in the Long Lake area, Coniston and downtown Sudbury. Story shares: 23,000
Wife frantic to find her missing husband:
St. Charles resident Katie Smellie first believed that her husband was kidnapped back in April, after he left town for North Bay to sell the couple's truck. Katie's husband Bob left early in the morning on April 12. On April 16, Noelville OPP found Bob's truck and Bob was found deceased a short time later. Foul play was not suspected in Bob Smellie's death. Story shares: 9,500.
City flip flops on backyard campfire fees:
Greater Sudbury council was preparing to bring in new rules for anyone wanting to have an outdoor fire within city limits. City councillors approved a plan to charge $50 a year for the permits, $10 for a week, or $25 to renew your annual permit. The decision was met with a lot of backlash and a petition was circulated before council eventually backtracked on the fees. Story shares (between three stories) More than 3,000.
CAS open to investigation:
Provincial legislation that took effect in March means children's aid societies are no longer immune from provincial investigation. This means the Office of the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth now has the authority to investigative matters concerning a child or a group of children receiving services from a children's aid society (CAS) or a residential licensee where a CAS is the placing agency. Story shares: 4,800.
Mom of boy struck by vehicle says don’t blame the driver:
An 11-year-old boy was struck by a truck on Regional Road 15 on April 12 and required surgery for two broken legs. Asking not to be identified by name so her son’s identity could remain private, the boy's mother said the collision happened because her 11-year-old son, in his rush to cross the road, forgot to look for traffic before starting to cross. Story shares: 3,200
Missing boy found on Christmas Eve:
Sixteen-year-old Enoch Kim had been missing for four days after a dispute with his family on Dec. 20. Police canvassed the Kelly Lake Road area, and conducted aerial searches in hopes of finding the boy. On Dec. 24 at around 10:30 p.m. a resident in the Ester Street area notified police that Enoch was in a nearby gazebo. The teen was safely transported to Health Sciences North. Story shares: 11,700.
