ENFIELD: The top five stories of 2023 as posted and viewed on The Laker News website included a hurricane; a bridge many anxiously awaited being fixed; and a Fall River vet caring for the pets of those at The Gated Community
The story view stats come from what is calculated on The Laker News website using Jetpack and WordPress stats, and when we were able to post links on The Laker News Facebook.
Our top story of 2023 was Hurricane Franklin, and the warning issued by Environment Canada.
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Nova Scotians showed a huge interest in one of our weather-related posts of the summer.
It was on Environment Canada’s predicted track of Hurricane Franklin.
It had the weather statement and forecasted track Franklin was expected to take as posted by Environment Canada – Canadian Hurricane Centre.
The story can be found at: https://thelaker.ca/hurricane-franklin-track-from-environment-canada/
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A December story that showed the compassion bestowed on pets of the homeless and unhoused at the Gated Community was next.
It spotlighted the Fall River Animal Hospital vets and assistants volunteering their time and covering all costs associated with a visit by six pets to FRAH for a medical checkup.
It was a heartwarming story for us to tell and we’re so happy so many people thought to read the kind gesture made by FRAH towards the pets who are owned by those at the encampment on Cobequid Road.
Give the story a read at: https://thelaker.ca/caring-for-animals-pets-of-unhoused-at-gated-community-get-medical-checkup/
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The story of an Upper Nine Mile River man being charged by police for fleeing the scene after crashing the vehicle he drove was third most read.
Police say the man was impaired as well in the May 13 incident.
The man faced a slew of charges as a result of the incident. He nearly collided head on with two East Hants RCMP cruisers.
The story can be found here: https://thelaker.ca/fleeing-police-at-high-speed-driving-impaired-among-charges-against-upper-nine-mile-river-man/
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A story about a dog and her owner touched many hearts, enough to rank as our fourth most viewed and read story of the year.
The story tells the tale of Hazel the dog and her human, a SPCA employee.
An excerpt of the story:
“While my colleagues at the SPCA jumped into action to help displaced families, we fled our home – unsure if we would ever see it again.
My husband, a Firefighter, went to work while I, like many others, anxiously listened for updates. I didn’t know how to get out of bed. That is, until I felt a nudge from Hazel.
She did some of her best work giving unconditional love that week.”
The story can be found here: https://thelaker.ca/the-things-about-threes-from-the-ns-spca/
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The guilty verdict of a former daycare worker at an unlicensed, at-home daycare, which was on Lockview Road, ranks as our fourth most viewed story.
A mom, whose identity is protected due to a publication ban on the case to protect the children involved, spoke to The Laker News a couple days after the verdict was rendered in May.
In the case, Judge John Keith found 57-year-old John Huey Stanley Shaw guilty on two counts each of sexual assault and sexual interference.
The story can be found here: https://thelaker.ca/former-fall-river-man-guilty-in-cases-of-molesting-assaulting-young-girls/
Shaw was sentenced in mid-December to seven years and three months of federal prison time for the crimes he committed.
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Honourable mention:
Charlotte Slauenwhite, a Grade 3 student at Beaver Bank-Kinsac Elementary School, saw those who are homeless living in tents at the homeless encampment in her neighbouring community of Sackville she told her mom she wanted to do something to help.
She started a year-long campaign to collect money to help those in need that live inside that Homeless Gated Community on Cobequid Road.
“I imagined how I would feel if I had no food and was cold or had no house,” said Charlotte when asked why she wanted to help out.
The story had 1.5 k views on The Laker website.
It can be found here: https://thelaker.ca/young-beaver-bank-girl-shows-big-heart-towards-homeless/
