Thanks to You, News Website Enjoys Record Readership

An ice jam in Nicholson in January could have resulted in much more damage to the town had not several natural gas companies and their project partners brought heavy equipment to the rescue. Nicholson borough council president Dawn Bell (top, foreground), mayor Charles Litwin (center) and SWN production manager Dave Bowman review the process of how the ice jam on Martins Creek was dissolved from a point along Water Street close to where the water was allowed to flow away from town. The Wyoming County borough incurred additional flooding in August.

Synopsis by managing editor Rick Hiduk

EndlessMtnLifestyles.com enjoyed its greatest readership in 2018 since its inception more than five years ago. More than 120,500 stories were read, eclipsing 2017 by 40,000 clicks. In large part that is because I have been blessed to be able to share a larger number of stories commissioned by a variety of publications, small businesses, non-profits and corporations. A key ingredient to those relationships is that I can post the story on my website after the client has published or used it first.

I have also been able to give many of my stories “longer legs” by sharing them on a variety of Facebook pages and by hash-tagging them on Twitter. My Endless Mountains Lifestyles Facebook page allows me to share additional stories of interest to residents of the four counties from other publications and news sources such as TV stations, blogs and government websites.

As the Wyoming County correspondent for both the Rocket-Courier and Living Susquehanna-Wyoming Counties Magazine, it stands to reason that the bulk of the most-read stories of the year are focused on Wyoming County. I’m glad to say that all four Endless Mountains counties are represented in the Top 20 General News stories of the year, but I’m looking for more pages in Bradford, Sullivan and Susquehanna counties on which I can share mine and submitted stories – and those of hobby writers and photographers from those counties whom I invite to become regular contributors.

Sadly, the creepy and tragic stories tend to reach the most people. The ease of sharing titillating news via social media seems irresistible, whether or not the recipient might actually prefer to read good news. I’ve seen as many as 100 shares a day and 8,000 reads for a particularly ugly story.

Therefore, I’ve decided to lead this year-end summary with what I consider to be the nicest news stories of 2018, based on readership, void of almost any controversy and simply inspiring to read. I also included them among the General News stories of the year so you can see how they stacked up.

Even though the stories that fall under the Police Blotter Spotlight category legitimately took five of the Top Ten slots for the year, I’m saving them for last in the spirit of my optimism for 2019.

(Inserting the URLs for every story would have been cumbersome, but the titles are exactly as they appear on the website, so they can be searched easily.)

Good News

1. Massive Collaboration Diverts Disaster in Nicholson

2. Gene McGuire Speaks at Tunkhannock High School

3. Coach Shartle to be Remembered at Swimming & Diving Invitational

4. Touchdown! Bridge Makes Perfect Landing

5. Winola Polar Bear Plunge Proves Popular in Lake Community

6. New Angling Experience Awaits Veterans in Wyoming County

7. First Shartle Swim & Dive Invite Draws a Dozen Schools

8. Large Group Takes to State Game Lands for Challenging Hike

9. Nicholson Bridge Day Triumphs Over Gloomy Predictions

10. River Celebrated With Music, Activities and Presentations at Tunkhannock

General News

1. Accidental Death Part of Bar Fight

2. Popular Pet Supply Store Remembered

3. Wyoming County Commissioner Passes Away

4. Massive Collaboration Diverts Disaster in Nicholson

5. Washington Township Fire Investigation Turns Macabre

6. ‘Death by Drug Delivery’ Charges Levied

7. Gene McGuire Speaks at Tunkhannock High School

8. Coach Shartle to be Remembered at Swimming & Diving Invitational

9. Touchdown! Bridge Makes Perfect Landing

10. Buoyant Water Tanks Threatened LazyBrook Bridge

11. Owners of Indoor Shooting Range Aim for Safety, Education and Fun

12. Western-Themed BBQ Became Instant Rt. 6 Icon

13. Development Association Mulls Susquehanna Depot Sites Project

14. Early Morning Fire Reduces North Flat Barn to Rubble

15. Donna Iannone Running for PA State Representative

16. Downtown Tunkhannock Swells with Christmas Spirit

17. Winter Wine & Chocolate Walk Set for Feb. 17 in Dushore

18. Icy Roads Key Factor in Four-Vehicle Injury Accident

19. Heritage Region Names New Trail Branch Managers

20. Cabot Assists Fire Companies With New Apparatus

21. Winola Polar Bear Plunge Proves Popular in Lake Community

22. Meshoppen Halloween Beats Chill by Warming Hearts

23. Franklin Family Only Sixth Owners of Centuries-Old Building

24. Groundbreaking for Tunkhannock Natural Gas Ground Breaking Project Set

25. Hundreds Gather for Chamber Fallfest Mixer

26. Wyoming Valley Chorale Looking for Fresh Start, Seeking New Members

27. Weather Gives Wyoming County Fair Some Breaks

28. Library to Present ‘Books & Brews’ in LazyBrook Park

29. Training Course Helps Defuse Dicey Situations

30. Students Steal Show at Wyalusing School Board Meeting

31. Volunteers Needed to Move Angels at Veterans Park

32. Flashflooding in Susquehanna County This Morning

33. Charges Levied in Response to Bar Fight

34. Tunkhannock Woman Dies in Two-Vehicle Accident

35. Rhonda Vincent to Headline Bluegrass Festival

36. New Angling Experience Awaits Veterans in Wyoming County

37. Leadership Team Immersed in Health & Wellness Options

38. First Shartle Swim & Dive Invite Draws a Dozen Schools

39. Santa Ride Returns to Tunkhannock

40. Triton Carnival Opens Tuesday

41. ‘Christmas in Our Hometown’ 2018 Activities Announced

42. Wyoming County Allocates and Modifies CBDG Funding

43. Molecular Biology Professor Called to Serve Rural Community

44. Coach Donates Wages to Booster Club – Tenure of Rehired Teachers Approved

45. Treatment Court Honors 12 Graduates in Tunkhannock

46. Large Group Takes to State Game Lands for Challenging Hike

47. Senator Casey Gets Big Welcome in Wyalusing

48. Heritage Region Announces New Executive Director

49. Nicholson Bridge Day Triumphs Over Gloomy Predictions

50. Ice Jams Cause Anxious Moments Along Tunkhannock Creek

Municipal News

1. Wyoming County Prison Outsourcing Mushrooms

2. Big Changes Underway in Downtown Laceyville

3. Sewer Shut-Offs Planned in Meshoppen

4. Meshoppen Council Stalled on Numerous Endeavors

5. Meshoppen FD Big CBGB Winner – Exeter Asks for Bridge Funding

6. Demolition of Former Meshoppen Pizza Shop Appears Imminent

7. Flood Buyouts Inch Along – Police Overtime Sparks Discussion

8. Wyoming County Clerk Working to Resolve Quarter Million Dollar Oversight

9. Wyoming County Township Officers Convene in Tunkhannock

10. Municipalities Encouraged to Participate in County Planning

Business Profiles

1. Owners of Indoor Shooting Range Aim for Safety, Education and Fun

2. Western-Themed BBQ Became Instant Rt. 6 Icon

3. Car Selling Business Proud to Carry on Moore Values

4. Extended Care Facility to Provide Expanded Recovery Options

5. Burke Center Marks First Anniversary Providing Counseling Services

6. Whimsical Light Fixtures Spark Public Fancy and Second Career

7. Century Farmers Truly Embrace All Four Seasons

8. JR’s Hallmark to Celebrate 30 Years in Tunkhannock

9. Garden Center Pairs Plants with Participation

10. Northeast Title & Tag Opens New Tunkhannock Office

Local Interest

1. Franklin Family Only Sixth Owners of Centuries-Old Building

2. Meshoppen Memories from the Collection of Gail James

3. Barnes Acres Shining Example of Wysox Township’s Agricultural Heritage

4. Wysox Fire Company Enjoys Close Relationship With Community

5. Lacey Legacy Extends to Eleventh Generation on Original Homestead

Police Blotter Highlights

1. Counterfeit Bills Lead to Arrest in Tunkhannock

2. Investigation Reveals ‘Long History’ of Inappropriate Behavior by Tunkhannock Teacher

3. Meshoppen Mother Accused of Strangling Daughter

4. Woman Accused of Assault Revived with Narcan

5. Police Identify Man Who Drove into Meshoppen Park

6. More Arrests Imminent in Wyoming County Crime Spree

7. New Charges Filed for 2016 Meth Lab Bust

8. Penalties Detailed for Case Involving Alleged Wyoming County Drug Dealer

9. Factoryville Couple Accused of Child Abuse

10. Laceyville Man Flees Police in Tunkhannock