With the year winding down, we are taking a look back at the most read stories of 2012 across several fellow Suffolk County Patch sites.
Deer Park-North Babylon
Nkosi Burgess, 15, a Deer Park High School freshman, scored an incredible overhead goal in April that most people wouldn’t believe unless they saw it with their own eyes. Luckily for readers, the move was captured on film and uploaded to YouTube. The video went viral and now has nearly two million views, and will certainly get the teen noticed in the sports arena.
Full story: http://deerpark-northbabylon.patch.com/articles/deer-park-soccer-prodigy-goes-viral#youtube_video-9603023
Babylon Village
The most read story was a photo gallery showing the devastation Hurricane Sandy caused to the buildings and boats along Babylon's shoreline.
Full story: http://babylonvillage.patch.com/articles/photos-devastation-along-babylon-s-coast-docks#photo-11991823
Patchogue
Four people who were employed at the Internal Revenue Service facility in Holtsville were arrested in August and charged with grand larceny after they fraudulently collected unemployment benefits, according to the state Department of Labor [DOL].
Full story: http://patchogue.patch.com/articles/officials-irs-employees-stole-unemployment-benefits
Medford
A Medford man was among 40 people that were rescued from the water or the sandbar in Shinnecock Bay inAugust where a party had previously been held, and is also one of three people facing charges related to the massive water rescue incident.
Full story: http://medford-ny.patch.com/articles/police-medford-man-among-40-rescued-in-hampton-bays-saturday-3-face-charges
Half Hollow Hills
Suffolk County Police arrested four local residents who are said to have pulled a gun out on three Dix Hills teenagers in order to steal their cell phones in July.
Full story: http://halfhollowhills.patch.com/articles/four-arrested-in-dix-hills-armed-robbery
West Islip
The West Islip School District decided to close elementary schools at the end of the 2011/12 school year. The announcement at the monthly Board of Education meeting in January was long awaited, and drew mixed reactions from the hundreds of residents who gathered inside the West Islip High School auditorium.
Full story: http://westislip.patch.com/articles/kirdahy-westbrook-elementary-schools-to-close
Sachem
Police arrested two people, including one on a murder charge in connection with an early morning stabbing in Holbook in August. Robert Gregory, 19, of Farmingville, is charged with second degree murder stemming from the incident outside of Momo's Bar & Grill on Union Avenue. Julian Pena, 29, a Navy veteran, was killed.
Full story: http://sachem.patch.com/articles/police-arrest-farmingville-man-on-murder-charge-in-fatal-stabbing
Lindenhurst
Photos of Hurricane Sandy's destruction was the most clicked story on Lindenhurst Patch this year. Lindenhurst was one of the hardest hit areas on the island from the storm.
Full story: http://lindenhurst.patch.com/articles/photos-sandy-arrives-flooding-lindenhurst#photo-11947169
Sayville-Bayport
Following the Newtown shooting, Bayport resident Mike D'Orazio asked residents to pull the plug on holiday lights for one night in remembrance of the 27 lives taken.
Full story: http://sayville.patch.com/articles/neighborhood-goes-dark-in-homage-to-slain-connecticut-students
