2010 in review: Our Top 10 "first on decorahnews.com" stories

first on decorahnews.com in 2010:

10) Tomas Kubinek and the Orchestra Iowa chose Decorah as one of four places for the worldwide premiere of "An Evening at The Symphony with Dr. Prof. Tomas Kubinek.  The self-titled "certified lunatic" also gave an exclusive interview with decorahnews.com

http://www.decorahnews.com/archived-stories/2010/03/6587.html

http://www.decorahnews.com/archived-stories/2010/11/8300.html

9) Mental health programs faced budget crises in 2010.  decorahnews.com profiled the situation in three in-depth reports:

http://www.decorahnews.com/archived-stories/2010/07/7457.html

http://www.decorahnews.com/archived-stories/2010/07/7466.html

http://www.decorahnews.com/archived-stories/2010/07/7476.html

8) A federal report claimed that 34 bridges in Winneshiek County were in need of major repairs.  Winneshiek County officials disputed the report--but they did have to close several bridges to traffic during the year.

http://www.decorahnews.com/archived-stories/2010/07/7467.html

7) The City of Decorah wrestled throughout 2010 with Decorah property owner Kay Strand, claiming her property did not meet the city's property maintenance ordinance.  Strand has fought the claim--and then requested a jury trial on the charges:

6) The "Women's Weekend Out" promotion has been losing participation during the last few years.  decorahnews.com reported that the promotion was being dropped.  Other disputed our report, saying the event wasn't being dropped, it was just getting a new name, a new date, a new purpose and a new governing board:

http://www.decorahnews.com/archived-stories/2010/10/7974.html

5) decorahnews.com was the first to report that Decorah resident Marty Grimm was proposing to purchase the city's Yard Waste Facility so he could turn it into a commercial compost business.  City officials eventually rejected the request, but Grimm is still working on the idea

http://www.decorahnews.com/archived-stories/2010/04/6760.html

4) Winneshiek Medical Center struggled in 2010 to hire a radiologist.  As a result, the Cresco hospital joined the Waukon hospital in dropping Winneshiek Medical Center as their source of radiology services:

http://www.decorahnews.com/archived-stories/2010/03/6386.html

2) Last winter a 30-year-old Decorah woman died.  The cause of her death was listed as undetermined, but later a Decorah man, Clifton Weston, was charged with supplying oxcodone pills to the woman, as story decorahnews.com had first:

http://www.decorahnews.com/archived-stories/2010/06/7275.html

1) What if you held an election and the ballot directions recommended which candidates to vote for?  That's what happened last February at the Oneota Co-op, although election officials later changed the directions after a decorahnews.com story: http://www.decorahnews.com/archived-stories/2010/03/6360.html

Still to come this week--the top 10 "Ask Mr. Answer Person" questions of 2010 and the top 10 local news stories of 2010.