AUSTIN, Texas — Another year has almost come and gone. We only have a few weeks left of 2023!
As always, it was a busy year. From sunken ships discovered in East Texas to a shooting spree that spread across two Central Texas cities, there was no shortage of big stories and it was our duty to keep you informed.
As we reach the end of 2023, we are reflecting on the top stories that made headlines this year.
Here is a roundup of the top 10 Austin-area web articles you clicked on – not including weather blogs – based on data from Google Analytics.
In recent years, we've reported almost daily on the explosive growth in our area, including an influx of new Texans. But the most clicked on local story of this year actually centered around people leaving the Lone Star State.
In late November, the U.S. Census Bureau released migration data from 2021 and 2022 that showed more than 42,000 Texans moved to California. Other top states where Texans moved were Florida, Oklahoma, Colorado and Georgia.
But while tens of thousands left the state, the data showed that Texas still had the lowest outmigration rate in the U.S.
On Sept. 11, tragedy unfolded in a Georgetown neighborhood. An affidavit obtained by KVUE stated that Daniel Logan struck his mother with a baseball bat before forcing his way into his neighbor's home and assaulting a 6-year-old named Jeremy with the bat as well.
A few days later, KVUE's Isabella Basco spoke with Jeremy's father as his son remained in the ICU. He shared what it was like to discover that his son had been attacked.
Two months later, KVUE confirmed that Jeremy had died as a result of his injuries.
Logan faces two first-degree felony charges in connection with the incident: injury to a child and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon against a family member.
In February, in honor of American Heart Month, KVUE's Dominique Newland spoke with a cardiologist to get tips for tackling high cholesterol naturally.
Heart disease is the No. 1 leading cause of death in the U.S. But cardiologist Dr. Elizabeth Klodas said for the vast majority of people, it's preventable. Whether or not you smoke cigarettes, how active you are and what you eat can all contribute to your likelihood of being diagnosed with heart disease.
Something that is consistent for KVUE.com is that our visitors love to read about lottery wins. We had many lottery stories get your attention this year, but this August story out of Burnet was the most read.
According to the Texas Lottery, a winning ticket was purchased from the Hoover Valley Country Store at 7203 Park Road 4 West in Burnet. The winner had a quick pick ticket that matched all the white ball numbers with an added megaplier, increasing the winnings to $4 million.
This story was a unique one. In August, a man riding a Jet Ski found the remnants of sunken wooden ships in the Neches River. Experts believed the boats could be over 150 years old.
The Jet Skier spoke with our East Texas sister station, KBMT, about his discovery. Then, KVUE's Bob Buckalew dug into the history of the Neches River to find out how the boats may have ended up there.
Another frequent hot topic on KVUE.com are efforts to increase medical marijuana use and marijuana legalization, and this year was no exception.
In January, we reported that the Texas Department of Public Safety had begun accepting applications for Compassionate Use Program (CUP) dispensing organization licenses.
The CUP is a result of the Texas Compassionate Use Act, which was enacted in 2015. Through the program, the DPS operates an online registry of qualified physicians who can prescribe low tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a chemical found in marijuana, to patients with specific medical conditions.
7. More victims identified after Tuesday's deadly shooting spree that spread from San Antonio to Austin
One of the biggest stories of the year happened right at the tail end of it. On Dec. 5, investigators believe one man went on a violent shooting spree that began in San Antonio and continued through Austin. By the end of the day, six people were dead and three others had been injured, including two police officers.
Here's a breakdown of the timeline of events, according to officials. In the days after the shootings, police began to identify the victims: Phyllis James and Shane James Sr. of San Antonio and Emmanuel Pop Ba, Sabrina Rahman, Katherine Short and Lauren Short of Austin.
The alleged gunman faces four capital murder charges, two charges for felony Aggravated Assault Against a Public Servant and one additional first-degree felony charge.
An unusual accident resulted in the deaths of three people and a dog in Elgin in August.
Investigators said Delvys Garcia, Denise Martinez and Noel Vigil-Benitez of Florida, along with a man from Red Rock, Texas, were hunting hogs on private property when one of their dogs ran off. The group chased after the dog and later found that it had fallen into an uncovered cistern in an Elgin corn field.
Investigators believe one of the hunters jumped into the cistern to retrieve the dog and became trapped. They then believe the other two people also jumped into the cistern "possibly to rescue the third person." The fourth member of the party, the man from Red Rock, went to his truck to call 911.
Investigators believe the three people trapped in the cistern, as well as the dog, died as a result of breathing in hydrogen sulfite gas.
In January, KVUE's Matt Fernandez brought you the story of a South Austin business owner who was playing loud opera music as a deterrent from people soliciting and leaving items on his property.
Jagat Patel, the owner of the 7-Eleven at the intersection of East Oltorf Street and Parker Lane, told Fernandez he had been playing the music 24/7 for 10 days. The move came after he said there had been issues with an encampment next to the store.
Fernandez also spoke with a woman who lived at the encampment, who told him she found the music "absolutely obnoxious" and said that she didn't believe the people living in the area were doing anything wrong.
In July, the KVUE Defenders found that for dozens of Texans, including local residents, switching to solar power had turned into a costly nightmare.
Several Austin-area homeowners told KVUE Defenders reporter Jenni Lee about their issues with a bankrupt solar energy provider. The issues included paying for solar panels that didn't work.
One of those homeowners was Justin Small of Bastrop, who told Lee that he had been paying for a broken solar energy system while continuing to see high electricity bills. After the investigation aired, a different Texas solar company reached out to offer Small help.
There you have it: the top 10 local stories of the year. To make sure you're in the know about Austin's latest news and weather updates for the rest of 2023, all of 2024 and beyond, download the KVUE app.