PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Most often, the stories that our readers and listeners come to KYW Newsradio for are the biggest headlines of the day, like weather that rocked the region, or the latest in COVID-19 updates.
But sometimes it's not that obvious. Maybe it was something that sparked curiosity because it was spectacularly weird, or it might have resonated with you on a deeper human level. Or, was it simply that midsummer night's scandal at a Phillies game that made you click?
Below are ten of our top stories from 2021:
Reporting on COVID-19
Unsurprisingly, almost half of our top stories have to do with a subject that has dominated the news, and our lives, for a second year in a row: The COVID-19 pandemic.
Councilmember’s son dies; had to fight for hospital bed because of COVID-19 patients (Sept. 23)
Philadelphia City Councilmember Curtis Jones lost his son in mid-September. During an interview, he said that his son’s treatment for a heart and lung illness may have been delayed because so many COVID-19 patients were taking up hospital beds.
Jones wanted people to understand that the cost of not getting vaccinated is not only paid by those who contract COVID-19, but also people with illnesses who cannot be treated because there's no more space in hospitals.
Click here to read the full story.
Can you take pain relievers after getting the COVID-19 vaccine? (Jan. 18)
When COVID-19 vaccines were in the very early stages of being administered, Americans had many questions about this new development in combating the coronavirus.
Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and member of the FDA vaccine advisory board, was able to answer a number of the, including this one about how painkillers might interfere with vaccine efficacy.
Click here to read the full story.
New COVID-19 travel requirements take effect this week: What you need to know (Nov. 2)
In early November, the U.S. ended restrictions for travelers coming to America from a number of different countries. The government put in new requirements about vaccinations and testing for those who could finally come into the United States.
This meant a lot for Philadelphia, American Airlines' transatlantic hub.
Click here to read the full story.
Pa., NJ to start distributing extra $300 unemployment benefit this week (Jan. 11)
For many Americans, in addition to dealing with the virus, they were also dealing with job insecurity and unemployment as a ripple effect of COVID-19.
Back in January, both Pennsylvania and New Jersey started giving $300 in federal funds every week to those getting unemployment assistance.
Click here to read the full story.
Shocking headlines
The story below out of New Jersey ended up as one of our most-clicked reports.
South Jersey woman allegedly left husband in morgue, spent funeral donations on living expenses (Aug. 16)
Patricia Clark, 49 from Pemberton Township, created a GoFundMe campaign to help take care of her husband's funeral and cremation costs.
But instead, she allegedly spent the money on herself.
Click here to read the full story.
Stories of struggle and tragedy that touch a community
In a year that has seen so much tragedy throughout the greater Philadelphia area, including a record number of homicides, it's clear that these stories resonated with Philadelphians, including the four below.
Missing 2-month-old baby, mother from Philadelphia have been located (June 3)
Philadelphia Police asked the public in early June to search for a missing mother and her 2-month-old baby girl.
They had gone missing early one morning in the Manayunk Roxborough area, but thankfully were found safe.
Click here to read the full story.
After a soccer game between Club America and the Philadelphia Union, police said 28-year-old New Yorker Issedro Cortez was beaten to death with a trash can lid outside the famous Pat's Steaks cheesesteak shop. His father and another man were also injured in the attack.
Click here to read the full story.
Numerous storms struck the Delaware Valley in one of the wildest summers of weather in recent memory. The remnants of Hurricane Ida hit the area in late summer, along with tornadoes and historic flooding. Even in the Schuylkill River.
One of those tornadoes wrecked a car dealership in Trevose, and it was all captured on video in a viral TikTok.
WARNING: The above video contains explicit language.
Click here to read the full story.
New Jersey woman who died in Florida condo collapse laid to rest (June 27)
A family from New Jersey laid one of their loved ones to rest after she was identified as a victim of the Surfside, Florida condominium collapse.
The body of Stacie Fang, 54, was brought back to New Brunswick for her funeral.
Click here to read the full story.
2021's top story
But by far, the most-read story on KYWNewsradio.com in 2021 had nothing to do with any major news event. In fact, it didn't have anything to do with the news at all.
It did, however, come from something quintessentially Philly: A viral moment at Citizens Bank Park. It got Philadelphia and all of baseball-loving America talking.
Girardi ejected after Scherzer searched numerous times for foreign substances (June 22)
The night began with accusations of cheating by then-Washington Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer. It ended with Philadelphia Phillies manager Joe Girardi being ejected.
In between, the night at Citizens Bank Park included frosty, angry exchanges between the sides, Scherzer's belt buckle being unbuckled as umpires approached him during a check for substances against baseball's rules, and a whole lot of baseball insanity.
Click here to read the full story.