We’re wrapping up the first calendar year of this site.  Below is a look back at the eight most popular stories for 2018.

8.  Fayetteville Observer Wins an Important Victory (Mike Lallier Case)  This is the most recent post on the site, but it gained traction quick.  It’s worth a read if you’re into sealed court documents and the 1st Amendment.

7. Judicial Election Preview (Cumberland):  After much fanfare and a few years of hype, District Court Judge Lou Olivera decided he was not going to challenge sitting Superior Court judges Mary Anne Tally and Jim Ammons.  This would have been an amazing three-person race to cover.  Instead, it’s the one that got away in 2018.

6. Don’t Pick the Player Without Knowing the Game (By: Andrew Porter):   Porter criticizes the Cumberland County Democratic Party for how it handled the Tyrone Williams replacement process.  In the end, Republican Dan Culliton was appointed to represent a heavy minority/democratic district in Fayetteville.

5.  What’s in a Name? (Senate 19) (By: Andrew Porter):  The democratic primary in NC Senate 19 was full of “interesting” politics.  This post caused quite a stir when Porter hypothesized that Ed Donaldson was calling himself by his given name “Clarence” in his media advertising in order to trick Democratic primary voters into thinking he was black.

4.   No Parking: Fayetteville’s 14 Million Dollar Mistake:  After a public records request, I was the first to bring to light the contractual details surrounding the Prince Charles Holdings parking deck.  A quick summary:  your tax dollars are paying for the new parking deck by the stadium downtown, but you won’t ever get to park there for baseball games, unless you book a dinner or hotel reservation.  This is a good strategy at Disney World, less so in downtown Fayetteville.

3.   “One of Us” Democrats – Senate 19:  An analysis of the attack ads in the Senate 19 primary between DeViere and Donaldson, this post has everything:  Trump, catch-phrases, fake checks, Samuel Coleridge, and a crystal-ball prediction that comes true in seven months.

2.   Washed-Out Dams, Parking Decks, and Double Standards (Fay. City Council)  City leaders told city residents they cannot repair broken dams on private property unless the public will have access to the lakes after the repairs.  At the same time, City leaders gave millions of dollars to Prince Charles Holdings, a private corporation, to build a parking deck that the public will have no access to.  You be the judge.

1.   Rep. Szoka on Teacher Pay: At least you’re not a farmer (Audio) The subject of this post was not happy with it.  I thought it was fair game and the tape backed it up.  Moral of the story:  don’t minimize concerns over teacher pay on the morning that tens of thousands of teachers are rallying in Raleigh to protest…teacher pay.  This one went viral.

Thanks for reading.  It’s been a fun year.