Edmonds Beacon - Your Hometown News Source

Thanks to the power of technology, this year as the Beacon staff began to look back at the top stories of 2013; we stopped to take a look at what were favorites online. Turns out some of our favorite stories were yours too this year.

Here's the top 10 most read stories from the Beacon website.

1. Mystery of buried WWII plane revealed (Feb. 20) By Sara Bruestle

A World War II P-40 Kittyhawk was discovered in the middle of the Egyptian desert last summer. The fate of the pilot and the tale of how the aircraft came to be there has been a mystery – until now.

The Historic Flight Foundation in Mukilteo will host “Recovering the Egyptian P-40 Kittyhawk” at noon on Saturday, Feb. 23 at its hangar located at 10719 Bernie Webber Dr.

2. Trio here raise call to free imprisoned orca (Sept. 19) By Paul Archipley

Imagine spending your entire life in a bathtub, unable to get out and walk free. Chances are, you’d eventually go mad, or kill yourself, or simply lose the will to live.

That, essentially, is the life humans have condemned a killer whale to live since 1970.

Lolita, a Southern Resident from the family known as L pod, in Penn Cove, was captured off Whidbey Island 43 years ago when she was about 2 to 4 years old.

3. 2 firefighters injured fighting Lynnwood house fire (April 5) By Pat Ratliff

A man safely escaped from a burning house north of Lynnwood after being awakened by a smoke alarm this morning.

The man climbed out his bedroom window and called 9-1-1 from a cell phone to report the fire in his family’s single-story house in the 2200 block of 136th Pl. SW at 10:23 a.m.

4. Teen hikers missing near Lake Mason (July 1) By Sara Bruestle

Two Kamiak High School grads are missing after a day hike in the Cascades on Sunday.

Ricardo Perez, 18, and Brian Chim, 19, set out on a hike and swim around 7 a.m. to Mason Lake, near Mount Defiance. They were expected back that night. Their car was found near a trailhead.

5. Miss Edmonds to compete for Miss Washington Teen USA title (July 2) By Pat Ratliff

Jubilee Zevenbergen is just 16, but she already has a lot on her plate.

She’s a sophomore at King’s High School where she plays basketball. She also plays soccer for King’s High and a Rush G96 team.

She was the sophomore homecoming princess for King’s High this year.

Jubilee was also an American Ambassador for People to People, a responsibility that took her to England, France, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Amsterdam, and Holland with that organization.

Now she’s got a new gig, as Miss Edmonds 2013 in the Miss Washington Teen USA pageant.

6. Local filmmaker to tackle gay love topic (April 3) By Sara Bruestle

From the Stonewall riots in 1969 to the Supreme Court hearings in 2013, America has been on a long, torturous journey coming to grips with homosexuality. For many, perhaps most, the journey isn’t over.

A Kamiak High School grad is making a movie that takes a closer look at the American family, and how changes in attitude toward homosexuality affect one.

7. Future is now at King's Schools new STEM Center (Sept. 5) By Paul Archipley

In the midst of a national effort to improve education in science, technology, engineering and math, known by the acronym STEM, King’s Schools is leaping to the front of the pack this week with the opening of its $11 million STEM Center on the Shoreline campus.

8. Edmonds astronomer discovers most earth-like planet yet (April 25) By Pat Ratliff

A University of Washington astronomer from Edmonds has made a huge discovery in the science world. So huge, in fact, that last week it was the top story in Google News’s Science Division.

Eric Agol has identified a small, probably rocky, planet that orbits a sun-like star in the Lyra constellation, 1,200 light years away.

9. "Bill the Butcher" to open Sunday (Jan. 18) By Pat Ratliff

If you’re like many locals, you’ve been wondering for a long time just what’s going on with the butcher shop that hasn’t opened.

Rumors flew for over a year on just when, if ever, the shop would open.

Wonder no more, because the doors to “Bill the Butcher” will open at noon Sunday. They’ll remain open seven days a week from noon ‘til 7 p.m. The store is at 323 Main St., Edmonds.

10. Police investigate attempted abduction (Aug. 1) By Paul Archipley

Edmonds Police detectives are investigating an attempted abduction of two 12-year-old boys that occurred at about 2:30 p.m. Monday, July 15.

According to police, the boys had left the McDonald’s Restaurant in the 10100 block of Edmonds Way and were walking south up the 23100 block of 102nd Place heading to and through the Scriber High School, Old Edmonds High School, when they were approached by a male and female.