LAS CRUCES - What do you want to know?

This year, more of you than ever clicked on the Las Cruces Sun-News to get your news fix, sports stats and entertainment lineups. In fact, Sun-News stories are clicked more than 2 million times each month.

Often, crime stories get the most attention - both good and bad. But, hands-down, this year's most viewed story was part of a package offering searchable databases of our public employees' salaries.

That's not surprising - we all like to know how our tax dollars are being spent.

In a year when the state government made good on a promise to be more transparent by launching the Sunshine Portal http://www.sunshineportalnm.com/ in an effort to keep government spending in full view, we're proud to have offered the same service to our readers.

A story on the salary of New Mexico State University employees topped our most-viewed with close to 200,000 views. A similar look at Las Cruces city employees was viewed more than 70,000 times.

In all, the series which encompassed municipal, county, state, and university salaries, netted close to 400,000 views throughout the year. Four of our top 10 most viewed online stories are from this series. We're glad you checked the facts.

Here's our annual list of our top 10 online stories:

•Couture, coaches are top earners at NMSU

•Man gets probation in wrong-car defecation

•Las Cruces city salaries run gamut

•Man

Advertisement
caught befouling car indicted

•Economy stunts growth of LCPS pay

•Authorities: Woman rips off daughter-in-law's nipple in drunken brawl

•Naked man hospitalized after drinking game leads to prosthetic leg being set aflame

•Police ID woman who shot, killed self while driving on I-10

•U.S. House District 2 candidate profiles

•Do a Ana County pay ranges from $7.50 to $64.44 an hour.

National spotlight

LAS CRUCES - Truth is usually stranger than fiction. This year was no different.

Las Cruces saw its share of the national spotlight shining on some less than shining moments of some of our residents in 2010. When the odd news breaks, it seems the national media pays attention. This year saw several local stories being shared around the globe.

Here's a quick recap of some of the more memorable moments we as a community probably wish we could forget:

•The No. 2 reason for locking your car: In March, 19-year-old Austin Horries Purifoy befouled the back seat of a Honda Civic he apparently believed belonged to a former girlfriend. When the vehicle's owner left work and found Purifoy defecating in his back seat, the suspect apparently realized he targeted the wrong vehicle. Purifoy was given probation and joined the military.

•You're lucky it wasn't rock candy: November saw a fast-thinking store clerk thwart a robbery with the best weapon she had at hand - empa adas. When the would-be-thief entered a Deming store and grabbed the cash register, the clerk launched a package of the tasty treats, causing the crook to abandon his efforts.

•Liar, liar, pants on fire: July brought one of the year's more noteworthy moments as motorists reported a naked man with a prosthetic leg on fire running into traffic on a U.S. 70 bridge. A 47-year-old Mesilla Park man was taken to a Lubbock, Texas, burn unit after telling a passing motorist he had let his friends set his pants and prosthetic leg on fire after losing a drinking bet.

It later turned out the fire may have been sparked by a crack pipe in the man's pocket.

•Nipple ripper: And, to round out the year, a family squabble after a night of drinking led to a woman to rip off her daughter-in-law's right nipple. The victim apparently didn't realize for some time that she was injured. Several hours later, she put the detached anatomy into a plastic bag and went to the hospital where it was reattached.

Social media

Grab a cup of coffee and let's chat about the day's news.

During 2010, we've had some great conversations through our social media sites.

Each day, thousands of you get our updates through Facebook, Twitter or as text alerts.

Every week, tens of thousands of people check our website through their mobile devices.

Yes, we know you may not want to wait for a newspaper to land on your doorstep to see what's going on every day, so we've spent the year reaching out to our readers to deliver news in a way that is convenient to you.

You've listened, and you've responded. This year we've had more photos submitted by our readers than in any year past. Perhaps you sent us a snapshot of your kids dressed up for Halloween or of some of the stunning storms that socked southern New Mexico this year.

Whatever you've sent, we've appreciated. It helps us cover real life in real time for our community.

If you haven't yet, take a minute to join us on our social media sites. Become a fan on Facebook or follow us on twitter.

If you'd like to sign up for our text alerts or subscribe to our twice-daily e-mail alerts to keep up with all the day's news, just visit our home page at www.lcsun-news.com and click on the appropriate links.

We're glad you help keep this conversation going.

Jason Gibbs can be reached at 541-5451