The Best of 2012 — Our Top 15 Most Viewed Posts of the Year
Dogs ... eagles ... senior moments. We can't guarantee we'll remember everything that went down in 2012, but it was a year with a lot of variety -- that's for sure. From Joshua Ledet's homecoming glory on "American Idol" to the terror of Mickey Shunick's death, 2012 had no shortage stories to tell us.
15. 77 Pound Dachshund on Diet to Lose 40 Pounds -- Sept. 12, 2012
Of course, the question still remains: How do you let a poor animal get that large? But Obie the dachshund captured our hearts, regardless of size. We can only hope Obie took off the pounds.
14. Exclusive Footage from Hurricane Isaac in Lake Charles — Winds Gusting 10, 12 mph! -- Aug. 28, 2012
Okay, so this was posted back when all thought Hurricane Isaac was just going to be a glorified popcorn shower coming to hit us. We didn't know it was going to stop short at Southeast Louisiana and generate that much damage. So, okay, lesson learned -- ANY hurricane can be an S.O.B. Still, though ... this video is kinda funny. There, we said it.
13. Martina McBride Pulls Fan Up On Stage — And She Sings Like An Angel [VIDEO] -- Oct. 5, 2012
Okay, so when country music superstars pull fans up on stage, it's heartwarming, but you usually don't expect much out of the star-struck fans. This video, however, shows that on any given night, ANYONE could be a superstar. This girl gets up on stage and tears it up!
12. UPDATE: Lafayette Police Say Brandon Scott Lavergne Thought to Be Mickey Shunick’s Killer, Was ‘Looking for Someone to Victimize’ -- July 6, 2012
The terrifying part about Brandon Scott Lavergne was that he was a killer hiding in plain sight. He could have picked anyone that night -- and we found out in early July that that was pretty much his plan.
11. Bobby Hebert Calls Out Les Miles [VIDEO] -- Jan. 10, 2012
Former Saints QB-turned-radio host Bobby Hebert isn't one to keep his mouth shut. And after LSU lost to Alabama in the National Championships, he had no problem playing armchair coach in a press conference with Les Miles.
10. An Eagle Does The Breast Stroke [VIDEO] -- Feb. 4, 2012
You never know when an internet video will go viral. Somehow, a swimming eagle fascinated us for a big portion of the first half of 2012. Go figure.
9. Don Rivers With Affordable Gifts for Parents Who Have Everything (VIDEO) -- Nov. 2, 2011
This post actually came from 2011, but it proves you can never be too ready for Christmas shopping. Bookmark it for next year!
8. Enjoy “Senior Moments” by … Golf Brooks [VIDEO] -- April 4, 2012
Dale Mann stumbled across this video one day, and it made us all crack up. The only question is ... does Dale remember finding it? (Heh heh, just kidding!)
7. UPDATE: Brandon Scott Lavergne Pleads Guilty in Mickey Shunick and Lisa Pate Murders, Tells How He Did It -- Aug. 17, 2012
This was the horrific conclusion to the story that gripped us all summer long. We found out the final fate of Mickey Shunick, about how she fought like a lion for her life, and how one man's evil soul could wreck so many lives.
6. Lake Charles’ Scariest Trails, Haunted Ships and Corn Mazes for 2012 -- Oct. 2, 2012
Halloween gets bigger and bigger every year -- and so does the number of things to do around the Lake Area. Keep track of this post for next year when you're ready to get your pants scared off!
5. Bayou Country Superfest 2012 … How To Buy Or Win Tickets! -- Oct. 15, 2012
We sent a lot of people to the summer's biggest country music concert, and ... SPOILER ALERT ... we're going to do it again in 2013! It's all ways to thank you for being a listener to Gator 99.5!
4. Westboro to Protest Newton Funerals … Will the White House React? -- Dec. 18, 2012
The idea of protesting a funeral of any sort is one ofthe most un-Christian things imaginable. These guys will get what's coming to them one fine day, maybe not in this world, but when they go to the world to come and realize they've been working for the wrong side all along. Yikes, is that gonna sting.
3. Ways To Vote For Josh Ledet [VIDEO] -- April 18, 2012
The coolest thing about Joshua Ledet's homecoming on "American Idol" wasn't the thrill that he might win the whole thing -- although, that was pretty cool. It was the way he brought the whole community together to root for him. For a few weeks in the spring of 2012, Lake Charles and Westlake were one large community all united behind Josh. Very cool.
2. Watch George Strait Press Conference Live -- Sept. 26, 2012
We had a sinking feeling when George Strait called a press conference in September. We were both surprised .. and not so surprised ... that he decided to call a farewell tour. It was easily one of the year's biggest country music stories, and while there's no such thing as "never" in the entertainment industry, we'd love to see ol' George one last time on stage.
1. Which Lake Area School Has the Most Spirit? -- Aug. 19, 2012
We were under the impression that it's no longer cool to have school spirit. Boy, were we wrong about that one! After Lake Area students (and their friends and families) cast over 160,000 votes in two weeks, we certainly ate our words. Sam Houston pulled out this year's victory, but St. Louis wasn't far behind. We're dying to do it again in 2013 and see who can pull out the second annual win!
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