This year's leading news stories range from bridges and roads, to the loss of a local legend. There were bulldozers and gymnast on the beach. We also had national shows talking about us and national stars visiting us.

As a news outlet we typically think a "Top 10" article will be about the announcement of a new development or a budget change that will lead the headlines. Then we watch as a short article about Hallmark movies or a local court fight jumps to the top of the list.

Each year we also have the unfortunate duty of telling tragic stories about drownings, traffic accidents and crime in the area. While those stories do not happen often, they are tough because we are a small community where neighbors know and care about each other.

In short, it was another unique news years for our unique community. The following is a list of the TOP 10 articles of 2023. This in not a list of our choosing, this is a list of the ones YOU clicked on the most during the past twelve months.

TOP 10 LIST:

1. Lucy Buffett Discusses: "What's a world without Jimmy?" - After the tragic loss of a national music legend, his sister Lucy penned a very special letter about her brother. Lucy Buffett has long supported the Gulf Shores residents and our readers showed their support for her upon reading the amazing letter. We spoke to Lucy upon her return to Gulf Shores and she was deeply touched by the readership and positive responses.
2. Boat Crash On Intercoastal Leaves 2 In Critical Condition - Near the end of summer we had to report about an accident which happened on the Intercoastal Waterway. In an area surrounded by water this type of article is rare but reminds us to be dedicated to boating safety programs.
3. Kenny Chesney Visits The Flora-Bama - We often get celebrity visitors to our area. This was one of the times when a very popular musician just popped into an establishment and had an impromptu party. Now this seems normal in the Flora-Bama's history but it quickly caught the attention of local and national readers.
4. Four Local Restaurants Have Closed; Latest Is Fisher's - At the end of each season we typically see a few restaurants close. This year though included popular spots like Fisher's, Playa, Fresh of the Boat and a national chain. Establishment owners in our area dealt with a tough labor market and rising cost during 2023.
5. Jimmy Buffett Parrot Heads Start Arriving For Festival - We saw the famous Parrot Head festival move from Key West to Gulf Shores this year. The Hangout, LuLu's and the Flora-Bama teamed up to make the first year of the festival a success. Organizers are hoping to have this event in the area for years to come.
6. Gulf Shores Makes History, 5A State Champions - Each week we wrote game-time recaps of each Gulf Shores Dolphin football game. The team kept winning and the excitement kept building. Everyone in the community seemed to know the stats and talked about the team's chances for a Blue Trophy. It Happened and here was the game recap.
7. Gymnast And TikTok Star Olivia Dunne Visits Gulf Shores - When a popular gymnast who has 7.6 million followers decides to visit the beach and bring her team mates along, well it gets noticed. We did not expect the quick article to gain much attention but it was shared nationally and we saw tremendous readership from her followers.
8. Beach Renourishment Project Update and Schedule - Due to the fact that this project affects almost everyone on and near the island, the readership is no surprise. We continue to provide updates and the progress of the project has been expedited. Both cities and the State teamed up to make this happen during our off-season.
9. ALDOT Loses Appeal, Ordered to Pay $3.6 Million to Family - Since this story involved local residents going against the State over a controversial road, the article had tremendous interest to our readers. There were many other articles about the bridge but this one had the most support.
10. Record Blue Marlin Caught By Local Angler - It is not unusual to be at a local marina and watch the big catches being weighed. What is unusual is to see a 1,145.6 pound Blue Marlin coming off a local charter. In fact, it is so rare that it was a State Record! The crew of "Best Trait" crushed the prior record by 294 pounds.

We look forward to bringing you all the local news in 2024. We hope that the year brings us more songwriters, championships and fishing records. But when the occasional mishap occurs, we will bring you that story as well.

Happy New Year from the Gulf Shores News Team!