The president as a rape suspect, a 100-year-old Olympian and a guide to the free events outside Comic-Con were among the most popular articles on Times of San Diego in 2015. Here’s a list of the top ten:
1. Obama as San Diego Rape Suspect — KSWB-TV, the local Fox network affiliate, mistakenly used a photo of President Obama during a segment about the suspect in a rape on the San Diego State University campus. Our article went viral across the world, with more than 574,000 people reading it. The station later apologized on air.
2. Widow of Mercury Astronaut Dies in Rancho Santa Fe — Josephine “Jo” Schirra, wife of Mercury astronaut Wally Schirra, died as the dramatic ABC series “The Astronaut Wives Club” aired. Some 17,800 people read this obituary.
3. USS Carl Vinson Heads Back to San Diego — Jets from the USS Carl Vinson were among the first to fly into harm’s way against ISIS terrorists, so it’s no surprise that San Diegans wanted to know when their favorite carrier was on its way home. Over 15,250 people read this.
4. Ice Hockey Returns with The New San Diego Gulls — Gloom over the Chargers planning a stadium near Los Angeles was offset in February by news that ice hockey was returning with the San Diego Gulls. Some 12,700 sports fans read this article.
5. San Diego Fireworks Guide — A different kind of fireworks from the Carl Vinson’s airstrikes was top of mind in July, with over 11,700 turning to Times of San Diego to find out where best to view Independence Day fireworks.
6. 71-Year-Old Man Gets Prison for Paid Sex with Teen Girl — Coverage of this sordid crime in late 2014 drew 11,200 readers in 2015, many from outside of the United States. Another article about the man’s guilty plea was almost as well read.
7. 100-Year-Old Athlete Sets Records — On a blistering 100-degree day in San Diego, 100-year-old Don Pellmann set five records during the Senior Olympics at Mesa College. The article was ready by 11,150 people, and dozens of international news organizations picked it up.
8.Navy Chief Praises Futuristic USS Independence — The new littoral combat ships headed to San Diego have endured criticism, but the chief of naval operations praised the futuristic, trimaran hull version. Over 10,000 people read this.
9. SeaWorld Can Expand Tanks, But Not Breed Orcas — SeaWorld’s battle over its killer whale display continued with the California Coastal Commission approving new tanks, but forbidding breeding of the killer whales. Over 10,000 read this report. SeaWorld later sued the commission.
10. Guide to free Events Outside Comic-Con — It’s getting harder and harder to go inside San Diego’s annual pop culture extravaganza, but there’s plenty to do outside. And it’s often free. Times of San Diego’s guide to free events associated was Comic-Con was ready by more than 9,600 geeks.
Other articles that just missed this list included the amazing Christmas lights at San Diego Mormon Temple, more SeaWorld coverage, guides to Halloween events and Thanksgiving dinner, the Marines’ new F-35 jet and how to watch the “supermoon” eclipse. Oh, and there’s still time for our New Year’s Eve guide to make the top 10.