This edition of our top stories is different from usual. You won’t find the Police Beat or The Lowell Riddler in the list below. That’s not because people weren’t reading those articles – they had about the same number of views as normal – but because the top stories had almost astronomical numbers. In fact, within an hour after publication, the top article for June had more views that we would typically have all day across the whole site.
The top articles of month include three stories published in the last week of June, which is unusual too. Until that week, it looked like our top five would include profiles of Lowell firefighter Brenda Herron and the Ice Cream Caboose in Alto. However, as it turned out, the following were the most-read articles, based on website views, during June 2021.
5. Lowell Farm Working to Make the World a Better Place
Until this week, we really thought this would be the No. 1 article for June. If you haven’t already read it, you should. It’s about how David Stawasz and his family moved to a former Christmas tree farm and are now cultivating all sorts of vegetables by hand. The family also offers chickens and eggs and hopes to eventually expand into having a pumpkin patch and other items that will make them a destination for those seeking all-natural food that is raised in a sustainable fashion. For now, you can buy their produce at a farm stand and the Lowell Farmers Market.
4. City Council Recap: Heated Discussion About Marijuana Ordinance
In June, the Planning Commission was asked to review an ordinance amendment that would prohibit marijuana establishments east of the Flat River. They approved the recommendation, and it went to Lowell City Council during its second meeting of the month. However, some councilmembers wondered what prompted the change and how it made it onto the agenda. Then, it was revealed that someone had already had conversations with the city about establishing a marijuana business in the former RollAway building and had bought the property with the understanding a marijuana shop could be located there. A heated conversation ensued, and the council ultimately decided not to vote on the amendment. Our recap of the meeting was the fourth most-read story on Lowell’s First Look last month.
3. Season of Change for Flat River Grill
Over the years, we’ve discovered that people in Lowell are highly interested in what’s going on at area restaurants. The top articles from June bear that out with this story about changes at the Flat River Grill taking the third spot. Located along the Flat River, the popular restaurant has some big plans in the work, from new menu items to a new bar. It may even create a rooftop beer garden if all goes as expected.
2. Planning Commission Recap: Culver’s Gets Green Light for Lowell Location
The other big restaurant news of the month is that Culver’s is coming to town. While the chain has a drive thru, many people dine in at the restaurant, meaning the parking lot is a little larger than you’d see with other fast-food establishments. While Planning Commissions had some questions about that, the Culver’s plans were approved unanimously. No word on when the restaurant will break ground, but it will be located next to the Jimmy John’s that is already under construction in the vacant lot next to Rite Aid.
1. Scenes from Lowell: What’s Going Where Edition
The idea for this Scenes from Lowell had been rolling around in the back of our minds, but it didn’t become reality until a reader emailed to ask if we could put together a story about all the construction in town. So we spent an afternoon driving down Main Street, taking photos and pulling them together into this story. We did miss a few though – Dollar General will be expanding and N6 Towing is going in on S. Washington. Obviously, we saw the patio at Big Boiler Brewing and decided it was quitting time.
If this article had been published in the morning rather than the afternoon, it certainly would have smashed our all-time record for daily views. That is currently held by the 2018 April Fool’s Day article (our best ever, if we do say so ourselves). Given how many views this Scenes from Lowell continues to get, expect to see it on the top article list for July as well.
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