Editors’ Picks: Tyrone’s top 10 news stories of 2014
We rank the top 10 stories covered by the Eagle Eye in 2014
Top Ten News stories of 2014
As the calendar turns over to a new year, we look back on some of the biggest news stories that the Eagle Eye covered in 2014.
This past year was one of tremendous growth for the Eagle Eye as we expanded our coverage and our reach to the community. We began 2014 with about 3,600 visitors and 12,000 page views per month and ended it with approximately 7,500 visitors and almost 27,000 page views per month.
Here is our list of the biggest news stories covered by the Eagle Eye in 2014, complete with hyperlinks to the original Eagle Eye stories.
Be sure to also check out our related story of the Top 10 Sports Stories of 2014.
10. Several TAHS students take home honors at the annual Tyrone High School Art Show
The Tyrone Art Show is a well loved annual tradition that showcases the artistic talent of the students at Tyrone High School. The slideshow of Art Show winners was one of the Eagle Eye’s most popular multimedia stories last year.
In 2014, seniors Harleigh McCloskey, Sarah Parker and Junior Emily Romano won awards. Click the story above to see a slideshow of some of the best visual art created at Tyrone Area High School in 2014.
9. New Golden Eagle statue installed and dedicated by the TAHS class of 1962
In September 2014 a new monument was dedicated outside of the Tyrone Area High School. The statue was purchased entirely through donations raised by the alumni of the Tyrone High School class of 1962. The total cost of the project was $14,000, raised entirely through donations.
Tyrone middle school student Chloe Makdad took first place in the junior devision of the Pennsylvania State National History Day Competition with her individual historical paper on the Women Air Force Service Pilots of World War II, which qualified her for the National Competition in College Park, Maryland.
In over a decade of participating in National History Day, Makdad was the first Tyrone student to qualify for the national competition.
7. YAN’s Golden Eagle Halloween event is a huge community success
Tyrone’s Youth Action network (YAN) Club held its first annual Tyrone Community Halloween trick or treat event in October. Almost 700 members of the community turn out for the event, far surpassing the organizers expectations.
The event included games and activities sponsored by the various clubs and organizations at the high school. The Eagle Eye and Manning Photography offered free professional portraits to all families. The event raised $786.55 for two of YANs charities, the Tyrone Food Bank and the Panzi Hospital for women and children in central Africa.
The Tyrone Eagle Eye News earned a national recognition from School Newspapers Online, the site that hosts the Eagle Eye website. A great deal of work by the Eagle Eye staff went into qualifying the Eagle Eye for this award.
The Eagle Eye was one of only six student newspapers nationwide to receive this recognition.
5. TAHS student Cody Eckles Eagle Scout project wins national recognition.
Several Eagle Scout projects made news this year. Tyrone students William Sesseman and Jesse Branstetter created projects to improve and beautify the Tyrone Area School District. Sessamen rebuilt flower beds in the front entrances of the high school with new mulch beds, a marble wall, and signage to welcome students and visitors to the high school. Brandstetter built a pavilion near the elementary school playground for elementary students to use during recess and other outside events.
But it was Eckles’ project to update and improve Soldiers Park along 14th Street that received the honor of National Eagle Scout Association Service Project of the Year by the National Eagle Scout Association. Eckles received a $2,500 scholarship for college or trade school for achieving the National Service Project of the Year honor.
4. Icy weather causes controversy over decision not to delay school
On February 19, 2014, an ice storm caught the district off guard and led to one of the most eventful school days in recent memory as many school busses, students, and staff had a difficult time making it to school. Fortunately no one was hurt despite fender benders and busses stuck on the side of the road.
As the community took to social media and the Eagle Eye to voice their concerns, the Eagle Eye coverage of the event turned out to be one of the most viewed stories of the year.
3. Eagle Eye’s ongoing coverage of Tyrone Football head coaching vacancy.
In March 2014 Tyrone head coach Steve Gutthoff resigned, leading to much speculation about return of former Tyrone head coach John Franco. Franco eventually declined to interview for the position, opening the door for Tyrone alum and former Franco assistant Jason Wilson. Wilson had no problem settling into the job, winning a district title in his first year as head coach.
This story was also very important in the brief history of the Eagle Eye, as we scooped the local sports press several times with news on Tyrone’s football coaching vacancy.
2. “Our Town: Tyrone“: Eagle Eye News is big contributor to WPSU production on Tyrone.
In November, producers from WPSU came to Tyrone to film a documentary for their ongoing “Our Town” series that, according to WPSU, “features the heritage and spirit of local communities from the perspective of the residents.”
The Eagle Eye was heavily involved in the production of the program, shooting video for segments on Friday night football, innovative educational programs in the school district, extracurricular activities at the high school and the Eagle Eye/Channel T.
1. Tyrone High School wins numerous academic awards in 2014
While Tyrone’s football team was grabbing headlines this fall and running up the score on its opponents, its students were running up some pretty impressive academic scores of their own, proving that there is more to Tyrone Area High School than just athletics.
Among the awards that Tyrone High School received in 2014, were the US News and World Report Bronze medal, ranking Tyrone among the top 5% of high schools across the country and the top score on the in the entire 30 school district Intermediate Unit 8 region on the Pennsylvania Department of Education first School Performance Profile.
So there you have it, our top 10 news stories of 2014. Do you agree with our rankings? What stories did we leave out? Continue the discussion in the comments, and don’t forget to check out our companion story, the Top 10 Tyrone Sports Stories of 2014.
My name's Carly Crofcheck. I've been in the Tyrone Eagle Eye for four years and I'm a Senior at TAHS. Last year I was the Editor in Chief, this year...
