We had a lot of big regional stories this past year, but there were quite a few local stories that reached a large group of readers too. From odd stories to crime stories to great human-interest stories, they ranged all over the spectrum.

These are the top five most-read stories for the year for Limerick-Royersford-Spring City Patch. 

Our most-read story this year was the tale of an Applebee's employee who attempted to hide in the bathroom ceiling to allegedly rob the restaurant after hours. That story was read by thousands of people! 

The story of former Spring-Ford band director John Eckstine and the domestic incident that cost him his job was #2. 

The Vivian family of Royersford really touched a lot of readers. We read about their special family earlier this year and we continue to follow their story. 

In the midst of Hurricane Sandy, a local family lost their home, and many of you stepped up to help. 

Our fifth most-read story was one of the hardest that your editor had to cover this year. Spring-Ford Area High School lost football player Brian Clarke in July, and we first covered the accident and then Clarke's passing a few days later.