An early-morning fire, a tragic accident and Whatcom County's annual Ski to Sea race - images from those events were among the most popular with readers of the Bellingham Herald in 2010.
Here are the most-viewed photo galleries at TheBellinghamHerald.com this year. To see them, click on the links below:
This gallery of a fire at an antiques mall in Bellingham's Old Town district was truly a group effort with images from reporter John Stark, staff photographers Philip A. Dwyer and Mark Malijan and Bellingham freelancers Alex Roberts, Joe Wilkinson, Lauryn Marino, Ladlena Ruit and Melissa McCarty.
A community stunned by the accident that claimed the life of 2-year-old Anna Brulotte wanted to know every detail we could give them, including this photo gallery from our staff.
Each year, The Bellingham Herald's coverage of the annual Ski to Sea relay race gets a ton of traffic online, and 2010 was no exception. Staff photographer Andy Bronson covered the canoe leg, traveling over land from Everson to Ferndale to capture athletes in the grueling 26-mile leg down the Nooksack River.
4. Missing student’s body found
The disappearance of Western Washington University freshman Dwight Clark gripped Bellingham and the greater community for nearly two weeks, ending when his body was found in shallow water along Bellingham Bay. The discovery was the most-read story at TheBellinghamHerald.com in 2010, and many readers also looked at this gallery from staff photographers Philip A. Dwyer and Andy Bronson.
What started as a viral event has morphed into an annual celebration of Halloween: Hundreds of dancers, many of whom practice for weeks, in the streets of Bellingham re-enacting Michael Jackson's "Thriller" music video.
6. Fourth annual Bellingham Bay Marathon
The annual run along Bellingham Bay is a big community event, and readers love to see photos of it. Photo intern Katie Greene covered this year's race.
Every Jan. 1, hundreds of brave souls dive into Lake Padden or Birch Bay - briefly - to celebrate the new year. Staff photographer Andy Bronson was there to cover it.
8. 2010 Ski to Sea: Sea Kayak leg
Freelance photographer Mark Malijan, a former photo intern at The Bellingham Herald, covered the last leg of the 2010 Ski to Sea Race for us.
9. 2010 Ski to Sea: Downhill ski leg
You've got to get up pretty early in the morning - like before dawn - to beat staff photographer Philip A. Dwyer to this coverage.
10. Bank robbery suspect surrenders after standoff
When a suspected bank robber was sought at the Belleau Woods apartment complex off West Bakerview Road, police limited access for Bellingham Herald photographer Philip A. Dwyer. Luckily, Belleau Woods resident Yosimar Silva grabbed his camera and started snapping. One of Silva's photos ended up on the front page of The Bellingham Herald, and many more are in this gallery.
Reach JIM DONALDSON at jim.donaldson@bellinghamherald.com or call 360-715-2288.
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