Advertisement
WBUR's Most Popular Local Stories Of 2011
The following is a list of WBUR's 12 most popular local stories of 2011, beginning with No. 12.
12: Bruins Fans Cheer On Stanley Cup Champions
By JEREMY BERNFELD
The Boston Bruins raised the 2011 Stanley Cup title banner to the TD Garden rafters Oct. 6 and introduced fans to the piece of hardware they had been craving for years. It was the team’s first title since 1972 and fans celebrated as if it had been a long time coming.
11: WBUR Series: Making An A+ Teacher
By WBUR STAFF
The impact teachers have on individual student achievement is now thought to be one of the most important factors in student learning.
During the week of May 23, WBUR broadcast a series exploring how teacher salary, training, personality and evaluations can play a role in making a great teacher.
10: Turner Sentenced To Prison, But Goes Out With Defiance
By DAVID BOERI
On Jan. 25 a judge sentenced former Boston City Councilor Chuck Turner to three years in federal prison for accepting a $1,000 bribe. "If I die in prison, I want an autopsy because we are at war with the government," Turner said.
9: WBUR Series: Are The Kids All Right?
By WBUR STAFF
It's been five years since a federal judge issued a scathing ruling accusing Massachusetts of not providing adequate mental health services to children on public health insurance. The landmark case, Rosie D. v. Romney, has had broad implications on the diagnosis and treatment of all Massachusetts children who need mental health care. Although there have been many reforms since the suit, several challenges remain. We check in on how care has changed since Rosie D.
8: Live Blog: Irene Hits Mass.
By THE WBUR NEWSROOM
Tropical Storm Irene descended on New England on Aug. 26, causing widespread power outages, tree damage and flooding in Massachusetts.
7: Anatomy Of A Bad Confession, Part 1
By DAVID BOERI
In 2008, two Worcester detectives spent two hours interrogating a 16-year-old girl whose baby son had just died, until they forced from her what was later judged a coerced confession of murder. For our special investigation, WBUR obtained exclusive video of the confession.
By BIANCA VAZQUEZ TONESS
More and more research shows that teacher quality is the most important factor in learning. But what makes a good teacher? A good teacher has to be a social worker, a manager and an instructor.
5: At The Middlesex Jail, Simple Gestures Help Keep The Peace
By DAVID BOERI
How jailers and corrections officers treat and manage inmates can make a surprising difference. Simple gestures can have surprisingly positive consequences. The Middlesex County Jail in Cambridge gets praise from inmates and prison officials alike.
4: Fade To Darkness: The Age Of Alzheimer's
By WBUR STAFF
The age of Alzheimer's is upon us. As the country’s 78 million baby boomers turn 65 — the age when the disease significantly increases — cases of Alzheimer's are expected to skyrocket.
There is still no way to prevent or cure the disease and experts warn that unless progress is made soon, the coming explosion of cases may be the greatest health crisis facing the nation. WBUR presented a week-long series of special reports on the disease.
3: 9/11 Stories: A Flight Attendant’s Calm Final Call
By LISA TOBIN and MICHAEL MAY
Betty Ong, a flight attendant from Andover, was on board the first of the two planes from Boston to hit the World Trade Center on Sept. 11. Her sister and brother remember that day and their battle to present the public with an accurate picture of Betty.
2: Deaths, Extensive Damage After Tornadoes Hit Mass.
By THE WBUR NEWSROOM
Tornadoes roared through western and central Massachusetts on June 1, causing damage in at least 18 communities, ripping off roofs, uprooting trees, scattering debris and leaving at least three dead.
1: Lead Surgeon: Full Face Transplant Recipient ‘Doing Great’
By BOB OAKES
Dr. Bohdan Pomahac, a plastic surgeon, was the lead surgeon in the nation's first full facial transplant procedure completed in March at Brigham and Women's Hospital. He joined Morning Edition to discuss the groundbreaking, 15-hour-long procedure.
Related:
This program aired on December 23, 2011. The audio for this program is not available.