Top 20 most read local stories on TBO.com

Here is a list of most-read local stories on TBO.com in the year 2009. All stories got more than 65,000 page views with the top story exceeding almost 3.5 million page views.

1. Lotto winner woes: Most of us dream of winning the lottery; of days spent leisurely on the new boat, or jetting to sun-splashed beaches in southern France. For some, that sudden wealth is a burden; a constant struggle of having to say no to family and friends and yes, take what you want, to the government. Story

2. Mystery sea serpent? There's something strange and big swimming in the canals of Madeira Beach along the Pinellas County coast. Story

3. Caught Bowling on Wii: A video obtained by News Channel 8 showed several members of the Polk County Sheriff's Office High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area task force entering a home to search for evidence and playing a Wii video bowling game. Story

4. Inmates to the rescue: Deputy Kenneth Moon was attacked by an inmate at the Orient Road Jail. Four other inmates rushed to Moon's aid and are credited with saving his life. Story

5. Derek Jeter wall: The city of Tampa approved a variance to install a 6-foot-tall fence around the Yankees baseball star's new house despite opposition from Davis Islands residents. Story

6. Health care heats up: Rep. Kathy Castor's comments were drowned out by the crowd during an Aug. 6 town hall meeting on health care reform that dissolved into shouting, shoving and fighting outside and inside. Story

7. Valedictorian speech: Springstead High valedictorian Jem Lugo aimed to give a speech that would stay with her classmates long after they shed their caps and gowns. School officials didn't like her whimsical approach, however, and she was asked to rewrite it. Story

8. Billy Mays death: TV pitchman and infomercial king Billy Mays was found dead on June 28 in his South Tampa town home. Story

9. Baby dies on interstate:Emanuel Wesley Murray was found dead on the shoulder of Interstate 275. Deputies charged his mother's ex-boyfriend Richard Anthony McTear Jr. in the killing. Story

10. Hav-A-Tampa closes: Tampa lost part of its cigar heritage in August, when Hav-A-Tampa laid off about 500 employees and shut down a factory that had been operating since 1902. Story

11. Coast Guard rescue: Nick Schuyler was the lone survivor of a February boating accident that claimed the lives of his ex-college football teammate Will Bleakley and NFL players Marquis Cooper and Corey Smith. Story

12. Anchor arrested: WTVT, Channel 13, morning anchor Russell Rhodes was arrested Jan. 16 and charged with obstructing or opposing an officer without violence after trying to run from an off-duty deputy in the Channelside parking garage. He was sentenced to six months of probation and ordered to perform 50 hours of community service after pleading no contest to misdemeanor obstruction of justice. Story

13. A tattoo to remember: It wasn't particularly hard for the victims of a Riverview home invasion to identify a burglar. He was the only one with an outline of Florida tattooed on his face, authorities said. Story

14. Danica Patrick and the media: On a media tour to promote the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, race car driver Danica Patrick had an admonishment for fans who question why she accepts media reports that highlight her gender and accentuate her sexuality. Story

15. Derek Jeter's house: With a whopping 30,875 square feet of space, the seven-bedroom, nine-bathroom waterfront Davis Islands mansion of New York Yankees star Derek Jeter dwarfs nearby mansions and could be the largest house in Hillsborough County. Story

16. Bucs release Derrick Brooks: In a sweeping move designed to give younger players a chance to play, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' new regime released five veterans in February, including iconic star linebacker Derrick Brooks. Story

17. Tampa Police officer killed: Cpl. Mike Roberts, an 11-year veteran of the Tampa Police Department, was shot and killed in August. Roberts was wearing a protective vest, but the bullet went through an exposed area under his arm. Story

18. Former commissioner arrested: Former Hillsborough County Commissioner Brian Blair was accused of beating up his two sons on Father's Day. On July 3, prosecutors dropped child abuse charges against him. Story

19. Baby taken: Plant City police credited Taina Lopez with identifying Amalia Tabata Pereira as the woman who took an infant from a migrant worker and his girlfriend, leading to the baby's safe return.
Story

20. Python kills tot: After escaping its aquarium, an 8½-foot pet python slithered into the room of a 2-year-old girl, wrapped itself around the toddler and suffocated her. Story