Red-Light Cameras, Missing Toddler Case Among Top Stories of 2011

It's been a very busy year for news in Redmond. As the year draws to a close, we are taking time to look back on the big newsmakers of 2011.

Because Redmond Patch is slightly less than a year old, this top-10 list reflects our most-read stories between mid February and late December.

•The search for missing Redmond toddler Sky Metalwala has drawn the attention of audiences around the world and right here in Redmond. The most-read stories on the case covered the 2-year-old's  and the .

•Red-light cameras were in the news many times this year, beginning with the start of the city's safety camera pilot program in February. The following month, initiative advocate Tim Eyman joined Redmond businessman Scott Harlan in launching a petition drive to remove the cameras. The most-read stories on the subject were published in the fall and covered the city's for verification and the Redmond City Council's .

•The closing of national bookstore chain Borders hit home when the company announced in July that it would , including the two-level location at Redmond Town Center. A new tenant for the space has not yet been announced.

•In similar news, Redmond's Ruby's Diner location when the California-based restaurant chain apparently moved out of Washington state. No word yet on what will take its place.

•It wasn't all negative business news that made headlines this year. Several new establishments opened in Redmond in 2011, and a was one of our most-read stories this year.

•Approximately 3,600 Redmond residents  in June. The incident was caused by a power failure at a substation.

•Redmond Town Center's Gold Class Cinemas —a change that drew in many interested Redmond Patch readers. The theater now has a new restaurant and bar and has introduced a two-level pricing system.

•One of our most popular stories from 2011 previews an event that won't happen until 2012: Cavalia. The large-scale horse show is set to premiere at Marymoor Park on Jan. 18; the most-read Cavalia stories have been a and coverage of the .

•, readers confirmed for us back in June. A fitness feature on Hokas, the French-designed elevated running shoe, was one of our most-read stories this year.

•A breaking news story about a drew readers in last month. No one was injured in the blaze, which was sparked by a malfunctioning electrical transformer in a parking garage.