All the news that’s fit to click
Staff Writer jdulaney@oklahoman.com
A former state senator caught in a sex trafficking case. A Sooner star in trouble. One unlucky buck. In 2017, readers of NewsOK.com devoured stories about crime, critters and college football.
The following is a look at the Top 10 most popular online news articles this year.
10. Irish mob allegedly tries to silence witnesses in Oklahoma City shootout
Reporter Brianna Bailey’s May story began: “Ringleaders of the Irish Mob prison gang didn’t want anybody talking after a 2016 shootout that left one rival gang associate dead at an Oklahoma City motel.”
9. Witness story changes in suspicious Oklahoma City suicide case
NewsOK.com readers clicked on this September story of the Oklahoma City Police Department reassigning two closed suicide cases to a cold case investigator, after an investigation by The Oklahoman.
8. Attempted bombing suspect’s family issues statement
In August, the family of Jerry Drake Varnell issued a statement regarding his involvement in the attempted bombing of a downtown Oklahoma City bank building. Open about Varnell’s history of mental illness, outraged at the FBI’s tactics, the family concluded:
“He is our son and he is a brother and loved one no matter what he has done. We have unconditional love for him, we are heartbroken by this event and wish we had been made aware by the FBI, and we would have committed him into a mental institution for help.”
7. Oklahoma state senator under investigation by Moore police
Former state Sen. Ralph Shortey, R-Oklahoma City, made headlines throughout 2017, but not for legislative endeavors.
Reporter Nolan Clay’s story on March 14 began: “Police here are investigating why state Sen. Ralph Shortey was in a hotel room last Thursday with a teenage boy.”
Federal investigators eventually became involved and the state dropped its case. In November, Shortey agreed to plead guilty in federal court to a child sex trafficking offense for offering to pay a 17-year-old boy for sexual acts.
More about that in a moment.
6. OU football: After 18 seasons OU coach Bob Stoops retiring
Reader Chris Reid commented online that it was a story “I really hope is ‘fake news’!”
Readers then quickly returned to arguing about Stoops’ legacy and the Big
12. One reader quipped that Stoops’ June retirement was the fault of the Russians.
5. Joe Mixon videos released The story first published in late 2016 and grabbed reader attention deep into the then-New Year.
Readers were warned about the graphic violence of the former University of Oklahoma running back punching another student, Amelia Molitor, in July 2014.
4. UPDATE: Russell Westbrook’s wife responds to Kevin Durant’s brother tweeting about chasing triple-doubles
A subplot in the Russell Westbrook-Kevin Durant script.
In March, Westbrook graciously allowed Toronto to partake in his history-making season of triple-doubles, dropping 24 points, 10 rebounds and 16 assists on the Raptors before taking the fourth quarter off in a 123-102 victory at Air Canada Centre.
Perhaps KD’s brother, Tony Durant, should’ve taken Twitter off. Instead, he thumbed out the following: “Main man chasing the hell out these triple doubles lmao.”
Like his Golden State Warrior brother, the keyboard warrior was met with a Westbrook. Russ’s wife, Nina, fired back with a tweet:
“and it seems like you are chasing the hell out of some attention. You got it.”
3. What the police found in Ralph Shortey’s hotel room
See No. 7.
2. FREAK OF NATURE: A buck killed during the gun season in Oklahoma County is the talk of the deer hunting world
The tale of Oklahoma City resident Brad Julian Jr., a deer hunter who stunned scorers with the rack of a massive whitetail he shot during the deer gun season in far eastern Oklahoma County near Jones.
The antlers grossed 223 inches and netted 216 ⅛. Outdoors Editor Ed Godfrey informed readers that the buck is not a state record, “but with antlers as thick as an elk’s, the buck may be the most unique ever killed in Oklahoma.”
Photos of the rack went viral on social media.
1. Former Oklahoma state senator has agreed to plead guilty to a child sex trafficking offense
In exchange for his guilty plea, U.S. prosecutors agreed to drop three child pornography counts against him.
The guilty plea in Shortey’s saga racked up the most hits on NewsOK in 2017. Shortey faces at least 10 years in federal prison.