A scandal that resulted in the resignation of a minister and several senior officers in entities in that ministry, a massive debate over the introduction of a new exam for primary school students to replace the Grade Six Achievement Test, the debate over the states of emergency in three sections of the island, flooding and traffic gridlock in several communities, and a ban on 'scandal bags' were among the stories that had newshounds going across Jamaica last year, but they were only a blip on the radar of the readers of The Gleaner Online.
Instead, stories surrounding major players in the music and arts, including Elva Ruddock, Buju Banton, and Vybz Kartel, competed with those that shared the individual challenges, grief, and joy of Jamaicans for the most-read online stories for the year.
Here are The Gleaner Online top 15 stories based on the number of views online for 2018.
Westmoreland woman, husband and daughter among Italian bridge-collapse Victims
Two jurors on Kartel murder case facing tough times overseas after seeking safe haven
'Just know mi love unuh,' dying words of slain St Thomas woman to daughter
'Dem rape her and burn her like a dog', Arnett Gardens mother cries for 14-year-old
Judge puzzled by damning text made six weeks before 'Lizard's' murder
Daughter says her mom died because grandson refused constable's homosexual advances
St James residents welcome state of emergency
FSC warns Jamaicans about get-rich-quick schemes as another explodes on the local scene
- Sept 3: 'This is a real horror story' ... Said dad after identifying body of daughter found in Igloo
- Jan 3: Pastor Banned - Anti-gay preacher prevented from boarding flight to Jamaica
- Dec 2: Ohhh! Dalton Harris exhales after scintillating X Factor win
- April 8: Bounty on Bobby! - New York gun smugglers in alleged plot to kill former national security minister
- Oct 12: Purple Tears - KC mourns deaths of six students in months
- Jan 21: Expensive Offering - BMW and Honda Accord gifted to pastor, and he is not giving them back despite appeals from the family