Bethlehem's Top Ten Stories of 2012

1.     Superstorm Sandy Batters Bethlehem. The coastal Northeast got the brunt of the 1,000-mile wide late October monster storm. But the Lehigh Valley also took its share of punishment. Though anticipated flooding in low-lying areas of Bethlehem never materialized, there was a record-setting wind gust and downed trees and power lines across the city. Schools were closed for a week, which is about how long it took for every home in the city to get electricity back.

2.     Good Samaritans Stop Hit-and-Run Driver on Fahy Bridge.

3.     Woman Dies After Beating in Historic District Home. Police say Shirley Lindgren, 77, died at the hands of her son, 51-year-old Michael Lindgren, who allegedly attacked her and her husband, J. Ralph Lindgren, at their Wall Street home minutes after he visited Bethlehem Police Headquarters on Aug. 20.

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5.     Five Armed Robberies in 12 Days in Bethlehem. The first four robberies during a stretch of mid-July were all at convenience stores and allegedly committed by a group of thrill-seeking teens, who were caught. The fifth was a brazen mid-day heist at a Main Street jewelry store and the suspects remain at large.

6.     Ribbon Cut on New Sands Event Center.

7.     7 Arrested in Prostitution Sting at Sands.

8.     Bethlehem Bakery Named One of World’s Ten Best.

9.     26-Year-Old Strip Club Worker Found Dead. Bethlehem Township police found heroin near Amy Soule’s nude body in a home along Country Club Road in December. The death was immediately ruled suspicious and the investigation has not been completed.

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