SALT LAKE CITY — The year is all but over. As we head into 2020, it’s a perfect time to reflect on 2019 and the articles you read this year.

There were so many noteworthy stories throughout the year that it's impossible to list them all. Here is an incredibly small sample size of some of the most noteworthy stories:

• A Wyoming man was the first person arrested under Utah’s new .05 DUI threshold law, which went into as the year started.
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced a four-year closure of the Salt Lake Temple due to renovations. That closure began this week.
• Protests over a state inland port increased. Fourteen people were charged after one particular protest turned chaotic in July.
• The downtown Road Home shelter closed as changes happened to homeless shelters in Salt Lake County.
• We survived the Great KSL.com Blackout of 2019.
• Nationally, the House of Representatives impeached President Donald Trump, which made him just the third president ever to be impeached. It came one day shy of 21 years since the last impeachment, which involved President Bill Clinton. That capped a wild year in Washington politics.

However, stories related to the disappearance and uncovered slaying of University of Utah student MacKenzie Lueck dominated this year’s most-read articles list. The story was prominent enough that Google officials said Lueck was the top-searched person in Utah this year.

Stories related to the case comprised four of the 10 most-read KSL.com articles in 2019, including one that was the highest-read article since 2016.

Here are the most-read KSL.com articles in 2019:

Missing University of Utah student was murdered, police say

Date published: June 28

Page views: 950,747

Short synopsis: After an exhaustive weeklong investigation, Salt Lake City police somberly announced that they believed University of Utah student Mackenzie Lueck, who had been missing since June 17, was murdered.

Police identify person of interest in Lueck case; former prosecutor calls lack of evidence ‘scary’

Date published: June 27

Page views: 617,010

Short synopsis: A Salt Lake homeowner was identified as a "person of interest" in connection with the investigation of missing University of Utah student Mackenzie Lueck, police said.

Bountiful evacuations to remain in place overnight after human-caused fire displaces hundreds

Date published: Aug. 30

Page views: 495,972

Short synopsis: A thick haze filled the air as the sun rose above the mountains in Davis County Friday morning. Dozens huddled in shelters after a rude awakening several hours earlier when a large fire swept through the foothills east of Bountiful and Centerville, destroying three homes and forcing hundreds of evacuations.

Violent behavior in elementary students becoming more prevalent

Date published: Feb. 1

Page views: 480,266

Short synopsis: Violent behavior among children is also posing a threat to both students and teachers alike. Teachers have noted that violence among students has become more prevalent, and classroom rage is another indication of the mental health crisis in the state’s schools.

‘It was absolutely rapid fire’: Man dead after shots fired, police chase through Salt Lake

Date published: April 8

Page views: 440,112

Short synopsis: A man died and an officer suffered minor injuries after shots were fired at a Salt Lake hotel and police chased a vehicle to South Salt Lake. Officers chased the vehicle across the city and southbound along State Street as the driver fired a rifle out the window toward police, Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera said.

Police recover body of slain Utah student Mackenzie Lueck in Logan Canyon

Date published: July 5

Page views: 405,221

Short synopsis: Salt Lake police announced that they have recovered the body of slain University of Utah student Mackenzie Lueck in Logan Canyon. "In the wake of this tragic, tragic incident I am relieved and grief-stricken to report that we have recovered Mackenzie Lueck in Logan Canyon," Salt Lake Police Chief Mike Brown said.

I-15 reopened in Lehi after tanker tips over, causing traffic backup for hours

Date published: Nov. 30

Page views: 371,007

Short synopsis: An 18-wheeler carrying flammable fuel tipped over on I-15 in Lehi, blocking the northbound lanes and closing the highway in both directions near 1800 North. No injuries were reported in the wreck. Traffic was diverted off the highway and the incident caused major delays for nearly 10 hours.

Ed Smart, father of Elizabeth Smart, announces he is gay

Date published: Aug. 15

Page views: 368,847

Short synopsis: Ed Smart, the father of kidnapping survivor Elizabeth Smart, posted on social media Thursday that he is gay, divorcing his wife and doesn’t see a place for himself in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In “one of the hardest letters I have ever written,” Smart wrote that “I have recently acknowledged to myself and my family that I am gay.”

Suspect assaulted Utah student Mackenzie Lueck, then burned her body, charges say

Date published: July 10

Page views: 331,201

Short synopsis: The man accused of kidnapping and killing University of Utah student Mackenzie Lueck was formally charged. On Wednesday, disturbing new details about the violent death the 23-year-old University of Utah student suffered were revealed in court documents that formally charge Ayoola Adisa Ajayi with aggravated murder, a capital offense.

Police: ‘Strong’ forensic evidence connects missing 5-year-old’s uncle to girl’s disappearance

Date published: May 28

Page views: 275,719

Short synopsis: Logan Police Chief Gary Jensen said that investigators have located some "DNA-positive" materials linking 21-year-old Alex Whipple to the disappearance of his niece. Based on the evidence collected, police believe the girl is hurt, Jensen said. He did not elaborate further on what police believe about her condition and did not characterize the investigation as a recovery effort.

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