Readers' choices for top 10 stories

The Southeast Missourian asked readers to go to semissourian.com and rank the top 10 stories of the year. Here are the results, starting with the highest-ranked story: 1. Clay Waller charged with missing wife's murder

2. Isle Casino Cape Girardeau opens

3. Extreme drought hurts agriculture, leads to low river

4. Emerson resigns from Congress to take job with advocacy group

5. Saint Francis starts $127 million expansion

6. Postal distribution centers in jeopardy

7. Low-speed chase through Cape Girardeau ends in assault suspect's public suicide

8. Southeast Missouri State University renovation and River Campus expansion projects

9. Cape Girardeau County burglary spree

10. Morley Swingle resigns to take federal prosecutor job

Here are the 10 most-read local news stories of 2012 on semissourian.com, based on number of pageviews, through Dec. 28:

1. Low river exposes shipwreck near Cape, Oct. 9

2. Disputes led to alleged assault in Cape neighborhood, Aug. 1

3. Two Arizona men dead after apparent murder-suicide in Cape Girardeau, May 20

4. Clay Waller charged with wife's murder, April 24

5. 17-year-old certified as adult, charged with hate crime against gay Cape Girardeau woman, Aug. 15

6. Professor arrested for cheating at Cape casino, Dec. 17

7. Arkansas suspects likened hitting pedestrians to video game, police say, Oct. 30

8. Southeast soccer player in critical condition after accident, Sept. 11

9. Student injured in scooter accident is soccer player, Sept. 10

10. Suspected shooter arrested, awaiting charges in nightclub death, Dec. 17