INDIANAPOLIS — In case there was any question, 2020 was the year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
From stay-at-home orders to restaurant closures, so many aspects of everyday life were affected by the pandemic. People's need to know more about the world-changing event showed up clearly in a review of the top 10 most-read stories of the year on WRTV.com.
Seven of the 10 stories in one way or another dealt with an aspect of the pandemic.
Starting with No. 10 and working our way up, here is a look at which stories attracted the most attention this year.
10. I-70 closed from I-465 to North Split as INDOT uses stay-at-home order to accelerate projects
The Indiana Department of Transportation closed Interstate 70 from I-465 to the North Split for about a month in April and May for road repairs. INDOT pulled off an extensive construction project while fewer drivers were on the road due to stay-at-home measures at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On March 29, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams included Indianapolis among the cities he said were emerging COVID-19 hotspots.
8. Indiana's stay at home order: What does it mean for me?
There were many questions about what Gov. Eric Holcomb's stay-at-home order would mean for Hoosiers when he introduced it on April 8.
7. First case of coronavirus confirmed in Indiana
Holcomb declared a public health emergency in Indiana on March 6 when the state's first COVID-19 case — an adult male who recently traveled to Boston for an event — was announced.
6. Indianapolis restaurants and businesses permanently closed due to COVID-19
The economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have rippled through every industry, and Indianapolis restaurants and businesses have suffered this year with many closing permanently.
5. Take 1 Minute: Delphi families ask that you take one minute to share Libby & Abby's story
Libby German's grandmother, Becky Patty, asked people to take one minute to tell someone about her granddaughter and Abby Williams, two Delphi girls whose February 2017 murder remains unsolved.
4. Steak 'n Shake permanently closes 57 restaurants as company suffers during pandemic
It was another tough year for Steak 'n Shake as the burger chain announced in May it permanently closed 57 of its restaurants nationwide during the first quarter of 2020 as its parent company attributed major financial losses to the COVID-19 pandemic.
3. Indy Mayor declares 'local disaster emergency' limiting travel and closing certain businesses
On March 16, Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett issued a "local disaster emergency" for the city that limited non-essential travel and closed bars, entertainment venues and other businesses, such as gyms and movie theaters.
2. Man caught by police molesting 5-year-old girl in the back of a vehicle in Plainfield
A 26-year-old man was arrested Jan. 13 after police caught him molesting a 5-year-old girl in the back of a vehicle at a Plainfield apartment complex.
1. Three Years Later: Everything we know about the murders of Libby German & Abby Williams in Delphi
On Feb. 13, 2017, Libby and Abby went for a walk. What happened to them on that unusually warm winter day remains a mystery. This story detailed everything we know. Perhaps in 2021, Libby, Abby and their families will finally receive justice.
