Top 25 of '24: Buzz Articles by the Numbers

It’s that time of year again: Every December, we take time to reflect on the past year and look forward to the next. Here, we list top 25 most-viewed stories of 2024, since we’re heading into 2025. The below list is determined by the numbers from Google Analytics. 

Bellaire native Parker Smith, who played on the Bellaire High School baseball team and for the Rice Owls, was drafted by the Houston Astros. (Photo: hartphoto.com)

1. Home Turf: BHS Grad Drafted by the Houston Astros by Lucy Walker 
We’re proud to share that our number-one most-viewed story of the year was written by Lucy Walker, a senior at St. John’s School who interned with The Buzz last summer. She featured Bellaire native Parker Smith, who played for the Rice Owls and for the Bellaire High School baseball team. Parker was drafted by the Houston Astros. Read more about Parker and other Buzz-area baseball players drafted by MLB teams in Field of Dreams by Todd Freed.  

Lauren Brams – University of Colorado Boulder

2. Class of 2024: Where are they headed? by Caroline Siegfried 
It’s our annual tradition to spotlight Buzz-area graduating seniors and where they’re headed to college, an always-popular feature. 

A group of eighth grade boys and moms (pictured) celebrated the end of their years at St. Mark’s Episcopal School with a trip to Florida.

3. “Farewell to St. Mark’s” by Angie Frederickson 
A group of eighth grade boys and moms celebrated the end of their years at St. Mark’s Episcopal School with a trip to Florida. Fifteen mother-son duos hit the beach for a last hurrah before they scatter to various high schools in the fall. Their trip was included in our Buzz About Town column. 

Hailey Sutin, 12, and Alex Narcisse, 16, both wear cochlear implants to hear but don't let their deafness define them. Alex, who plays lacrosse, wrote an autobiographical picture book encouraging children who are deaf and hard of hearing to pursue their dreams of playing sports. Hailey also loves to play sports and participates in competitive gymnastics program, soccer, volleyball, and track. (Photo: Dylan Aguilar)

4. Resounding Resilience: The Deaf embrace life in a hearing world by Cathy Gordon  
Hailey Sutin, 12, and Alex Narcisse, 16, both wear cochlear implants to hear but don't let their deafness define them.

BANDSAW TO BONES Inventor Billy Cohn fractures skeletons in his garage workshop, part of his grand plan for Halloween night. Chopping them at certain points, in slightly different integral sections, and arranging each of the skeletons just so, makes them appear as if they’re flying off from the ground, thanks to Billy’s fast-spinning zoetrope, lit by a strobe light. (Photo: hartphoto.com)

5. Magic, Music, Medicine, More: And this inventor’s ‘humerus’ Halloween by Cathy Gordon
Meet cardiothoracic surgeon and engineer Billy Cohn, widely recognized for his contributions to the development of the continuous-flow, implantable artificial heart. Billy is also known in Bellaire for his mesmerizing Halloween zoetrope. 

What Lies Ahead by Carol Wang, sophomore at DeBakey High School for Health Professions, received a Gold Medal.  

6. Works of Rodeo Art: Talented students honored for their art pieces by Karen Vine Fuller
Over the past five decades, hundreds of thousands of Houston-area students, have entered the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo’s School Art Contest. Winning entries earn the privilege of being displayed during the Rodeo.  

Wilchester Elementary School PTA board

7. “Runway moms” by Angie Frederickson 
Wilchester Elementary School held its annual year-end luncheon for outgoing fifth-grade moms at the Houston Racquet Club. At the end of each school year, moms whose youngest child is finishing fifth grade are honored as they say goodbye to Wilchester. Ladies enjoyed lunch and a fashion show featuring their very own Wilchester moms. This item was included in our Buzz About Town column.  

AN ARTIST’S QUEST Adam Elkhadem, who died tragically in May 2023 in a car accident, graduated from Columbia University in New York City in May 2018. While at Columbia, he created a Facebook community committed to the sport of glove-spotting.

8. Adam Elkhadem’s Legacy: Finding beauty in the mundane by Michelle Groogan 
Adam Elkhadem, who died tragically in May 2023 in a car accident, graduated from Columbia University in New York City in May 2018. While at Columbia, he created a Facebook community called Single Lost Glove.

Grand Prize, Best Sign in Rodeo

9. The Buzz Magazines’ 2024 Photo Contest  
View the winners of our 2024 Photo Contest. Donnie Marion won Grand Prize for his photo, Best Sign in Rodeo. 

A LASTING LOVE Bellaire High School sweethearts Donna and Steve Palmer share a mutual respect for what each has brought to nearly 51 years of marriage. Included in that? Lots of laughter. (Photo: lawellphoto.com)

10. Forever Valentines: Love and laughs, 51 years later by Cathy Gordon 
Donna and Steve Palmer met during their middle-school days and have been together since high school.  

PIE IN THE SKY At the height of a law career, Jonathan Quander discovered a passion for baking. His sweet hobby started during Covid, inspired by binge-watching The Great British Baking Show. (Photo: lawellphoto.com)

11. On a Roll: Discovering the joy of baking by Andria Dilling 
At the height of a law career, Jonathan Quander discovered a passion for baking. He has worked to perfect homemade croissants, cookies, pies, and more. 

Cody and Caroline Plummer attended the same college, but they didn’t formally meet until they happened to be on the same flight. They’ve been together ever since. (Photo: lawellphoto.com)

12. Meet Cutes: From first glance to forever love by Pooja Salhotra 
“Meet cutes” are part of these Buzz-area couples’ love stories. 

SPORTING WINGS Last March, while in Mexico City, Susan spotted this pair of wings on a stand in a public space beckoning her to make the obligatory PR Fairy pose. Her husband David Morris said it’s one of a series of winged photos he and Susan had fun collecting on their travels over the years.

13. Fairy Dust: May it never settle by Cindy Gabriel 
Susan Farb Morris, affectionately known as Houston’s PR Fairy, tragically died on June 14, 2024 at age 68. During her too-short life, she spread a lot of “fairy dust” and love around Houston and around the world.  

FREE RANGE FRIENDS Moms Denae Schenker and Julia Gabriel delight in country life with children Eli Weber, Colette “Coco” Schenker, Colton Schenker, and Faires Weber. (Photo: Morgan Weber)

14. Gone Country: How Covid changed everything by Cindy Gabriel  
Cindy Gabriel tells the story of two families who went to Leakey, Texas in pandemic times – and ended up “going country” for good.

SOFA TIME Grandsons Eli and Faires Weber help pass the time as Cindy Gabriel counts the days until surgery. (Photo: Julia Weber)

15. A Diagnosis: Can be a good thing by Cindy Gabriel 
Being diagnosed with hyperparathyroidism – and the resulting surgery – was life-changing for Cindy Gabriel. Read part 1 of the story here and part 2, Life After Surgery, here.  

BRACED FOR WHAT’S NEXT After years of wearing a brace, freshman Savannah Radoff learned that she would need an intensive spinal fusion surgery. Two months into her recovery, she’s looking forward to being part of The Emery/Weiner School’s cheer team.         

16. Back in action: a spinal story by Savannah Radoff, age 14 
Savannah Radoff, a freshman at Emery/Weiner, underwent an intensive spinal fusion surgery. She wrote about it in her Buzz Kidz article.

BY DEGREES Siblings Joshua and Naomi Alade are among the best taekwondo athletes in the world. The tenth graders at Carnegie Vanguard (Joshua skipped a grade) are both members of Team USA, the team that represents the United States in international sports competitions. (Photo: jackophoto.com)

17. In It to Win It: World-class taekwondo athletes by Cheryl Ursin 
Siblings Naomi and Joshua Alade rank among the best taekwondo athletes in the world. The tenth graders at Carnegie Vanguard (Joshua skipped a grade) are members of Team USA, the team that represents the US in international sports competitions.

Peter Berry is one of 16 athletes selected to compete this month for 12 spots on Team USA’s wheelchair basketball team in the 2024 Paralympics. (Photo: UA Strategic Communications)

18. Peter Berry: A star from the start by Andria Dilling 
Peter Berry is one of the 12 athletes on Team USA’s wheelchair basketball team. Although he was not selected for the 2024 Paralympics in Paris, his story of resilience after tragedy is inspirational. 

BLOCK & AWE Twin sisters Lola and Mila Prpa (from left), 13, live, breathe, and sleep volleyball. Here, they're pictured at Third Coast Volleyball Club. Their mom, Nicolette Daniel, says, “Volleyball is an environment where being tall is a beautiful thing.” At 13, both girls are already about five foot nine. In addition, Mila and Lola say to succeed in volleyball, players need to be strong, fast, fit, and maintain endurance, mentally and physically. (Photo: www.jackophoto.com)

19. Net Result: Elite volleyball sisters by Cheryl Ursin 
Twin sisters Lola and Mila Prpa live, breathe, and sleep volleyball. The 13-year-olds are elite volleyball players, competing in both indoor and beach volleyball.  

Jeffrey, flipping in the streets of Paris before the Olympics. Former coach Drigo Leal notes, “He's always had a smile, and he's always been flying.” (Photo: @littleshao)

20. Breaking Out: Houston’s Own Jeffrey Louis Breaks in 2024 Olympics by Caroline Siegfried  
Houston native Jeffrey Louis, aka "B-boy Jeffro," was one of four breakers representing the U.S. in the first-ever Olympic breaking competition.

21. The Belle of Bellville: My Aunt Shirley Charpiot by Cindy Gabriel 
Shirley Charpiot’s name is familiar to most anyone familiar with the town of Bellville, Texas. 

Anna Oliva, 17, won first prize in the Mathematics category at the prestigious International Science and Engineering Fair. (Photo: lawellphoto.com)

22. Sine of Success: Carnegie senior wins big at international science fair by Lucy Walker
Anna Oliva, a senior at Carnegie Vanguard High School, won first prize in the Mathematics category at the prestigious International Science and Engineering Fair, earning her a ticket to the Nobel Prize Award ceremony as an internationally recognized guest of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals. Meet Anna here and read the follow-up story, also by Lucy Walker, here.  

TYING THE KNOT The Mintz and Fiebrich families take a moment for a combined photo. From left: Evan Mintz, Melissa Goldberg Mintz, Nick Duble, Ally Mintz, Jeffrey Fiebrich, Christian Fiebrich, Caitlyn Fiebrich, Andrew Mintz, Lauren Mintz, Jordan Mintz, Nicky Mintz, Haley Manley, Emery Mintz. (Photo: Angelika Dupuis Photography)

23. Love on the French Riviera by Tracy L. Barnett 
Andrew Mintz married Caitlyn Fiebrich at Domaine Rocabella in the French Riviera. Read about this special wedding, and the Mintz family's travels afterward, in this Travel Buzz column. 

Terry Leavitt-Chavez, park director at Evelyn’s Park, and David Morris (Photo: Wilson Parish Photography)

24. "Back to the ‘80s" by Angie Frederickson 
Evelyn’s Park supporters were transported back a few decades with retro ’80s décor and video games, and partied like it was 1989, at the ’80’s in the Park gala benefiting Evelyn’s Park Conservancy. This year’s gala honored the life of Susan Farb Morris. This item was included in our Buzz About Town column.  

READY TO RUN Within six months of receiving two hip replacement surgeries, Carrie Bradshaw, a marathon runner, returned to training. She hopes to qualify for the Boston Marathon again soon. (Photo: lawellphoto.com)

25. Beating the Odds: From recovery to marathon training by Pooja Salhotra 
Even after undergoing two hip replacements, marathon runner Carrie Bradshaw has continued to race. 

Past “By the Numbers” Recaps

Curious which articles were most-viewed in the past? See our top 10 from 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, and 2019.   

Wishing you all a happy, healthy, and Buzzworthy year ahead!

Editor's note: Have a "buzzy" story to share in 2025? Submit your story idea here.