Top 10 lists seem to be all the craze with the kids on their Internets these days. So we at the Herald initially thought it would be a great idea to jump in on a successful fad. But then someone here (quite possibly an intern) suggested we blaze our own trail and have more than 10 things. And not rank them. Crazyfi We don't think so. Seriously, who actually ranks things anymorefi That's so 2008.

And so is...

IPROVO

As their publicly funded, bleeding-edge, fiber-based communications network was bleeding millions a year, Provo city leaders threw in the towel in May and sold the project to Broadweave Networks for $40.6 million. It turns out that even the private sector isn't the panacea for everything, as Broadweave has had to rely on reserves to fund the last two months' payments to Provo. The company is confident they will be successful in the long run, as subscriptions continue to rise and planned upgrades go into effect. Hey, speaking of planned upgrades...

NEW AND IMPROVED! NOW WITH A LIBRARY!

At the end of June, Central Utah Vocational School, Utah Trade Technical School, Utah Technical College of Provo, Utah Valley Community College , Utah Valley State College joined the adults at the big table and became Utah Valley University. However, even with more than 20,000 students and the school's former president as the current higher eduction commissioner, the state won't let them have an engineering degree. Which is a shame, because we could use the engineers' help with ...

ROADS

The Interstate 15 rebuild through the county got $2.5 billion from the state in March. But the money promptly disappeared in the mushroom cloud that used to be the economy. It appears the county will have to wait for the largesse of a president it didn't vote for to lend federal aid if they want out of traffic jams anytime soon. Orem did manage to get 800 North widened, and the underpass in Pleasant Grove on State Street is a go for construction. But I-15 isn't the only thing stuck between start and finish ...

MIDTOWN VILLAGE

And the award for the largest uncompleted multi-use development in Utah goes to ... Midtown Village! Now attempting to rent units instead of sell them, the $350 million project boasts construction-grade outhouses and chainlink fences, as well as a blindingly yellow unfinished facade. To its credit, sole business proprietor Pizzeria 712 is both affordable and tasty, if the Herald's food critic is to be believed. Some people, on the other hand, get by just fine without critical acclaim ...

MILEY CYRUS

For a few months leading up to July 4, parents begged and pre-teens wailed as tickets to the Miley Cyrus-led Stadium of Fire were snatched up and re-offered at a mark-up that would make OPEC blush. But like the obscene cost of oil for most of the year, the ticket prices suddenly crashed back to earth as it eventually dawned on parents that the hundreds of dollars for a concert ticket to see Cyrus could be better spent buying gas. Hey, speaking of over-hyped things crashing ...

BYU FOOTBALL

Sure, they went 10-3. But those three games in the wrong column were the three they actually needed to win. The "Quest" turned out to be a search for Max Hall's arm after the season's first half. The squad that started the season looking like a Top 10 contender turned into a group that looked like they'd have a difficult time against Timpview High School, which won its third straight state championship in supreme fashion. Hey, speaking of supreme fashion ...

THOU SHALT

Tiny Utah city finds itself in front of the nine most black-robed people in the world to argue that its statue of the Ten Commandments deserves a place in a public park while Summum's Seven Aphorisms do not. The argument from Pleasant Grove is that the Commandments are part of Utah's heritage and not a religious statement. The justices will release their opinion when they're good and ready, because hey, they're the Supreme Court. Speaking of making religious statements ...

UTAH'S GOT YOUR BACK

The reason for the state's bottom-of-the-barrel election turnout has been discovered. Residents were all in California going door to door to get out the vote in a successful effort to pass Proposition 8, which defines marriage in California as between a man and a woman. At least $16 million was donated to the cause by members of the LDS Church, who apparently had a little pocket change left over after giving gobs of money to ...

MR. ROMNEY ALMOST GOES TO WASHINGTON

Mitt Romney came into the presidential election with a successful 2002 Olympics and term as Massachusetts governor under his belt. But despite strong showings early and millions in donations from fellow members of the LDS Church (84604 being his highest-grossing ZIP code), he had to concede after Republicans across the country decided they weren't ready for a leader who is Mormon. Hey, speaking of Mormon leaders ...

THOMAS S. MONSON

When beloved LDS Church leader Gordon B. Hinckley died in January, there was little doubt of his successor. Long-time counselor Thomas S. Monson was named the church's new prophet. The man who once wiggled his ears in a wide-reaching broadcast and is renowned for his folksy stories knows how to connect with the little people. About connecting with the little people ...

PLAYED JUST RIGHT

It didn't take long for people to realize that Jason Chaffetz was running for a seat in a congressional district he didn't live in. But that didn't stop the Alpine resident with little name recognition and less money from wiping out political power players David Leavitt and Chris Cannon, the incumbent. The Democrat-turned-Republican used a well-organized volunteer force and won on promises to return the country to fiscal sanity and to crack down on illegal immigration. Ah yes, illegal immigration ...

ICE

In February, federal agents arrested 57 illegal immigrants working at Universal Industrial Sales Inc.'s plant in Lindon. The company, which makes guardrails and sign structures, was sentenced recently to three years of probation and a $200,000 fine. The company's human resources director was also given three months probation.

But seriously.

BRIDGER HUNT

On July 24, Craig Miller of Lehi thought he'd have some fun with neighborhood kids. Instead, the 45-year-old's homemade firework nearly killed 12-year-old Bridger Hunt. Hunt overcame a coma and myriad other problems to make his way home from the hospital in September. Miller was sentenced to 180 days in jail. In a strange coincidence, Hunt's friend Tyler Morgan was seriously burned in August when friends wrapped him in toilet paper that was accidentally ignited.

VIOLENT DEATHS

• Cameron Nielsen is accused of killing his son Jason after the infant was taken to the hospital in May with massive head injuries.

• Ashley Sparks of American Fork died Dec. 26 of gunshot wounds at Jordanelle Reservoir. Three men have been arrested in connection with her death.

• Christopher Jeppson and Timmy Brent Olsen remain charged with killing Kiplyn Davis, who disappeared at the age of 15 from Spanish Fork High School on May 2, 1995. A jury trial is going forward, though a date is not set. Another search for her body in Spanish Fork Canyon this year was unsuccessful.

•¬ Michael Kirsch has been found incompetent to stand trial after stabbing his father, 62-year-old Christopher Kirsch, in his Orem home on Father's Day.

• David Ragsdale pleaded guilty to the Jan. 6 murder of his wife, Kristy. He walked up to her in a church parking lot and shot her in front of their two boys, ages 4 and 6.

• Daniella Ruiz was convicted of child abuse homicide for the death of 5-month-old Brandon Zamora whom she was baby-sitting in 2006.

PLANE CRASH

Mesa, Ariz., residents Christian and Stephanie Nielson and Doug Kinneard were critically injured Aug. 16 when their Cessna 177 crashed just after takeoff in St. Johns, Ariz. Stephanie Nielson is the daughter of Provo city councilwoman Cindy Clark and state lawmaker Stephen Clark. The injured couple moved to Provo with their four children for support and rehabilitation.

Related

• Hearing postponed for Provo man charged in baby's death