Readers' choices for leading Utah stories

1. Crandall Canyon Mine: Six men became trapped in an Emery County coal mine when a section of wall collapsed. A monthlong search, punctuated by the bluster of mine owner Bob Murray, ended without their bodies being found. Three more miners died in another cave-in during the rescue and recovery effort. — News staff ranking: 2

2. Trolley Square: Eighteen-year-old Sulejman Talovic opened fire at Trolley Square shopping mall two days before Valentine's Day fatally shooting five people and wounding four others. Off-duty Ogden police officer Ken Hammond and four Salt Lake City officers killed Talovic in a shootout. — News staff ranking: 1

3. Warren Jeffs: The polygamist leader was found guilty on two counts of rape as an accomplice for performing a marriage between a 14-year-old girl and her 19-year-old cousin. Jeffs was sentenced to two five-to-life terms in the Utah State Prison. — News staff ranking: 3

4. School vouchers: Utah voters ended a divisive yearlong battle by soundly rejecting a referendum to create a private school voucher program in the public school system. — News staff ranking: 4

5. Mitt Romney: The former Massachusetts governor and Salt Lake Olympic boss's run for president of the United States brought unprecedented attention to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. — News staff ranking: 5

6. Wildfires: Dozens of fires swept through central and eastern Utah directly or indirectly claiming seven lives and charring an estimated 620,375 acres. — News staff ranking: 7

7. Mario Capecchi: The University of Utah professor of human genetics and biology shared the Nobel Prize in medicine with two other scientists. They were lauded for using embryonic mice stem cells to target specific genes for research. — News staff ranking: 6

8. James E. Faust: The second counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints died Aug. 10 at age 87. He served as a general authority in the church for 35 years. — News staff ranking: 19

9. Curtis Allgier: The tattoo-covered white supremacist allegedly shot and killed corrections officer Stephen Anderson during an escape attempt at a University of Utah medical clinic. Allgier, 28, awaits trial on charges of aggravated murder, disarming a peace officer, escape and robbery. — News staff ranking: 9

10. Salt Lake mayor: Ralph Becker, a former Democratic legislator, won the Salt Lake mayoral race in a landslide over moderate Republican Dave Buhler. Becker replaces retiring two-term mayor Rocky Anderson, also a Democrat. — News staff ranking: 11