Matchmaker Mom, Fatal Fall | Top Towson Stories of 2019

TOWSON, MD — It won't be long now until 2019 rolls over to a new year. Quite a bit has happened in Towson in the last 365 days. From a local musician making it to the top 20 on "American Idol" to a new crab restaurant in Towson, Patch covered it.

So which stories did our readers find the most interesting? We rounded up the top 10 stories from 2019.

After Ocean City Accident, Support For Injured Athlete Continues — A month after Benjamin Paepcke broke his neck at the beach in Ocean City, support continued to pour in as he received treatment at Craig Hospital in Colorado, which specializes exclusively in spinal cord and brain injuries.

Fatal Fall At Towson Town Center Reported — In October, one person fell from the balcony in the Towson Town Center. The individual died, Cpl. Shawn Vinson of the Baltimore County Police Department told Towson Patch.

Towson Chef Wins 'Chopped' On Food Network — A Towson chef put his skills to the test and won on the Food Network show "Chopped." The executive chef at Cunningham's — Jay Rohlfing — was finally able to share his win after the episode aired on national TV in June.

Assault On Teacher: Loch Raven Student Charged — In January, Geronimo Pacer Harding Jr. was charged with first-degree assault, second-degree assault, disturbing school activities and threatening school personnel after he was accused of assaulting a teacher at Loch Raven High School.

Towson University Student In Top 20 Finalists On 'American Idol' — Towson University student Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon was selected as a top 20 finalist on "American Idol." The singer-songwriter is Catonsville.

Mom: Please Date My Son; Police: Let Him Find His Own Date — This may be every son's ghastliest nightmare: A woman in her mid-50s pestered female students at Towson University and asked them if they'd like to date her son. While she was not accused of criminal wrongdoing, university police asked her to stop playing Cupid.

Avenue Closing All 8 Maryland Stores —Avenue, a plus-size women's clothing store, announced in August it planned to close all of its U.S. locations, including its eight locations in Maryland.

Highway Shooting Starts On I-83, Continues Onto I-695 — In August, authorities sought information about a highway shooting on Interstate 695 that allegedly involved a dark-colored vehicle without hubcaps. The shooting started on Interstate 83 and continued on Interstate 695, according to police.

New Crab Restaurant Coming To Towson — Crafty Crab Seafood, known for its home-style seafood, announced in August it planned to open a Towson location. The company also planned to open four additional locations in Maryland.

Protest At Towson University Sparks Counterdemonstration — In April, a protest and counterprotest at Towson University reportedly prompted police presence at the campus. The demonstration originated with an "external group" that "had plans to 'exercise free speech'" on campus, university officials said.