Hey, Middletown: Thanks For Reading Patch!

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — The staff at Patch just want to take a minute's pause from reporting the news and thank the residents of Middletown, New Jersey for reading the "The Patch."

The Middletown Patch receives nearly 300,000 page views a month (284,790, to be exact), and we know we wouldn't be here if it weren't for our readers. That's why we want to thank the people who quietly email us tips, who take our phone calls and who talk to Patch reporters — often during a very happy or very difficult moment in their lives.

There a million interesting stories happening right in our backyards every day, and we know we've only scratched the surface when it comes to telling them. Here are the top read stories in Middletown so far this year:

Cats Saved From Burning Home With Oxygen Masks: Middletown EMS

Aubree Larusso, 18, Dies In Tragic Middletown Fire

Middletown Schools Lose $1.1 Million In State Aid

Cameras To Be Added At Middletown Parks

'Pray For My Son:' Middletown Teen Shot In Jacksonville: Family

Village 35 Project Gets Key Approval From Middletown Monday

Security Officers Added To All Middletown Elementary Schools

Middletown is also one of more than 100 other "Patch towns" across New Jersey, and more than 1,200 across the United States. That's a lot of local news! Here's another fun fact about Patch: Did you know that Patch is among the 100 biggest websites in the United States? Patch ranks 91st on the most viewed websites in the country, according to Alexa.

As your local Patch editor, I'm proud to cover the Bayshore region, and I want to personally thank you for reading our news coverage. I aim to keep residents informed about what is going on their community. Got a news tip or a story you'd like covered? You can always reach me at carly.baldwin@patch.com.

I also want to remind our readers that you can post on Patch. It's easy to sign up for a free user profile and post articles, events, jobs, and announcements. And the "rules of Patch" are easy to follow: "no abusive content, no commercial spam, keep it local and be awesome."

If you own a business and are interested in getting your message on the Middletown Patch or our nearby Patches, please visit the page and tell us what you need. One of our sales reps will be in touch.

Many news websites are limiting access to free articles, but Patch articles and events by our journalists and our users are always free to view. We might not have the enormous resources of local newspapers or TV stations, but you can look to us for the latest breaking news alerts and coverage of important local issues in Monmouth County and beyond.