Looking back at Sept. 15-20

Seattle's internationally notorious latte tax proposal was resoundingly voted down at the polls during the Sept. 16 primary election. But voters approved a measure to make possession of small amounts of marijuana the city's lowest law enforcement priority. Elsewhere on the ballot, the City Council's "Strippergate Three" all made it through to the general election.

In other news, a grading scandal erupted at Seattle's Franklin High School, and the Minnesota teen accused of unleashing one version of the Blaster worm pleaded not guilty in a Seattle courtroom (and, as Todd Bishop notes, expertly dodged the press).

But the most convoluted local story last week had to be the ongoing saga of the ferry Kalakala. It was sold at auction to a California businessman. But when he failed to pay on time, the auctioneer ruled him in default. Then, the second highest bidders announced they would pay less than half of their $135,000 final bid. So, it was onto the third-place bidder.

Now, the lists of the week's most read and most e-mailed stories ...

Top clicks (most read)

1. Driver crashes after bee flies into mouth
2. Potomac Watch: Murray fends off criticism of her 9/11 fund-raiser
3. Voters scald latte tax; but pot measure passing
4. Nixon plumber who went to prison tells story
5. Everett man dies protecting sister from bad crowd
6. Seahawks Notebook: Tardy Robinson pays the price
7. Seahawks 38, Cardinals 0: Domination day
8. 'This child was killed,' expert says
9. Bush offers a view from the top on what ails the Mariners
10. Hood Canal marine life struggling for oxygen

Top picks (most e-mailed)

1. Driver crashes after bee flies into mouth
2. Changing tactics speed growth of Jehovah's Witnesses
3. As jobs flow overseas, the controversy deepens
4. Potomac Watch: Murray fends off criticism of her 9/11 fund-raiser
5. Voters scald latte tax; but pot measure passing
6. The lowdown on low-carb bars
7. Wamu establishes review for customer complaints
8. Wind farms produce power from thin air
9. Airlines ease some rules for hurricane
10. In The Northwest: Franken gives voice to the muffled left wing