A Family in Need Becomes This Week's Most Widely-Read Story

This week, Petaluma Patch readers learned about Amanda Mertens, a single mother of four children who is desperately looking for housing for her family, which includes two boys ages 7 & 3. 2 girls ages 6 & 4 months.

Tragedy struck the Mertens family when they lost their patriarch to an aortic aneurism in 2010. To make matters worse, the family was recently displaced by ongoing renovations at their apartment complex, the Greenbriar Apartments.

The story became the top read of the week in Petaluma.

When news broke this week that the Argus Courier plans to initiate a pay wall, the second most popular story on Petaluma Patch was born.

The publisher of the Argus, John Burns, told Patch that “we wanted to do this earlier, but were delayed when we were purchased by Halifax Media in January. In that time, a lot of regional newspapers have followed a similar route. So if anything, I feel like we’re playing a little bit of catch up.”

The Press Democrat also plans to got to a metered model, according to the story.

Take a look at all the top reads on Petaluma Patch this week. 

1. A Home for the Holidays

3. Medical Marijuana Ordinance Upheld

4. Women Pleads Guilty to Embezzling $1.6 Million

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