By TRAVIS LOLLER
Associated Press
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The deadly outbreak of fungal meningitis that has killed 39 people, including 14 in Tennessee, was voted the state's top story of 2012.
Patients contracted the rare disease when they were given contaminated steroid injections. The outbreak was first identified by doctors in Tennessee and could have been much worse if they had not acted quickly.
Famed University of Tennessee women's basketball coach Pat Summitt's retirement was the second biggest story of the year.
Other stories in the top five were the Legislature's Republican supermajority; election changes that include redistricting and voter photo identification; and the reelection of U.S. Rep. Scott DesJarlais, despite revelations he had an affair with a patient and urged her to get an abortion.
Voting was by The Associated Press staff, member newspapers and broadcast subscribers.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
