As the New Year approaches, we’re looking back at some of the most frequently read stories during 2012. This is the fourth post in the five-part series, which will run every day until Dec. 31. The stories are organized, somewhat, into chronological order. Sign up for Des Plaines Patch’s free newsletter to make it easy to see all of Des Plaines Patch’s Top Stories 2012.

Des Plaines firefighters extinguished a fire at Mugavero’s Pizza & Ribs, also known as Mug’s Pizza, 600 E. Central Road, in October, the Des Plaines Fire Department reported. There were no injuries reported in the blaze, the fire department stated, which caused extensive damage to the restaurant and smoke damage to other businesses in the strip mall.

Maine Township High School District 207 and Maine West High School in Des Plaines responded numerous allegations of hazing and bullying outlined in a lawsuit brought by four families of current and former students. Here are links to the stories posted about the hazing and bullying allegations to date:

• Maine West Coach Fired Over Hazing Allegations published Dec. 20.
• Crowd Packs D-207 Board Meeting About Coaches in Hazing Investigation published Dec. 19.
• D-207 to Discuss Personnel Related to Hazing Investigation published Dec. 19.
• Experts Explain When, Why Hazing Persists published Dec. 10.
• Poll Results: Schools Are Breeding Ground for Hazing, Bullying published Dec. 9.
• Maine West Students Rally Facebook Support for Coaches published Dec. 5.
• Allegations D-207 Failed to Report Hazing Referred to Cook County State’s Attorney published Dec. 4.
• D-207 Board, Teachers Speak On Hazing Issues published Dec. 4.
• Updated: Anti-Hazing Agreements Signed by Maine West Parents, Student Athletes published Dec. 3.
• Poll: Are Schools Doing Enough to Stop Hazing, Bullying? published Dec. 2.
• Letter from Maine West Parent to Principal: My Son ‘Endured a Hazing’ published Nov. 30.
• D-207: 2008 Hazing Reported to DCFS After Nov. 16, 2012 published Nov. 30.
• Anti-Hazing Agreements Signed by Maine West Parents, Student Athletes published Nov. 30.
• Mother: Maine West Hazing 'Destroying' Children published Nov. 28.
• Maine West Parent ‘Sickened’ by Tolerance of Bullying published Nov. 28.
• More Hazing Complaints at Maine West to Be Filed published Nov. 27.
• Second Hazing Investigation at Maine West Opened published Nov. 26.
• Lawsuit: Hazing, Sexual Assault of 14-Year-Old Boy at Maine West published Nov. 20.
• Maine West Soccer Sets School Record for Wins Despite Hazing Suspensions published Oct. 11.
• Reported ‘Inappropriate Conduct’ of Maine West Soccer Players, Coaches, Investigated by Police, DCFS published Oct. 8.

Also in October, a search of the Illinois Sex Offender Registry showed 24 registered sexual predators residing in Des Plaines.

At the end of October the Des Plaines Police Department conducted an outdoor roll-call in the Apache Park area as a show of force to any gangs in the area.

Here are Des Plaines Patch’s Top Stories 2012; we’ll add to this list every day until Dec. 31:

• Fashion Outlet Mall Coming to Rosemont published Feb. 23, 2012.
• Police Looking for Driver that Struck Des Plaines Boy published Feb. 27, 2012.
• Maine West Student Killed on I-90 Remembered for Getting Along with Everybody published Feb. 27, 2012.
• Driver that Hit Teen on I-90 Not Charged published Feb. 29, 2012.
• Gingrich: Package Tracking Could Be Used to Locate Illegal Immigrants published March 14, 2012.
• Des Plaines Police Find Possible Meth, Ecstasy Lab published April 24, 2012.
• Former Gardening Center Grows into New Restaurant published May 9, 2012.
• Update: Police Shot and Killed a Des Plaines Man Outside a Strip Mall published May 14, 2012.
• More Details: Fatal Shooting Occurs After Traffic Stop on Sunday published May 15, 2012.
• Woman Found Dead in Front of Police Station published May 29, 2012.
• Des Plaines Man Punched Dog, Charged with Cruelty published June 8, 2012.
• Chicago Man Wanted In Des Plaines Heroin Deal published June 14, 2012.
• Classic Drive-in Resurfaces on Rand Road published June 27, 2012.
• Fireworks in Des Plaines Area published June 28, 2012.
• Police: Former Chippewa Teacher Sent Girl Photo Of Genitals published July 5, 2012.
• Mug’s Pizza Catches Fire, Updated published Oct. 3, 2012.
• Reported ‘Inappropriate Conduct’ of Maine West Soccer Players, Coaches, Investigated by Police, DCFS published Oct. 8, 2012.
• Sexual Predators: A Map of Homes in Des Plaines published Oct. 25, 2012.
• Des Plaines Police: Show of Force to Gangs in Apache Park Area published Nov. 1, 2012.
• Lawsuit: Hazing, Sexual Assault of 14-Year-Old Boy at Maine West published Nov. 20, 2012.
• Second Hazing Investigation at Maine West Opened published Nov. 26, 2012.

Want more Des Plaines Patch? Like us on Facebook.