Editor’s Picks: The Record’s 7 must-reads of 2025

You may have already seen our most-read stories of 2025, but that list does not necessarily include our best reporting and/or storytelling of the year. Whether timing or distribution or something else, sometimes the most impactful reporting does not garner the most web traffic.

But it deserves the spotlight just the same. Here, I selected seven pieces published in 2025 that really tested us. These are the stories that took the most time, resources and effort; the ones that push you to think and reflect and show you something you have not seen. And when you support our work, these are the stories you tell us to pursue.

When you have some time, give ’em a read (or reread).

• Vandalism, trespassing allegations intensify public-vs-private beachfront controversy in Winnetka

After a resident was ticketed for allegedly trespassing at the controversial residential project at 205 Sheridan in Winnetka, we wondered: Was that typical? How often were police responding to that work site and why? A public-records request gave us those answers.

• Encounter on school bus preceded resignation of School Board member

A sensitive story, we used public records to find out what we could about an adult-child encounter on a school bus that resulted in the resignation of a School Board member, who was the adult in the encounter. Like much of our work, this story would not have come to light without a tip from a concerned reader.

• In Memoriam: Maisa Abudayyeh, 19, leaves imprint on Trevians basketball, Palestinian community and beyond

The life of Maisa Abudayyeh ended much too soon — rarely are the takeaways from an article so clear. But we did what we could to memorialize a person who made a profound impact in such a short time.

• With officers cleared, documents and footage shed light on a fatal police shooting in Highland Park

Hours and hours of work, hundreds of documents, and dozens of calls and emails. That’s what it takes to pull off a story like this, in which Samuel Lisec opened the door on the public process that follows a police shooting — a rare occasion in a small community.

• Investigation: Driver suffered seizure in advance of fatal Winnetka crash

When a mother and daughter were killed while on a walk, the community had to wait and wait for answers. It took months, but we never stopped seeking those answers, and eventually, we published this report with details of the car crash and ensuing investigation.

• Community brightens Wilmette Avenue in celebration of Pride, Pink Couch Books

The second part of a mini two-part series that reported on the harassment of a local bookstore and how the shop and the community responded. This was one of many impressive stories from summer intern Laura Horne, and she approached this one with grace and courage.

• A flag, a drone, the Star of David and the Winnetka police

This story landed just outside our top 15 most-read stories of 2025 and, though not necessarily investigative and not overly time-consuming, deserved a mention here. Here, we reported on neighbor-on-neighbor harassment that had continued to escalate.

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