Two shooting incidents and a kidnapping, two new dining options coming soon and dismay over unexpected Thanksgiving week school closings vied with the rising COVID case count for reader attention on Evanston Now in November.

Here’s a rundown of the top 10 most-read stories:

  1. One dead, four wounded in shooting on Green Bay — Nov. 28 — Evanston police say five people were shot about 7:15 p.m. Sunday at the Mobil gas station in the 1900 block of Green Bay Road, and one of the victims has died. Police later described the shooting as a targeted attack and said the victims — all between the ages of 14 and 18 — knew each other.
  2. Jackson Avenue resident charged in kidnapping — Nov. 29 — Police say the suspect ordered his victim to drive him to a liquor store — a trip that ended when the car was involved in an accident.
  3. Veggie restaurant to replace frozen custard shop — Nov. 1 — The vacant Church Street storefront that once housed Andy’s Frozen Custard may soon have new life as a vegetarian restaurant called Elephant + Vine.
  4. Man shot at Chicago and Howard — Nov. 29 — Police say the 29-year-old victim is expected to survive.
  5. School closings anger D65 parents — Nov. 22 — Last minute Thanksgiving Week shutdown “is a real turkey,” one parent says.
  6. Transgender students call for changes at ETHS — Nov. 20 — Desired changes, they say, should be easy to implement.
  7. Council gets revised plans for senior housing tower — Nov. 22 — Revisions reduce the total number of apartments in the building, but keep the same affordable unit count. The project is scheduled for a final City Council vote on Dec. 13.
  8. Specialty grocer coming to Main-Dempster Mile — Nov. 15 — Wild Fork Foods claims its “blast-freezing” process makes its food fresher.
  9. COVID cases continue to rise in Evanston — Nov. 26 — Latest data delayed by the holiday break as concerns rise about Omicron, a new variant first identified in South Africa.
  10. ETHS student board member: Coach complaints mishandled — Nov. 8 — The former marching band color guard coach has been charged with fondling a 16-year-old student at a northwest Indiana high school where he also worked.

Bill Smith is the editor and publisher of Evanston Now.