Reports claiming sexual abuse at the high school and the suppression of student journalists’ stories about marijuana use — along with news of three major downtown development projects — were among the stories Evanston Now readers read most in October.
Here’s a rundown of the top 10:
- ETHS in legal hot water with student journalists — Oct. 12 — A group of student journalists brought a lawyer with them to this week’s District 202 Board meeting to contest the confiscation by school authorities of a recent issue of the school newspaper, The Evanstonian, that reported on marijuana use.
- ETHS bars former teacher over sex abuse complaints — Oct. 13 — Evanston Township High School officials say they’ve issued a no-trespass order against a former drama teacher after allegations surfaced online this week from two former students that he’d had inappropriate sexual contact with them at the school years ago.
- One reason for high property taxes in Evanston — Oct. 22 — If you’ve wondered why property taxes in Evanston are high — here’s one key reason. The city doesn’t collect nearly as much in sales tax revenue per capita as some other nearby communities.
- Pedestrian critically injured when hit by car — Oct. 22 — A 52-year-old Evanston man was critically injured just after 10 p.m. Saturday when he was struck by a car in the 1700 block of Dodge Avenue.
- Two arrested in armed robbery — Oct. 23. — Evanston police have charged two Chicago residents with aggravated robbery after an incident early Saturday morning.
- New high rise planned on Chicago Avenue — Oct. 17 — The owners of The Merion, the senior living community at 1611 Chicago Ave. in Evanston are planning a new high-rise development just to the north of their building.
- Council gets request for organic fast food drive-thru — Oct. 9 — Evanston aldermen tonight are scheduled to discuss a request for a special use permit to open an organic fast food drive-thru restaurant at the former gas station site at Crawford Avenue and Gross Point Road.
- Proposed city budget calls for layoffs, tax hikes — Oct. 6 — Evanston’s proposed 2018 city budget calls for trimming the city’s staff by 28.3 full-time-equivalent employees, imposing new taxes and hiking parking fees to close a projected $6.1 million general fund revenue shortfall.
- 17-story building planned for parking lot on Oak — Oct. 13 — The Trammell Crow Company has scheduled a neighborhood meeting for Thursday, Oct. 19, to discuss plans for a 17-story building with 169 apartments that it hopes to build on a parking lot at 1727 Oak Ave. in Evanston.
- Aldermen split 6-3 on Albion high rise — Oct. 24 — Evanston aldermen voted 6-3 in favor of the proposed 15-story Albion Residential project on Sherman Avenue in introducing the planned development Monday night.