December’s top news on Evanston Now featured some furry new residents on campus and an arrest in attacks on pets downtown, along with a new police chief and the city manager’s job hunt.
Here’s a rundown of the top 10.
- Suspect in four knife attacks charged — Dec. 23 — Police have charged a 63-year-old Evanston man with four different attacks involving a knife including one in which a dog was stabbed.
- Beavers make home on NU campus — Dec. 5 — Northwestern University’s executive director for Neighborhood and Community Relations says a pair of beavers have made their home on the school’s Evanston campus.
- It lives: Council rejects Harley Clarke appeal — Dec. 11 — Evanston aldermen retreated again Monday night from a plan for the future of the Harley Clarke mansion.
- Bobkiewicz seeks job in Oregon — Dec. 29 — Evanston City Manager Wally Bobkiewicz has been named as one of five finalists for the position of county administrator in Clackamas County, Oregon.
- San Francisco coffee chain to open on Davis — Dec. 15 — Philz Coffee, a San Francisco-based coffee shop chain, plans to open its second Chicago-area location at 1030 Davis St. in Evanston next year.
- Demitrous Cook named Evanston police chief — Dec. 11 — A former Evanston deputy police chief has been named the city’s new police chief.
- Review set for Custer townhouse project — Dec. 16 — Plans to build 40 townhomes on the former Dard Products property at 912 Custer Ave. are scheduled for review by Evanston’s Design and Project Review Committee on Wednesday.
- Action postponed on downtown office building — Dec. 13 — Evanston’s Plan Commission Wednesday night postponed action on a planned office building in the 1700 block of Chicago Avenue until January after receiving a request for delay from the head of the condo association for another building on the block.
- Senior housing planned for former Dairy Queen site — Dec. 18 — The former Dairy Queen at 999 Howard St. in Evanston would be replaced with affordable housing for seniors under plans being developed by Evergreen Real Estate Group and CJE SeniorLife.
- Fleming, Luecke take jobs with Suffredin — Dec. 4 — Alderman Cicely Fleming, 9th Ward, and former District 65 School Board President Mary Rita Luecke have joined the staff of County Commissioner Larry Suffredin of Evanston.