Top Stories of the Year in Evanston

EVANSTON, IL - It’s been a newsy year both nationally and locally in Chicago’s nearest north suburb, so it was difficult to pick just a few of the top stories of the year. But we have selected some that stuck out more than others.

Here’s a look at what turned the most heads in Evanston in 2016.

Evanston Cops Placed on Leave After Arrest of City Clerk Candidate: City officials sided with a political candidate who was gathering signatures downtown one night when he was arrested by two police officers.

Northwestern Chapel Vandalized With Hate Messages; Connected Defendants Avoid Jail Time: Two former Northwestern University students were caught on video defacing the Alice Millar Chapel overnight with images of penises, pro-Trump words and swastikas. Hate crime charges were eventually dropped and the pair no longer attend school at Northwestern.

Spike Lee Visits Northwestern to Show ‘Chi-Raq,’ Talk Trump and Diss Chance the Rapper: Filmmaker Spike Lee was in Evanston in March to show his controversial film, “Chi-Raq,” which touches on the problem of gun violence in Chicago. After the viewing, he engages in a heated debate with students about how the movie apparently missed the mark.

Seth Meyers Gives Funny Commencement Speech at Northwestern: Comedian and NU alum Seth Meyers was also at Northwestern this year, bringing a much more light-hearted message than Lee. He talked about his connections to Central Street, the people graduating who are likely much smarter than him and, of course, Donald Trump.

Local Artist Kayaks Around Coast of Crete to Raise Money for Alzheimer’s Research: Bob Danon of The Danon Gallery on Central Street raised money for Alzheimer’s research with a nearly 300-mile kayak ride along the coast of the largest Greek island. It’s the third time he completed the trek for charity.

Mayor Tisdahl Decides Not to Seek Re-election: Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl decided not to run for a third term as Evanston’s highest political official, opening up an opportunity for a male to lead the city for the first time in more than 30 years.

Columbus Day Replaced with Indigenous Peoples Day: Tisdahl proclaimed the creation of an Indigenous Peoples Day in Evanston and gave the OK for the Mitchell Museum of the American Indian to decide when it would be. They picked the date known to most Americans as Columbus Day.

11-Year-Old Evanston Boy Named a Pop Warner Academic All-American: It was quite an honor for Eyan Simms, who was among the top 2 percent of all Pop Warner participants academically.

Home From ‘16 Candles’ Hits the Market: Evanston has more than a few ties to popular culture, and one of its strongest made the news this year. The home on Payne Street that Molly Ringwald made famous is for sale.

The year produces several other big stories as well. Keep up to date with Evanston by liking Evanston Patch on Facebook and signing up for our daily newsletter.