Most-Read Wheaton Stories in 2012

In school news:

The parents of a Jewish student at Northwood High School complained when the principal asked them to provide a letter from a rabbi justifying the kippah their son wore to school. The resulting controversy led to a change in the high school's headwear policy such that no letter is now necessary.

In business news:

The wholesale giant Costco engrossed Wheaton readers this year. Patch tracked construction progress, announced when job applications opened for the store, and shared news of the delayed opening.

Dick's Sporting Goods opened in the Wheaton mall in October.

After some indications that The Royal Mile Pub was closing for good, the popular Wheaton restaurant reopened under a new owner in time for St. Patrick's Day.

In crime news:

In September, the suspect in a Wheaton homicide was arrested in Miami after jumping from a hotel roof in an apparent suicide attempt, police said.

A teenage girl was attacked with a stun gun in Wheaton on a Monday afternoon in September, police reported.

In opinion:

White Knuckle Parenting columnist Jean Winegardner wrote a reflection in February on the life of , after she passed away from breast cancer.