The Paper's Top Stories

As is customary, our last edition of the year brings The Paper’s roster of Top Stories.

To prepare the roster for 2025, we analyzed website traffic analytics, viewer engagement and commentary, and polled our internal staff for their lists.

We dispatched a reader survey to subscribers to capture their votes.

We quickly realized that many of the 2025 top-viewed, most-read stories were carry over topics from 2024: Hurricane Helene recovery, lawsuits, economic development projects. But this year a new category of stories emerged, People Profiles.

We were hard pressed to select The Best story in each category. Consequently, we grouped stories into one of 10 themes, and, internally, voted again.

Not surprisingly, People Profiles ranked No. 1. Those personal stories continually drew the largest audiences for the simple reason that people loved reading about their friends, neighbors, loved ones, and business owners.

You’ll see more of these profiles in 2026.

Also high on the roster of Top Themes: Ingles. (Will we ever get to the end of the sad saga that is the mystery of Ingles’ return to Morganton?) If we put “Ingles” in a headline, that story is getting read.

Likewise, any story about a local restaurant is guaranteed to draw eyeballs. Everyone wants to know what’s coming, when it’s opening, and what about serving lunch?

Actions inside Burke’s district and superior courts were heavily read stories in The Paper. Whether it was restaurant legal battles, crimes against children, or grand jury indictments against event organizers, these stories consistently generated conversation, debate, and, unfortunately, controversy.

Collectively, we think you’ll enjoy this look back through 2025 as we recall some of the most memorable and consequential reporting The Paper published this year.

— AVN