Our favorite stories of 2023

When I asked reporters and editors to send me a few of their favorite Banner stories of the year, I was prepared for silence — productivity isn’t exactly at its peak during the week between Christmas and New Year’s.

But instead of letting my question hang unanswered in the ether, the newsroom stepped up.

Reporters and editors used it as an opportunity to praise co-workers and elevate stories that made them proud.

Take a look at their favorite stories and let me know what we missed: What was your favorite Banner story of 2023?

If it’s not on this list, send me an email with a link to the story and a sentence describing what you liked about it.

Responses have been lightly edited for style.

Who killed Gavin Knupp?

By Julie Scharper

“Julie Scharper’s story about Gavin Knupp could have been a simple hit-and-run piece but she really explored who Gavin was and the people seeking justice for him. We need more stories that allow people’s lives to overshadow the statistics their deaths may put them in.“ — Jasmine Vaughn-Hall

50 years later, a family reunites at the former Catonsville home of their grandparents

By Clara Longo de Freitas

“I loved Clara Longo de Freitas’ piece about a family reuniting with their home after 50 years. It was a true neighborhood piece that highlighted how home is truly where the heart is.” — Jasmine Vaughn-Hall

A widow’s late husband had said to look for eagles. A stranger swooped in to help her find them.

By Cadence Quaranta

“I absolutely loved the story by Cadence Quaranta on the widow who was helped by a stranger who took her to see eagles at the Conowingo Dam.” — Richard Martin

The making of Baltimore sailor Donald Lawson and the quixotic quest that may have doomed him

By Hugo Kugiya

“Hugo Kugiya was uniquely positioned to do a deep dive on Donald Lawson and cast a wide net to track the missing sailor’s journey using interviews and social media posts. A unique story only The Banner can deliver.” — Brandon Weigel

Baltimore’s long-shot push for America’s first Black saint

By Jasmine Vaughn-Hall

“Jasmine Vaughn-Hall’s Black sainthood story is the epitome of what a Banner feature should be. Her exploration about the Black American candidates in the sainthood process was insightful and engaging, yet easy to read. She was able to shed light on a small local movement that has long been ignored. Jess’s photos also beautifully told the story visually.” — Penelope Blackwell

“Hands down my favorite story of the year. Well-researched and beautifully written. Thank you, Jasmine, for this gift.” — Leslie Streeter

Assaulted and set on fire: Days before LaPere’s killing, the horrific attack that started with a ‘maintenance’ visit

By Lillian Reed

“In the midst of the Pava LaPere homicide investigation, Lillian Reed talked with a victim in a separate incident. It was a compelling narrative that raised serious questions about what the police disclosed up until that point and how they handled their investigation.” — Brandon Weigel

Why I paid $40 to have someone drive me across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge

By Christina Tkacik

“It’s always a good idea to read whatever Christina Tkacik has to say about food — but her voice also extends far beyond the culinary world. The Bay Bridge piece was thoughtful, interesting and so, so well done. And it seemed like everyone in town had read it; my rabbi even referenced it during a High Holiday sermon.” — Hallie Miller

200 feet above the Chesapeake Bay, the future of the bridge is clear

By Rick Hutzell

“Just to throw in one of my own, I started thinking about this piece after reading Christina Tkacik’s on crossing the Bay Bridge. It’s a structure that defines Maryland, and it’s too easy to let the story of the efforts to replace it get lost in covering the mindless process of studies, funding and engineering.” — Rick Hutzell

Church bar aimed to create a queer-friendly utopia. It went up in flames.

By Christina Tkacik

“Christina Tkacik’s investigation of the dissolution of Church Bar, what had been one of my favorite new spots, was as riveting as a novel, yet a fair and even-handed look at what went wrong.” — Julie Scharper

A package deal: When Shintaro Fujinami joined the Orioles, so did his interpreter and friend Issei Kamada

By Danielle Allentuck

“Danielle Allentuck examined what happens when an interpreter gives up his dream to follow his friend on a Major League Baseball journey that continued with the Orioles. It’s not often we get to see how transactions impact those around the player and this is an engaging look from that perspective.” — Monique Jones

Cozy relationships, shadowy disclosures underlie Baltimore’s $8M police consent decree

By Ben Conarck

“Ben Conarck’s investigation into the possible conflicts of interest behind ... [Baltimore Police Department’s] consent decree turned needed scrutiny onto relationships and an expensive process that are often taken for business as usual in City Hall.” — Adam Willis

Inside Howard County’s school bus crisis: What went wrong before Zum’s launch

By Daniel Zawodny

“I didn’t know how much transportation news there was in Baltimore until Daniel Zawodny started. He’s already owned stories on multiple transportation crises. This one pulling back the curtain on the Zum mess in Howard County and the recent step-back on the light rail’s deferred maintenance were both excellent.” — Adam Willis

Tours highlight civil rights legacy in Upton’s Marble Hill

By Penelope Blackwell

“Penelope Blackwell’s story on the civil rights tour in Upton’s Marble Hill had great history and a handy illustrated map for readers. Great utility piece.” — Brandon Weigel

What caused a 33% drop in gun violence in West Baltimore last year? We analyzed it.

By Ryan Little, Adam Willis and Ben Conarck

“Ben Conarck, Ryan Little and I put a lot of work into this deep dive on Baltimore’s revived anti-gun violence approach, the Group Violence Reduction Strategy. The Scott administration has pitched the strategy as a wholesale reimagining of the city’s approach to violent crime, and, so far, it’s shown promise as well as growing pains. This initial story laid the groundwork for our reporting on the strategy since then, and I think should continue to be a benchmark for assessments of the city’s work on gun violence moving forward.” — Adam Willis

A trans pastor helps those on the margins find grace

By Julie Scharper

“One story I will always remember is Julie Scharper’s piece on Good Trouble Church. She spent more than a year with this tenacious and loving congregation that’s made up of many unhoused people who live in and around Station North. She earned their trust, told their stories and elevated a loving community with a beautiful feature slash profile of its pastor.” — Cody Boteler

‘I just snapped’: Day care owner shot husband after learning of sexual abuse allegations

By Dylan Segelbaum

“Dylan Segelbaum is an absolute news machine. I have no idea how he breaks so much news and writes so many stories while also attending more concerts than anyone who is not a professional musician. There are so many great Dylan stories to pick from this year, but one of my favorites is this profile of Shanteari Weems, the woman who shot her husband after learning he had been molesting children at the day care she owned.” — Julie Scharper

Orioles lease deal hits roadblock on cusp of public announcement

By Andy Kostka and Pamela Wood

“The total newsroom pull, led by Andy Kostka and Pamela Wood, gave us arguably the sports scoop of the year on the Orioles lease getting held up. A lot of people had the discipline to make sure we got the story right.” — Kyle Goon

19 gunshot victims went to a small South Baltimore hospital. They all lived.

By Meredith Cohn

“I’m always a fan of everything Meredith Cohn writes, but I thought her piece about the 19 gunshot victims who were treated at MedStar after the Brooklyn shooting, and lived, was a perfect example of the kinds of stories The Banner should always be doing.” — Hallie Miller

Secret no more: 3 priests from sex abuse report identified

By Tim Prudente, Jessica Calefati, Dylan Segelbaum and Liz Bowie

“I can’t say enough about the incredibly difficult and important work of Liz Bowie, Jessica Calefati, Tim Prudente and Dylan Segelbaum in unmasking the names of accused priests and top church officials whose names were redacted from the Archdiocese of Baltimore child sex abuse report. This first story led to many others.” — Richard Martin

Bowie native Khoi Young has the potential to transform men’s gymnastics

By Kyle Goon

“I don’t know why everyone else seems to be sleeping on Khoi Young, but I’m so glad we are not. Kyle Goon writes a lot of fantastic columns, and this one is up there, capturing the spirit of this rising star who you all will be cheering in the Paris Olympics next summer.” — Pamela Wood

A bench in East Baltimore preserves memories of ‘the reservation’

By Clara Longo de Freitas

“There are so many great Clara Longo de Freitas stories to pick from. One of my favorites takes us to ‘Slim’s bench’ in Butchers Hill and tells us about the men who used to congregate there and the history of the Lumbee people and other Native Americans in East Baltimore.” — Julie Scharper

A trip to Miller Park connects a lifetime of memories for Banner writer’s ailing father

By Andy Kostka

“Andy Kostka brought tears to my eyes with his essay about his family’s trip to Miller Park.” — Julie Scharper

Maryland schools taught reading the wrong way for decades. That’s changing.

By Kristen Griffith and Liz Bowie

“As a parent and someone who cares about education, I’d seen the phrase ‘the science of reading’ tossed around for years, but I wasn’t sure what it meant and — what it looked like in practice — until Kristen Griffith and Liz Bowie masterfully explained it.” — Julie Scharper

Why did police call for cleaners before processing mass shooting scene?

By Brenna Smith and Jessica Gallagher

“Brenna Smith’s visual investigations help The Banner stand out and be interesting. The story she and Jessica Gallagher wrote about how BPD dealt with the cleanup of the crime scene after the Brooklyn Homes shooting led the police to review their trainings and update protocols.” — Clara Longo de Freitas

With Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton, anything is possible: ‘There’s nothing that kid can’t do’

By Jonas Shaffer

“Jonas Shaffer showed what kind of depth is possible in a sports profile with this insight into Kyle Hamilton’s talent for just about everything.” — Kyle Goon

More than a dozen public art pieces have vanished. Not a single person can say why.

By Abby Zimmardi

“Abby Zimmardi’s missing art story was simply perfect, in every way. I re-read it when I’m looking for writing inspiration.” — Brenna Smith

Report of baby kangaroo in West Baltimore delights the internet

By Tim Prudente

“I am a fan of all of Tim Prudente’s writing, but my pick for the best Banner sentence of the year comes from his story about the mythical West Baltimore kangaroo: ‘Let us just live in a Baltimore of wonder, where the alleys hold baby kangaroos.’” — Julie Scharper

Fugitive Maryland official Roy McGrath shot simultaneously by self, FBI, prosecutor finds

By Tim Prudente

“Tim Prudente and others did a great job following the story of fugitive Roy McGrath. It’s inherently hard to follow a manhunt across states. The FBI tend to be closed mouth about this, for good reason. But whether it was the interview with the mysterious author who most likely was McGrath himself, or the detailed reporting on what happened at the end, this was good journalism.” — Rick Hutzell

Tee Martin knows the pain of having a dream denied. The Ravens QB coach is finally getting his chance to change perceptions.

“The Ravens conversation often circles around MVP candidate Lamar Jackson, but Giana Han’s piece on Tee Martin goes beyond the star QB. As QB coach, Martin is leading [the] league’s first all-Black QB corps and realizing a dream that has been years in the marking.” — Monique Jones

Black residents are leaving Baltimore in large numbers, heading to suburbs

By Abby Zimmardi and Ryan Little

“A great story uses facts or data to explain what’s happening, then backs it up with human experiences and emotions. Abby Zimmardi and Ryan Little’s reporting about Black Baltimoreans leaving the city puts a figure to a feeling. And I love that Abby followed it up with a piece about Black residents who decided to move to Baltimore.” — T.J. Ortenzi

A Turkish pilot visited his investment property in Baltimore. He was shocked by what he found.

By Justin Fenton

“Like everyone in Baltimore, I often wonder why there are so many vacant properties around. I would have never guessed that part of the answer is that an unscrupulous company is selling them to foreign investors and misrepresenting their condition until Justin Fenton uncovered the truth in his continuing investigation of ABC Capital.” — Julie Scharper

Once-segregated tennis courts now serve Black friendships and rivalries

By Jasmine Vaughn-Hall

“Jasmine Vaughn-Hall’s piece on the friendship on the Druid Hill Park tennis courts was not only a great read but a great example of community stories in Baltimore.” — Tramon Lucas

From loss to legislation: Overdose death prompts push for more fentanyl testing

By Pamela Wood

“I earned the trust of the loved ones of a young man who died from substance use disorder, and wrote about how his death inspired legislation to require fentanyl testing in hospitals. Several other reporters picked up this story after me, and the bill passed.” — Pamela Wood

Four Black cowgirls from Maryland ride together again. This time, in search of sisterhood.

By Penelope Blackwell

“Penelope Blackwell and Jessica Gallagher’s story about the Black cowgirls introduced us to an eclectic group of women. I thought their personalities really came through in the writing and photos.” — Jasmine Vaughn-Hall

Auto thefts seem to be happening everywhere, to everyone

By Ryan Little, Greg Morton, Penelope Blackwell, Jasmine Vaughn-Hall, Hugo Kugiya, Laila Milevski, Royale Bonds, Dylan Segelbaum, Brenda Wintrode and Adam Willis

“Ryan Little and Greg Morton lead the charge on the auto thefts package, an ambitious and swift newsroom-wide endeavor. They listened to readers and were able to formulate a data-driven series on auto thefts that both did numbers and prompted BPD to make changes before it even published!” — Brenna Smith

Shohei Ohtani’s towering home run, strong outing lead Angels to series-opening win over Orioles

By Andy Kostka

“Andy Kostka sprung into action to make this one of the most popular stories of the year: What kind of person would throw away a Shohei Ohtani home run ball?” — Kyle Goon

Something in the water? Black actresses with Maryland ties flourish in television and film

By John-John Williams IV

“My story about Black actresses with Maryland ties was an eye-opener for many readers, including successful Black actresses who had never linked the two.” — John-John Williams IV

How a series of errors cut off Baltimore’s access to $10 million in housing grants

By Hallie Miller and Emily Sullivan

“Of course, the incredible Hallie Miller and Emily Sullivan get results separately, but even more so together. Their story on the city missing out on $10 million in HUD funding led to leadership resignations.” — Brenna Smith

‘I had to protect myself’: What Maryland is doing to stop kids from seeking guns

By Brenda Wintrode

“Brenda Wintrode has become our expert on juvenile crime, and traveled out to Western Maryland to learn from kids in custody about why they felt the need to carry guns.” — Pamela Wood

A year later, big changes — maybe a movie deal — for Baltimore’s longest-living Jane Doe

By Tim Prudente

“Tim Prudente’s follow up on Baltimore’s longest-living Jane Doe is literally life-changing work. Simboli notes the big and small changes a year after ... uncovering her identity, like a potential movie deal? I mean that was only made possible through the impact of Tim’s telling of this woman’s quest.” — Penelope Blackwell

Single motherhood: Raising children alone, by choice

By Leslie Streeter

“For stories you can’t get anywhere else, it pays to follow Leslie Streeter. Her series about single parenthood is fascinating, fresh and intimate. The second story in the series brought in perspectives I don’t know that I’ve read before.” — Hallie Miller

How a 73-year-old rec center became South Baltimore’s latest environmental battle line

By Adam Willis

“I wrote about why residents in Curtis Bay are rallying around a dilapidated, 73-year-old rec center, even as the city tries to push forward multimillion-dollar plans to build a new community center just a few blocks away. I tried to highlight the mistrust many residents feel toward the city as leaders direct more investment into historically overlooked parts of town.” — Adam Willis

Morgan State’s newest sport gives athletes an unexpected chance to compete at the Division I level

By Alejandro Danois

“I enjoyed Alejandro Danois’ story explaining how the country’s first HBCU to offer Division I acrobatics and tumbling as a scholarship sport landed right in our backyard at Morgan State.” — Monique Jones

Muskrat love: Eastern Shore festival celebrates skinning and eating aquatic rodent

By Julie Scharper

“Everything Julie Scharper does is fantastic. Full stop. I loved her slice of life story about the 76th annual National Outdoor Show World Championship Muskrat Skinning Contest on the Eastern Shore, featuring photos from the wonderfully talented Kaitlin Newman.” — Dylan Segelbaum