Here are 10 of the stories that most engaged Gazette readers in print and online in 2025. 

1. The Vineyard community mourned the death of Frank Rodenbaugh, a two-year old who died in March while in the care of his babysitter, Aimee Cotton. Ms. Cotton was indicted for manslaughter and reckless endangerment of a child, and her court case will continue on into 2026.

2. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested about 40 people on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket in May. The unannounced arrests raised concerns for the Island’s immigrant community and drew the ire of Massachusetts politicians. ICE has still not released full details of the arrests, which appeared to target workers in the trades.

3. In his latest Vineyard dustup, Alan Dershowitz got into a fight with a pierogi purveyor who declined to sell him dumplings at the West Tisbury Farmers’ Market. Mr. Dershowitz threatened legal action, but no suit has been filed in the subsequent five months. 

4. The U.S. Coast rescued a man who plunged into the churning waters off Woods Hole after he went over the railing of a Steamship Authority ferry in October. 

5. Jaws mania took over the Vineyard this year for the 50th anniversary of the Steven Spielberg film. The celebration of the blockbuster had a local angle at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum and became one of the most visited exhibits in the museum’s history. 

6. A Katama Bay home that was inspired by The Great Gatsby sold for $37.5 million, setting a new real estate record for Martha’s Vineyard. 

7. Islanders said goodbye to Robert Douglas, the founder of the Black Dog and captain who taught children how to sail aboard the Shenandoah. Captain Douglas, 93, died at his West Tisbury farm in April. 

8. Blue Heron Farm, the former Chilmark vacation rental of the Obamas and home to world-renowned architect Norman Foster, sold for $37 million. The 30-acre estate had set the record for the largest single residential real estate transaction before being passed by a home in Edgartown. 

9. Grey Barn, the seller of meat, cheese and pastries that commanded long lines in Chilmark, closed its door this summer, breaking the hearts of foodies everywhere. 

10. The Aquinnah 323-acre estate of former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis opened up to the public in June, giving Islanders a new access point to the ocean and a serene walking path along Squibnocket Pond.