From news to sports, here’s a look at what stories and videos had the most reads and views on Augusta Free Press in 2025.
With more than 7.7 million readers in the calendar year and nearly 100K social media followers, we’ve compiled a list with some of the best stories and videos of 2025, as determined by views, in case you missed them.
Breaking news and weather were among the top stories of the year, but we excluded those from the list.
No surprise here, UVA basketball, baseball, football and swimming dominated our sports section.
Take a moment and catch up on topics that were the most popular among AFP readers and followers in the calendar year.
Also, in case you missed it, AFP reporter Crystal Graham shared her top stories from 2025 earlier this week.
Most-Read News Stories: Top 25 of 2025
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- Rockingham County: First Buc-ee’s Travel Center in Virginia eyes earlier opening date
- The spotted lanternfly: Virginians should brace for three to five years of ‘heavy infestation’
- The story of the man killed in Augusta County officer-involved shooting
- Tennessee man in jail with $2M bond because he posted a Trump meme on Facebook
- Harrisonburg teen posts video of mother’s arrest by ICE: ‘She’s not a criminal’
- Report: Aide who died in fire was having an affair with Republican congressman
- Plain clothes, masks, unmarked vehicles: ICE agents target immigrants in Virginia
- Staunton: Habitat for Humanity ‘survives’ tumultuous year with exit of executive director
- Two-day trial set for Augusta County realtor charged in $366K fraud case
- Disney losing billions over decision to censor Jimmy Kimmel
- Gas prices are higher: But, but, but, Trump said everything was going to be lower
- Youngkin commutes sentence of White cop in shooting death of unarmed Black suspect
- Rockingham County Sheriff: Murder of Hatcher family matriarch ‘completely random’
- Waynesboro: Elementary school student allegedly had notebook with kill list
- Augusta County: Childcare center shut down by state; families desperate for alternatives
- Harrisonburg: Immigrants rounded up by ICE were covered in dirt, appeared scared
- Former deputy files $5.35M suit against Augusta County sheriff over forced resignation
- NBC29 meteorologist charged with sex extortion, more victims sought
- Staunton: Magistrate issues warrant in ‘rolling coal’ incident at April 5 protest
- Changes announced at Mary Baldwin, speculation rampant on future of Staunton campus
- Crozet shooter: He was paranoid, schizophrenic, fighting his own mind, sister says
- Librarian who planned Augusta County Pride event tells all: And it’s worse than we thought
- At risk? Tree Streets couple want homeless out of their Waynesboro neighborhood
- Funding freeze forcing Virginia health centers to close doors, cancel appointments
- Staunton | Habitat built her home; she’s still fighting to break out of poverty
Most-Read Sports Stories: Top 25 of 2025
- UVA Basketball: Coaching search appears to be narrowed down to three top candidates
- UVA Basketball search comes down to five finalists: No, we don’t have a coach yet
- Now we know what was up with UVA Baseball all season: The coach was checked out
- Intel: UVA Basketball coach search committee is focusing on two names
- UVA Basketball coach search update: A new #1, and a new contender
- Did Tony Bennett quit coaching because Jalen Warley held him up for more money?
- Intel: Ron Sanchez among top two candidates for UVA Basketball job
- Cav Aquatics, UVA Swimming coach Gary Taylor on probation after admitting to emotional abuse of athletes
- UVA Basketball: Staff frustration with Christian Bliss bubbling to the surface
- Parent of student injured in UVA-FSU field storm makes plea for ‘meaningful change’
- UVA fans, against backdrop of rumored exit, need to take Brian O’Connor at his word
- UVA Football: What’s the word on the status of QB1 Chandler Morris?
- Odom’s first flub as the UVA Basketball coach: Not retaining Kyle Guy
- Examining the money involved in the UVA Baseball, Brian O’Connor story
- Mike Green details why he left the UVA Football program: It’s not good
- The uncomfortable Karl Kuhn part of the story of Brian O’Connor’s time at UVA
- UVA Athletics now requiring student-athletes to sign ‘binding’ contracts
- Waynesboro High School football coach arrested on misdemeanor DUI charge
- UVA Baseball: Brian O’Connor addresses the elephant in the room
- J’Mari Taylor didn’t play in the Gator Bowl: Let’s make a federal case out of it
- I gave UVA Athletics a chance to make amends on the coach misconduct story: They don’t wanna
- UVA Basketball: Tony Bennett didn’t do his buddy Ron Sanchez any favors
- Virginia Tech | Whit Babcock makes his case: But is it time for the school to move on?
- Brian O’Connor got his bag of money from Mississippi State: That’s what this was about?
- D1 swimmer: ‘It was hard for me to go to practice every day and face Gary Taylor’
Most-Viewed News and Sports Videos: Top 25 of 2025
- Mary Baldwin University president resigns: Jeff Stein had been on the job just two years
- Brian OConnor got his bag, and UVA did the right thing letting him move on
- O’Connor’s legacy: Brian O’Connor goes to Mississippi State
- Latest on the officer-involved shooting in Augusta County
- Trump takes victory lap with murders of Rob Reiner, Michele Reiner
- Augusta County: Man killed in shootout with deputies; one deputy airlifted
- Staunton: Magistrate issues warrant in ‘rolling coal’ incident at April 5 protest
- The rest of NASCAR has a Shane van Gisbergen problem
- Waynesboro High School football coach arrested on misdemeanor DWI charge
- UVA Basketball: I like what Ryan Odom is doing on the recruiting trail
- Podcast: Making sense of the Jim Ryan-UVA news, which makes no sense
- Augusta County sheriff reprimands Black deputy over lighthearted TikTok
- Judge issues continuance in Staunton protest reckless driving case
- Somehow, I’m now the prosecutor in the April 5 reckless driving case
- UVA Football: School does a 180 with ‘support’ from admissions helping recruiting
- Staunton PD had past issues with tow-truck driver charged in April 5 rally incident
- North Carolina house fire takes life of father of NASCAR star Denny Hamlin
- Waynesboro native and DJ/producer Andrew Hypes has found himself in some interesting places
- I gave UVA Athletics a chance to make amends on the coach misconduct story: They don’t wanna
- Commonwealth Center employee arrested on child sex charges
- UVA Board of Visitors tries to force new president on us
- Augusta County: Family of man who died in police custody wants answers
- Neighbors disagree with couple’s efforts to push homeless out
- UVA Football: It’s time for something new
- Brian O’Connor got his bag, and UVA did the right thing letting him move on
2024: Top 10 in News and Sports
2024 Most-Read News Stories
- Virginia’s first casino announces November opening of its permanent facility
- First location of Buc-ee’s in Virginia expected to break ground later this month
- A winter wonderland? Expert weighs in on snowfall chances in Virginia
- First location of Buc-ee’s in Virginia on schedule for summer 2025 opening
- Two dead, 28 sick due to Listeria outbreak in multiple states including Virginia
- Glenn Youngkin: Displaced federal employees can just get another job
- Possible exposure to measles if you visited this grocery store in Virginia
- Possible source of Listeria outbreak that killed two traced to Virginia company
- Youngkin’s MAGA takeover of Virginia public colleges, universities now complete
- Donald Trump was right: There was funny business in the 2020 vote total
2024 Most-Read Sports Stories
- Hot taek: Virginia is struggling because Tony Bennett is stepping down
- UVA Basketball: ‘Towering Fraud’ Pat Forde gets one last lick in at Tony Bennett
- UVA Football: The empty seats in Scott Stadium are a Carla Williams problem
- Sanchez, Williford contract language appears to spell out Bennett departure from UVA
- Reality check: JMU loses a ton of money trying to pretend to be ‘big-boy’ football
- That loss at Louisiana-Monroe was costly for JMU: As in, literally costly
- UVA Football: What it costs to play in a half-full stadium, and who pays the bill
- It’s time to push the panic button: Not just on this season, but on the future of Virginia Basketball
- Tony Bennett steps down as UVA Basketball coach: Why this isn’t a surprise
- UVA releases details on length of Tony Bennett contract, answers question on extension
2023: Top 10 in News and Sports
2023 Most-Read News Stories
- Democrat flip in special election likely spells end for Youngkin’s presidential ambitions
- Another day, another earthquake in Virginia; this one deeper than last two
- Maine Coons rescued from Virginia breeding facility find homes through Cat’s Cradle
- Get ready: Farmers Almanac predicts Virginia could see a cold, snowy winter
- Virginia faces new culprit that is killing trees and there is no treatment for disease
- $162.6 million Powerball jackpot ticket bought in Virginia remains unclaimed
- New to Virginia, Augusta County military vet’s service dog shot and killed by neighbor
- Parents raise issue with SDHS girls basketball coach’s Three Percenters tattoo
- Remains found at Augusta County construction site: Investigators trying to determine who it is
- Craigsville dog euthanized by shelter; owner was waiting for paycheck to pick up pet
2023 Most-Read Sports Stories
- Shedrick, on his way to Texas, swipes at Bennett: ‘Looking forward to play in a free offense’
- Virginia needs to cancel its football season opener in openly racist Tennessee
- Virginia coach Tony Bennett likes Cavaliers defense, reveals his next career move
- Analysis: Why UVA, Virginia Tech are exploring options for leaving the ACC
- Virginia Basketball Q&A: Was playing time for Ben Vander Plas a cause of the mass exodus?
- Report: UVA coaching staff has concerns over fit with QB transfer Tony Muskett
- Virginia Basketball Q&A: Why did Kadin Shedrick ride the bench for two months?
- Report: Virginia basketball assistant coach reportedly leaving for another job
- Cory Alexander goes off-script: What was the ACC Network color commentator thinking?
- Carla Williams wanted a teardown: She and Tony Elliott need to be made to own it
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