As we wrap up 2022, let’s look back on the big headlines of the year.
There was the Orange Line fire and subsequent monthlong shutdown. The Celtics went to the NBA Finals … and then head coach Ime Udoka was suspended. And on Election Day, Maura Healey became one of two out lesbians to be elected governor in the United States.
But there were also some stories you may have already forgotten were this year, like Massachusetts recording one of its biggest-ever winter storms and Gloucester-set “CODA” making history at the Oscars.
Let’s review.
Massachusetts hospitals stretched thin by COVID surge
Holiday gatherings and the highly contagious omicron variant of the coronavirus fueled a dramatic rise in COVID-19 cases. Here in Massachusetts, that early-January 2022 peak in cases remains the highest the state Department of Public Health has reported at any point during the pandemic.
City clears tents at Mass. and Cass
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu emphasized that her administration would deviate from previous attempts by city officials to clear homeless encampments from the area near Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard by focusing on housing and “meeting each person where they are.” But after the city cleared belongings from the area on Jan. 12, one person living there said “nothing is different.”
Anti-vaccine mandate protesters bring their opposition to Wu’s doorstep
Just before Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s mandate requiring proof of COVID-19 vaccination was scheduled to take effect in the city on Jan. 15, a small group of activists took to daily protests outside her home. Two months later, Boston City Council voted to limit protests at private residences.
Neo-Nazis target anti-racist doctors at Brigham and Women’s Hospital
On Jan. 22, two doctors who are working to improve health outcomes for people of color were targeted by a group of white nationalists who claimed their work was “anti-white.”
Winter Storm Kenan
This historic storm dumped 23.8 inches of snow on Boston at the end of January, and up to 30 inches in other areas.
Stan Grossfeld / Boston Globe via Getty Images
Boston Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Cassellius announces plan to step down
Cassellius was BPS’ fourth superintendent in the past decade, and she had a rough ride in the role. On Feb. 7, Mayor Michelle Wu said she and Cassellius reached a mutual agreement about the departure at the end of the school year. Mary Skipper took over in September after an at-times contentious selection process. Two candidates for the job withdrew themselves from consideration, and neither of the finalists were Black or Latino, leaving activists to question whether the search was fair.
Transgender swimmers make history at Ivy League women’s championships at Harvard
Penn’s Lia Thomas, a transgender woman, and Yale’s Iszac Henig, a transgender man, became only the second and third openly transgender athletes to win individual Division I conference titles.
MIT abandons Russian high-tech campus partnership in light of Ukraine invasion
On Feb. 25, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology ended a 12-year partnership with the Russian Skolkovo Foundation, a technology research institute that has long raised espionage fears among foreign policy experts and the FBI.
Massachusetts ends statewide school mask mandate
Education Secretary James Peyser said high vaccination rates and a decrease in positive coronavirus test rates meant it was safe enough to have children take off masks while at school. Starting Feb. 28, the decision of whether to require masks was left up to individual districts.
Cambridge trackless trolleys retire
The last of the electric-powered trackless trolleys that carried passengers over the roads of Cambridge, Watertown and Belmont for more than 80 years made their final runs on March 12. The MBTA replaced them with diesel-hybrid buses until a fully battery-powered fleet arrives in a couple of years.
New concert venue Roadrunner opens
After a series of setbacks related to construction stoppages, supply chain nightmares and real estate logistics, the midsize concert venue Roadrunner finally opened to the public on March 15.
Gloucester-set ‘CODA’ makes history at Oscars
On March 27, “CODA” won all three awards for which it was nominated: best picture, best supporting actor and best adapted screenplay. The film is the first best picture winner to feature a predominantly deaf cast, and supporting actor Troy Kotsur became the first deaf man ever to win an acting Oscar.
Lowell’s first diversity officer announces resignation after just 4 months on the job
“The change that needs to happen, maybe Lowell wasn’t ready for it,” Ferdousi Faruque told GBH’s All Things Considered. She announced her resignation at the beginning on April, saying she faced challenges like a lack of buy-in from city officials, systemic racism and nepotism.
Flight attendant crashpad busted by Boston Inspectional Services
Boston officials on April 6 condemned an old commercial property that had been converted into a four-bedroom apartment with enough bunkbeds to hold 20 flight attendants. GBH News later identified more than a dozen other crashpads, where flight attendants rent a space to sleep for much less than the going rate at a hotel. And most, if not all, of those appear to be illegal rentals.
Courtesy of Boston Inspectional Services
Man killed by Red Line train
Robinson Lalin died on April 10 after his arm became stuck in the closing subway doors and the train dragged him more than 100 feet. National Transportation Safety Board investigators later found that the train had a faulty door control system, which allowed the train to move even though it was not safe for it to leave the platform.
Two Boston-area Starbucks stores become first in Massachusetts to secure union wins
On April 11, baristas from Starbucks locations in Coolidge Corner and Allston erupted in cheers and embraced one another as election results were announced by an official from the National Labor Relations Board: 14-0 in Brookline and 16-0 in Allston.
LGBTQ+ leaders say there won’t be a Boston Pride parade this year
Boston Pride, the nonprofit organizer of past parades, moved to dissolve itself in 2021 amid a boycott over issues of race and transgender inclusion and complaints of excessive commercialization. This year, while many LGBTQ organizations held grassroots pride events, none took over organizing the parade.
The Boston Marathon holds its first in-person Patriots’ Day race in three years
Boston felt like its normal self after three years of pandemic-induced changes to the race. It also brought a more diverse range of athletes to the city’s streets, including Black runners who have faced structural barriers to participating and those who took up running as a form of stress relief during lockdowns.
Baby formula shortage takes its toll on parents of babies with medical conditions
Formula supplies remained scarce months after an Abbott Nutrition recall. The recall, coupled with nationwide supply chain issues, pushed demand onto whatever formula parents could find in stock, limiting options for families whose children have complex medical needs and rely on specialized formulas.
A leaked draft opinion reveals the Supreme Court plans to overturn Roe v. Wade
After the leak was made public on May 2, people in Massachusetts took to the streets to protest on numerous occassions. Many shared their own abortion stories, and called on Massachusetts to be a leader in the country when it comes to reproductive rights. Over the summer, the state Legislature and Gov. Charlie Baker approved a sweeping reproductive rights bill.
Diehl clinches victory at Mass. GOP convention
Geoff Diehl, the former state representative from Whitman and former U.S. Senate candidate, cruised to victory at the convention on May 21, winning more than 70% of the convention’s delegates and the party’s official endorsement.
Everett city councilor resigns in wake of racist comment
Councilor Anthony DiPierro and the mayor’s communications director Deanna Deveney resigned on May 23 after a video that included the two making racist statements was made public. The video was just the latest allegation of racism in the city, where people of color make up more than half the population but government remains largely white. In January, the city’s school superintendent filed a complaint accusing the mayor of discriminatory behavior. In March, DiPierro admitted sharing a racist cartoon meme with other councilors. Protesters said the resignations were “just the beginning” of needed action to address racism in the city.
Boston Celtics take on Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals
While the Celtics won two of the first three games, the Warriors took the series overall. Still, the team showed growth over the season under first-year coach Ime Udoka — a sign the team might be able to push ahead in the next season. Despite their ultimate loss, it was a chance for fans to take a closer look at the Celtics’ star players like Marcus Smart, from his time in high school to becoming the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year.
Delegates embrace Healey at Mass. Dems convention
Healey, who had been considered the favorite to win the nomination for months, was backed by 71% of the delegates at the June 4 convention.
Sumner Tunnel construction project begins
The two-year, $157 million Sumner Tunnel Restoration Project is intended to rebuild the one-mile underwater link between East Boston and downtown. The tunnel will be closed most weekends until May 2023, when the tunnel closes for four months straight. The Department of Transportation says traffic congestion is unavoidable, which is why they’re working only on weekends. And that very first weekend of the project? Well, one East Boston resident said she “literally couldn’t move out of East Boston.”
Worcester middle school stripped of Catholic status for flying Black Lives Matter and Pride flags
Bishop Robert McManus argued the flags contradict Catholic faith and said the Nativity School of Worcester failed to follow his demands that the flags be taken down.
Education commissioner will not recommend state takeover of Boston Public Schools
Boston Public Schools avoided a state takeover on June 28, with the city pledging to the state government that it would make immediate improvements to the school system in order to get out of being designated as “underperforming.” A state report, released in May, skewered the district for its failure to effectively educate vulnerable students and carry out basic operational functions.
Patriot Front group marches in downtown Boston
About 100 members of a white supremacist group called Patriot Front marched in downtown Boston on July 2 and allegedly assaulted a Black man. Boston City Councilors and some terrorism experts said the march was an “intelligence failure” because local leaders had no idea the hate group was coming to town. Weeks later, another neo-Nazi group, NSC-131, protested outside a children’s drag queen story hour in Jamaica Plain.
Mayor Wu names new police commissioner
After more than a year without permanent leadership, the Boston Police Department announced a new head on July 13. Michael A. Cox Sr., who rose through the ranks in Boston but left the city in 2019 to lead the police department in Ann Arbor, Michigan, called the return to the city a “homecoming.”
Steven Senne / AP
Orange Line train catches fire
More than 200 passengers were forced to evacuate after a fire broke out on an Orange Line train that was crossing the Mystic River on July 21. Some riders panicked and kicked out windows to escape the smoky car, and one woman jumped into the river, but no injuries were reported from this incident.
Legislature wraps up session with 11th-hour deals
The Massachusetts House and Senate struck deals to legalize sports betting, update the state’s gun laws and expand access to mental health care after an all-night lawmaking session. But their plans to provide $1 billion in tax relief stalled out as the legislative session ended around 5 a.m. the first day of August.
Wildfires break out in Breakheart Reservation
A record-setting drought created ideal conditions for wildfire spread this summer. Firefighters from across the state converged on Breakheart Reservation in Saugus to manage five separate fires in the park, two of which merged after the smoldering began on Aug. 17.
Middleborough team takes Massachusetts back to Little League World Series for first time since 2009
Massachusetts pre-teens found themselves in the national spotlight as one of 20 teams — 10 from American states and another 10 of international competition — all vying for Little League’s biggest prize. And it was a long time coming: Middleborough last sent a team to the series back in 1994.
MGM Music Hall at Fenway opens
The 5,000-seat event space, located behind Fenway Park’s right field bleachers, was the city’s second midsize concert venue to open this year.
MBTA shuts down Orange Line
Gov. Charlie Baker and MBTA General Manager Stephen Poftak said the monthlong closure would permit work to be completed that would otherwise take five years if done only during overnights and weekends. In addition, the MBTA closed a section of the Green Line for four weeks to accomplish work on that route.
Michael Dwyer / AP
Boston City Council breaks out in chaos following Arroyo sexual assault allegations
After the Boston Globe reported that police had twice investigated Boston City Councilor and Suffolk County district attorney candidate Ricardo Arroyo for sexual assault, tension erupted at the council’s regularly scheduled meeting on Aug. 31. There were multiple outbursts, an assault outside the council chamber and a lockdown. Arroyo went on to lose the primary to DA Kevin Hayden.
Controversial Saudi-backed LIV Golf comes to Massachusetts
The International, a private club in Bolton, was tapped to host the fourth installment of the LIV Golf Invitational Series. The majority shareholder in LIV Golf Investments is Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which is chaired by Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi crown prince widely seen as the kingdom’s de facto ruler.
Legendary jazz host Eric Jackson dies
Jackson, who was widely known as the “Dean of Boston Jazz Radio,” died on Sept. 17. He’d hosted shows on GBH since the 1980s. Jackson inspired audiences over his decades in radio broadcasting and interviewed thousands of musicians, both established legends of the jazz scene and local musicians who can’t imagine what their career trajectory would have been like without Jackson.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis sends dozens of migrants to Martha’s Vineyard
Two planes carrying around 50 migrants arrived at the airport on Martha’s Vineyard. Nobody on the tarmac knew they were coming. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis claimed credit for the flights, saying they were part of a state program to send immigrants without legal status to so-called “sanctuary” destinations. About a month later, a Texas sheriff certified that the migrants were victims of a crime, a key step in qualifying them for a special visa they would not have otherwise been eligible for.
Celtics suspend coach Ime Udoka
After a months-long investigation by an outside law firm, the team suspended head coach Udoka for an inappropriate relationship with a female staff member.
Steven Senne / AP
Disability advocate Paul Spooner dies
Paul Spooner was a longtime disability advocate whose work is credited with improving the lives of thousands of people in Massachusetts. Among his achievements was growing the state’s Personal Care Attendant program, a MassHealth program that provides funding to people with disabilities so they can hire attendants to assist with daily living activities.
Middlesex DA launches investigation into cop who allegedly helped organize Charlottesville rally
Allegations and a newly surfaced video linked Woburn police officer John Donnelly to the 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. Experts say the discovery of his apparent involvement more than five years after the rally speaks to how difficult — but critical — it can be to root out extremism from within law enforcement’s ranks.
Early onslaught of RSV cases fuels worry of “tripledemic”
Cases of respiratory syncytial virus surged earlier than usual this year, and doctors said more children were getting seriously ill. Greater Boston hospitals have been coordinating efforts to get kids the care they need, even if that means sending them across city lines or to another state. Meanwhile, parents who are caring for sick children at home noticed a shortage of fever-reducing drugs available at pharmacies because RSV, the flu and COVID-19 continue to spread. It’s already the worst flu season that Massachusetts has experienced in more than a decade.
Refunds begin going out to Mass. taxpayers
The state collected enough revenue this year to trigger a little-known 1986 law capping the annual growth in tax collections, so in November the excess billions started flowing to people who had filed income tax returns in 2021.
It becomes illegal to throw out used jeans and worn-out socks
Massachusetts residents must now recycle their old clothing and other textiles instead of tossing them in the garbage. Some cities and towns are offering curb-side pickup of textiles, while others are relying on collection bins.
Boston City Councilor Frank Baker makes anti-Protestant comments
During debate over plans to establish new city voting districts, Dorchester Councilor Frank Baker suggested that the new maps were “an all-out assault on Catholic life in Boston” orchestrated by redistricting chair Liz Breadon of Brighton. Local Catholic leaders spoke out against Baker’s remarks. And the next week, Mayor Michelle Wu quietly signed the City Council-approved map shifting voting district boundaries.
Holy Cross football makes it to FCS playoffs
It was a big year for the Holy Cross Crusaders, which last appeared in the postseason in 2009. The Crusaders took down the Fordham Rams and then beat the New Hampshire Wildcats to advance to the third round of the FCS playoffs, where they lost to South Dakota State.
Healey, Campbell claim historic wins on Election Day
For the first time ever, Massachusetts voters chose a woman as their next governor and elected a Black woman to statewide office. But in most races it wasn’t much of an election — it really wasn’t a choice for voters at all, with so many incumbents running unopposed.
Some of the most contentious items this election were statewide ballot questions. Voters approved a measure to create a higher tax for people earning more than $1 million a year. They also affirmed a new state law that will allow immigrants without legal status an avenue to get standard driver’s licenses — a controversial proposal that Gov. Charlie Baker vetoed, then legislators overwhelmingly passed, and opponents sought to repeal via ballot measure.
Jenifer McKim / GBH News
Prince William and Princess Kate Middleton come to Boston
The couple visited Boston for The Earthshot Prize, founded by Prince William to award five people who have made large contributions to environmentalism and solutions to climate change.
Boston City Council unanimously approves reparations study task force
The measure sets the stage for the city of Boston to participate in the growing national conversation about reparations: on how and who to compensate for the generational impacts of slavery and other racial traumas suffered by Black Americans.
Jim Braude hosts his last ‘Greater Boston’ show
Braude, who has hosted Greater Boston since 2015, said goodbye to viewers on Dec. 15. “I have no doubt how lucky I’ve been to have people like you set aside a part of an occasional evening to spend with me,” he said. “I’ve tried to ask questions that I thought you would want answered. I hope I got it right more often than not.” Braude will continue hosting Boston Public Radio with Margery Eagan.
Harvard announces Claudine Gay will be its next president
Claudine Gay, a social scientist who studies democracy and political participation, will be the first Black person to lead the country’s oldest college.
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