2022 In Review: Top Massachusetts News Stories Of The Year

MASSACHUSETTS — Ron DeSantis. Maura Healey. Ime Udoka. Shoebert (the seal). Those are just four names that stood out in Massachusetts news in 2022.

Plenty more happened over the last 12 months, and we've compiled a list of some of the most notable moments in news of 2022. From crime and transit to sports and politics, here's our list of the top news stories of the year.

Monkeypox in Massachusetts

The first U.S. case of the disease appeared in Massachusetts in May. Almost 30,000 cases and 20 deaths have been linked to the disease since then.

DeSantis migrant flights

Martha's Vineyard was in the national spotlight in September when Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis flew a group of migrants from Texas to the island. DeSantis' own-the-libs stunt sparked lawsuits, widespread outrage and a criminal investigation.

Tom Brady "retires"

The former Patriots quarterback announced his retirement on Feb. 1, before reversing the decision 40 days later and agreeing to return to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Wonder if that had anything to do with his divorce later in the year?

Matty in the Morning retires

The KISS 108 DJ said,"It's time to start life as a lousy golfer," when he announced his retirement in May.

New voting rights

The state Legislature permanently expanded voting access in 2022, adding mail-in voting and new early voting periods to the roster of voting options. One item left off the list: same-day voter registration.

Child marriage ban

Yes, we had that — up until a unanimous vote to change the law in the spring.

Massachusetts reacts to Roe

A leaked memo forecasting the end of Roe V. Wade reverberated widely across the state. Although the state has some of the strongest laws in the U.S. protecting abortion, many residents took to the streets to protest the Supreme Court. Elected officials joined in, even getting arrested in Washington.

Legal sports betting

The state Legislature legalized sports betting in a marathon session at the end of the summer, although regulators are still working on how betting will work.

Historic election

Democrats Maura Healey and Kim Driscoll became the first all-woman executive team in state history, and Healey became the state's first openly gay governor, following the November election.

Drought, heat

Boston broke a nearly 100-year-old heat record, and the rest of the state was under an extreme drought through most of the spring, summer and fall.

Stoughton police abuse

After a pregnant woman died by suicide, an investigation revealed she had been sexually abused by Stoughton officers for years beginning when she was 15.

Soup kitchen sex abuse

A group of women accused a soup kitchen leader at a large Worcester church of sex abuse, leading to an investigation and his eventual resignation.

Orange Line closure

State officials ordered the closure of the transit artery in August to make repairs and upgrades. The line is still not running at top speed, as T officials had promised before the shut-down.

Sumner Tunnel closures

In June, MassDOT kicked off a series of 36 weekend closures of the tunnel for upgrades. That's not the worst of it: the tunnel will close completely starting in May.

Celtics suspend coach

The Celtics officially suspended Ime Udoka on Sept. 22. The Athletic later reported Udoka made "unwanted comments" toward a woman Celtics employee.

Boston World Cup

If you're missing the World Cup, you only have three years until it's in your backyard. Boston was been picked as one of several U.S. hosts for the global football event in 2026.

Humanitarian mortician dies

Worcester mortician Peter Stefan, who offered to bury Boston Marathon bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev when no one else would, died in March at age 85. He was well known for burying people too poor to afford funeral services.

David Ortiz targeted

Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis revealed in March that a drug kingpin targeted Big Papi in a 2019 shooting.

Landmark name changes

A handful of locations in Massachusetts were changed in 2022 to remove the slur "squaw." See the list here.

Starbucks labor battle

Four Starbucks locations in Worcester, Boston, Brookline and Westford became the first in Massachusetts to approve unions, part of a nationwide labor battle waged by Starbucks workers in 2022.

Northeastern explosion

The September incident left one person injured — and that person, a university employee, was later charged in connection to the incident.

Boston Children's targeted

After the right-wing social media account Libs of TikTok spread misinformation, multiple bomb and death threats were called in to the hospital, forcing it into lockdown twice. Two people have been arrested and charged by federal authorities so far.

Shoebert the Seal captures region

The Beverly seal's residency at a local pond was perhaps the hottest animal story of the year, even beating out the turkey gang leader "Kevin."

Lo mein amputation

The story of a man who got so sick after eating leftovers that his legs and fingers had to be amputated was certainly one of the strangest of the year — and it also turned out not to be true.