A look back at 2022 — Kitsap County's headlines in review

This year is nearly in the rearview mirror, which means it’s time to take a look at 2022’s biggest news headlines here in Kitsap County.

1. St. Michael Medical Center struggles

One of the community’s most critical institutions, St. Michael Medical Center, continued to struggle along in 2022, and short staffing, particularly in the facility’s emergency room, continued as a common theme.

In June, after months of negotiating and with the possibility of a strike looming, nurses at the facility agreed to a new contract with hospital management. In August, fire chiefs throughout Kitsap County began sounding alarms about growing wait times for ambulance crews dropping off patients for treatment at the emergency room. In September and October, CommonSpirit Health, the hospital’s parent organization, suffered a ransomware attack that led to electronic health records systems being unavailable and meant that operations were delayed in Silverdale. In November, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health announced that it was closing outpatient therapy services at the Silverdale hospital.

Kelsay Irby, an emergency room nurse whose name regular Kitsap Sun readers will recognize from 2022's reporting on the facility, was asked to summarize the last year at the hospital from her perspective and give her outlook going into 2023. In a statement, she wrote in part: "Being a nurse exposes me to the best and worst of human nature. My coworkers are, by far, the best. We support and encourage each other through some pretty ridiculous situations, nights when there are five of us on shift, when there should be ten or twelve. We know each other, our little quirks and habits and idiosyncrasies and talents and we can tell when another is having a rough time. We check on each other after shifts and on days off and try to prop each other up. I worry about them, about their own mental and physical health, more than I worry about my own sometimes. They are my extended family, my brothers and sisters in ways I can’t explain but that are just as profound as blood relations.

She continued: "This last year has been a roller coaster, we’ve seen huge successes and community involvement, and huge disappointments in the disconnect between our leadership and those on the staff level. I see a continued lack of personal responsibility and education in some patients that make it difficult to improve their overall health. I do believe there is hope, but we have such a long way to go that I wonder how many people we will fail before we get to a point where we, both as a society and a healthcare community, can become even close to functional in our personal and professional health."

2. Supreme Court ruling on Joe Kennedy case

The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in favor of former Bremerton High School assistant football coach Joe Kennedy in his prayer case drew national headlines in June. In a 6-3 vote, the court’s conservative majority backed Kennedy and ruled that the Bremerton School District violated Kennedy’s religious freedom rights by prohibiting him from praying on the football field following games.

Some hailed the decision as a victory for religious freedom. Others criticized the ruling as an attack on the separation of church and state.

“I’m still trying to process it,” Kennedy said shortly after the ruling. “I haven’t stopped smiling once and it feels like my whole soul is vibrating. It’s awesome, it hasn’t settled in, but it’s awesome.”

In a court filing in October, the two sides in the case told a federal judge that Kennedy will be reinstated to his previous position as assistant coach on or before March 15, 2023.

3. Arrests made in Careaga cold case

Six and half years after the murders of four people at a residence near Tahuya Lake – including two teenagers – Kitsap County Sheriff’s detectives arrested in June three suspects and revealed their theory that the Careaga homicides occurred during a dispute between cocaine dealers.

The bodies of Christale Lynn Careaga and 16-year-olds Hunter E. Schaap and Johnathon F. Higgins were found Jan. 27, 2017, in the burning house. Johnny Careaga’s body was found two days later in his burned truck at a remote tree farm in Mason County.

The deaths sent a shockwave through the community, and the investigation lingered until June when prosecutors filed murder charges against brothers Robert J. Watson III and Johnny J. Watson and Danie J. Kelly Jr., associates of the Bandidos outlaw motorcycle club.

Detectives alleged Robert Watson had been selling cocaine supplied by Johnny Careaga, and the murders occurred after a confrontation with Johnny Careaga at the house.

All three men have pleaded not guilty and are being held without bail in the Kitsap County Jail.

What else made the headlines this year?

Roe rallies: Kitsap residents rallied against the Supreme Court ruling that abortion is not a constitutional right in June and earlier in May when a draft decision became public.

Formula shortages, inflation, gas prices: Kitsap residents, like people around the country, dealt with the effects of inflation and the war in Ukraine. Gas prices jumped. Families scrambled to find formula for infants.

OB-GYN crisis: Following the closure of women’s health care services offered by Naval Hospital Bremerton and Peninsula Community Health Services, the number of OB-GYN providers in Kitsap County shrank.

COVID-19 changes: The pandemic loosened its grip on local life in 2022, though the year began with a massive surge in cases as the omicron variant of the virus spread rapidly. Testing became scarce, and schools closed. Cases eventually fell off in January and February and masking rules and requirements disappeared as the year moved on.

Cathlamet crash: The Washington State Ferries vessel Cathlamet sustained significant damage after it collided with a group of pilings near the Fauntleroy ferry dock in July. No one was injured. The vessel remains out of service for repairs, and investigations into the incident are ongoing.

Nimitz farewell: The USS Nimitz departed Bremerton in late November for a months-long global deployment.

Chiefstick lawsuit settlement: In March, the city of Poulsbo agreed to pay $2 million to settle a civil lawsuit brought by the family of a Native American man who was shot and killed by a Poulsbo police officer in 2019.

Painful fires: The century-old Holly Community Club was destroyed by a fire in April. A fire damaged the Olalla Bay Market in South Kitsap in August, setting back efforts to reopen the beloved space to the community.

Lola Luna trial: Earlier this month, Lola Luna, the teenager who stabbed to death another teen during a fight last year, was found guilty of second-degree murder in a jury trial in Kitsap County Superior Court.

New MultiCare ER: The health care group MultiCare announced earlier this month that it plans to open a new “neighborhood” emergency room just outside Bremerton city limits on Highway 303 in 2024.

Ferries: State ferry service continued to be limited in 2022 as the agency attempted to hire more staff and return service to pre-pandemic levels. With new funding routed through the state, Kitsap Transit added new passenger-only sailings this month to serve Bremerton while WSF service is limited. WSF crossed a major milestone in its rebuild of the ferry terminal at Colman Dock in Seattle as it opened its new main terminal building in November.

Retirees: Longtime Kitsap County commissioner Ed Wolfe announced earlier this year that he wouldn’t run for reelection for his seat representing the Central Kitsap region, and in November, voters chose Katie Walters to take over the position. State Sen. Tim Sheldon, the longest-serving lawmaker in Olympia, announced he would retire earlier this year and not seek to retain his seat representing the 35th District. Voters ultimately selected Drew MacEwen to take over the position in November.

Remarkable run: Bainbridge Island’s Greg Nance completed a stunning run of more than 3,000 miles across the United States in July. The trip took 84 days.

Kitsap Sun archives were used in this story.

This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: A look back at 2022's notable headlines in Kitsap County