Presidents and kings, billionaires and bloodstained men: the 10 quirkiest stories of 2022

We’ve had some wild times this past year. Herald News stories from 2022 introduced readers to presidents and kings, idols and billionaires. We discovered the dark side of internet fame, but shared a laugh about our dreadful past with famous comedians. It’s been a year chock full of unusual stories — good, bad and weird.

As we count down the remaining days of 2022, let’s take a look at 10 stories that were the quirkiest, most unusual of the year.

Why Mayor Coogan wants a third term: 'We’re going to ... just keep elevating ourselves'

President Biden talks climate change in Somerset

Brayton Point is in the midst of a transition from environmental hazard to outpost in the green future. President Joe Biden, no doubt advised of how apt the site was, chose it as the setting for an announcement that his administration would declare a climate emergency.

On the hottest day of the year, with temperatures nearing 100, Biden and a cadre of legislators flew in to Providence and motorcaded to Somerset, arriving at a sweltering stretch of concrete and weeds overlooking Mount Hope Bay. The president delivered an 18 and a half minute speech with the skyline of Fall River behind him about the dangers of a warming climate and the potential for renewable energy to create jobs — then left, returning to Washington that same afternoon.

What's next? While Biden said he would officially declare climate change a national emergency in the following weeks, he never actually did so.

Ernie Boch Jr. buys an island in Swansea

Swansea welcomed a new resident — famed auto magnate, billionaire businessman and philanthropist Ernie Boch Jr. shelled out about $1 million for long-neglected Pleasure Island and an adjacent property in Ocean Grove. Boch bought the private island in June by swooping in and canceling an auction at the last minute. In August, the Subaru of New England CEO visited the island with assistants and landscapers in tow, checking out his new chunk of real estate.

What's next? Pleasure Island was once known for hosting picnics and family functions. At the time, Boch said he wasn’t sure he saw what the future would hold for his property — plans for Pleasure Island are still up in the air.

Soup's on: Blount Fine Foods has big plans for Fall River. Here's what we know.

Pam Laliberte accused of harassment in romance gone wrong

Former Fall River City Council President Pam Laliberte became the subject of a criminal investigation in August when she was arrested for making annoying telephone calls and felony counts of witness intimidation/obstruction. According to prosecutors, the case stemmed from a bizarre love-polygon — Laliberte, a real estate agent, had had an affair with another real estate agent, who was also a business partner, and began contacting her ex-lover's wife when she discovered that he'd begun having an affair with a different woman.

Investigators said Laliberte admitted to Westport police that she installed an app on her phone that could spoof her identity, and used this to engage in a campaign of harassment. In texts extracted from a forensic analysis of her phone, investigators said, Laliberte or someone she was communicating with discussed planting evidence on an unknown person. Other texts allegedly feature discussion about ruining marriages, male genitalia, knife emojis, and a joke about being an elected official.

What's next? Laliberte-Lebeau stepped down from her position as president but remains on the City Council. She has not yet been arraigned. Earlier in December, a District Court judge rejected a defense motion to drop two felony charges from her case. She's due back in court for another hearing Jan. 12.

Bloodstained Men protest circumcision in Fall River

The streets of Fall River ran red with Bloodstained Men this August, as the anti-circumcision “intactivist” group held a brief public protest in the South End. The Bloodstained Men included Fall River in its 13-day protest tour of New England, with members wearing stark white suits stained red in the crotch, and holding provocative signs with messages like “Stop cutting baby penis” and “I want my foreskin back.”

Members of the Bloodstained Men spent a couple of hours standing in peaceful protest on Rhode Island Avenue.

What's next? The group has not yet released a schedule of events for 2023.

Somerset Berkley grad goes from viral to 'Idol'

Delaney Wilson, a Somerset Berkley graduate who went viral on TikTok as the “singing babysitter,” found her way from the East Coast to Hollywood. Secretly filmed singing “Part of Your World” from Disney’s “The Little Mermaid,” Wilson was invited by “American Idol” producers to audition for the nationwide talent competition.

Wilson auditioned for the show live in front of the show’s celebrity judges: Luke Bryant, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie. “American Idol has always been a big part of my family since I was little,” she said. “It was definitely always one of my goals, one of my big, big goals in life.”

What's next? Wilson did not advance past the first round of “American Idol,” but posted a message of gratitude on her Instagram profile, saying, “I am beyond grateful for this experience and all the opportunities it has put upon me. … There ain’t no way this is the last of me.”

Atlantic Sports Bar shamed off Internet for anti-Semitism

Other local people discovered the dark side of going viral. In July, the Atlantic Sports Bar & Restaurant in Tiverton posted an anti-Semitic meme to its Facebook page, depicting teenage Jewish writer Anne Frank and comparing hot summer weather with the ovens Nazis used to cremate murdered Jewish prisoners during World War II.

After initially defending the post to commenters, the Atlantic Sports Bar deleted the post — and then their entire Facebook page as outcry from the community grew. Representatives from the restaurant would not discuss the post with media. The restaurant’s Yelp page was flooded with one-star reviews, causing Yelp to disable reviews on the page.

What's next? As of December, the bar has not created a new Facebook page, although an unofficial page exists. Yelp has deleted hundreds of the one-star reviews referencing the Facebook post, and the ability to leave reviews has been reinstated.

Fall River man proves LEGO isn't just for kids

LEGO may be mainly a kids’ toy, but playing with them keeps 86-year-old Bob Higgins of Fall River young. We profiled this Beach Street resident whose passion and hobby is collecting and building the highly detailed brick models.

Higgins needed a way to keep himself occupied after his wife of 64 years passed away, and threw himself into the hobby of building LEGO sets with help from his kids — it now has him “hooked.”

What's next? LEGO releases new sets each year — one set rumored for 2023 is a possible recreation of the famous Japanese art piece “The Great Wave off Kanagawa.”

A blue-light special on the Braga Bridge

Fall River got a little brighter this year when in May the Massachusetts Department of Transportation switched on 150 new LED lights on the Braga Bridge, casting the center of the iconic span in a bright blue glow.

The project was a well-kept secret, with lighting that can be programmed to change to seven different colors. The default is “Braga blue.”

What's next? The project is a first of a two-phase project due to cost about $8 million, which when done will light up the entire bridge. Phase 2 is currently in the 25% design stage.

Conan O’Brien promises a visit to Fall River

Fall River came up in conversation early this year when comedy legend Conan O’Brien invited Fall River native Phil Devitt onto his podcast, “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend.” Devitt, a tour guide at the Lizzie Borden House on Second Street, invited the comedian to spend the night at the infamous house — the scene of a grisly double homicide still unsolved to this day.

“I’m proposing that the three of us do a podcast from the Lizzie Borden House,” O’Brien said.

“I don’t know when, but we’ll come to Fall River, the three of us, and I swear to God we should podcast from the house where these terrible crimes were committed, and I will do the podcast dressed as Lizzie Borden. And then I will recreate those heinous crimes.”

What's next? So far, O’Brien hasn’t made his way to the Spindle City yet — consider this a reminder.

Local man wins royal prize as Budweiser's King of Bud

Paul Castro, a Swansea native, was crowned the King of Beers in January when Budweiser announced he won a $50,000 cash prize as part of their King of Bud contest. Castro caught the eye of Bud big-wigs with an astonishing hand-made royal suit of chain mail, cloak and crown made entirely of Budweiser can tabs and bottlecaps.

Castro said his contest victory was “10 years and 10,000 beers” in the making. And besides the cash, it came with the Keys to the Kingdom: a VIP brewery tour at Anheuser-Busch in St. Louis, Mo., and experience with the Budweiser Clydesdale horses, a photo shoot, travel expenses and a $500 gift card to the brewery gift shop. He’ll also be featured on a plaque in the St. Louis brewery for a year.

Castro claimed his tour this past summer, when he shared photos of himself on social media, in his kingly garb, visiting the famous Clydesdales.

What's next? Castro’s yearlong reign as the King of Beers is winding down, but he said he has more to give than just one contest win. “I don’t know what this will hold,” he said at the time, “but I’ve got a lot of ideas for commercials and a lot of marketing ideas that I hope I get an opportunity to share."

Dan Medeiros can be reached at dmedeiros@heraldnews.com. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Herald News today.

This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Biden and Bloodstained Men top 10 Fall River weirdest stories of 2022