Year in review: The most read Boston 25 News stories of 2022
Another year will come to a close this weekend, and in 2022, stories of violence on the streets of Boston, the lingering COVID-19 pandemic, chaos at the MBTA, major recalls, troubling investigations involving young children, and the changing of the political landscape in Massachusetts paced the way for Boston25News.com
Those weren’t the only topics the garnered big attention. A “New Kids on the Block” member became entangled in a legal battle on the North Shore, a local doughnut shop was recognized as one of the very best in America, Will Smith shocked the world when he slapped Chris Rock on stage at the Oscars, and Harmony Montgomery’s stepmother told prosecutors that her husband had murdered the young girl.
These were the top 10 stories on Boston25News.com in the last year:
DA: Victims and witnesses of Boston school shooting were victims of community ‘terror’
In March, a shooting in the parking lot of TechBoston Academy rocked the city’s Dorchester neighborhood. A 31-year-old educator and a 17-year-old student were wounded in the incident. Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden condemned the act of violence.
Money back: Tax refunds going back to Mass. residents in form of checks and direct deposits
In late October, the state announced that the first checks and direct deposits from a nearly $3 billion pot of excess tax revenue will head back to taxpayers starting when the calendar flips to November. An estimated 3 million taxpayers were expected to get a payment for about 14 percent of what they owed in state personal income tax in 2021.
Coronavirus: How COVID-19 progresses; a day-by-day breakdown of symptoms
Studies of coronavirus around the world - including the U.S. and China - point to a common disease progression in coronavirus patients that generally begins with a fever, a dry cough and breathing difficulties. We broke down the key takeaways from the studies.
Watch out for this new scam on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist
The Federal Trade Commission is warning of a verification scam targeting people who sell items on Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist. The FTC calls it the Google Voice scam and say it can lead to someone using your phone number to conceal their identity and rip off other people. We informed viewers how the scam worked and the warning signs to look out for.
3 Stoughton officers had inappropriate relationships with girl who later died by suicide, chief says
Three Stoughton police officers who previously resigned from their roles with the department engaged in inappropriate relationships with a teenage girl who died by suicide years later, officials said in September. Stoughton Police Chief Donna McNamarra announced the “deeply troubling” results of an 18-month internal affairs investigation and condemned the “serious misconduct” of former officers Matthew Farwell, his twin brother William Farwell, and Robert Devine.
Massachusetts’ Healey is 1st openly gay elected governor in US
In November, Democratic Attorney General Maura Healey was elected governor of Massachusetts, making history as the nation’s first openly gay governor. Healey and her running mate, Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll, were among three all-female governor/lieutenant governor tickets in the U.S. on Election Day.
1.4M breaker boxes recalled due to overheating, fire hazard
In June, Schneider Electric and the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the recall of 1.4 million of the company’s electric breaker boxes because the devices can overheat and cause a thermal burn or be a fire hazard. They were installed in homes, RVs and commercial buildings such as restaurants, manufacturing facilities and warehouses, among other locations.
More human remains found in Boston apartment after ‘fetus or infant’ discovered in freezer
In November, human remains were discovered in an apartment in South Boston, less than 24 hours after a “fetus or infant” was found in a freezer located at the same address, according to law enforcement officials. 25 Investigates learned the freezer in the apartment contained what appeared to be the remains of an infant and at least one box contained remains of a fetus.
Missing 3-year-old boy who prompted massive search found dead in a Lowell pond
Calling it a nightmare situation, Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan confirmed in June that the body of a Lowell boy who was reported missing on Tuesday had been found dead in a pond about 650 feet from where he was last seen. Three-year-old Harry Kkonde was wearing the clothes he was last seen in when he disappeared from his babysitter’s home on Freda Lane.
Woman jumps into river, riders evacuate through windows after Orange Line train goes up in flames
A packed Orange Line train transporting commuters on a bridge that runs over the Mystic River in Somerville caught fire in July, sending hundreds of people scrambling for safety. About 200 people were forced to evacuate the train, including a woman who jumped into the river and others who climbed through smashed windows. The entire line closed later in the summer for upgrades.
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