Year In Review: 2022's Biggest News Stories
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Before we turn the calendar to 2023, let's take a look back at a few of the biggest stories in Pittsburgh over the past year. From the Fern Hollow Bridge collapse to the Midterm Election races to a missing python in Duquesne, it's been a year full of headlines.
You can take a look back at the biggest Pittsburgh sports stories right here.
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JANUARY: Fern Hollow Bridge Collapse
"We were fortunate, a bus went over, and we had no fatalities. I want to thank the City of Pittsburgh, our EMS, our firefighters, our police, the county for their assistance, and the state for all coming together." -- Mayor Ed Gainey
On the cold, snowy morning of Jan. 28, 2022, the Fern Hollow Bridge collapsed in the city of Pittsburgh. A Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus and multiple cars rode the bridge down and crashed into the ravine below, injuring 10 people.
Coincidentally, President Joe Biden was pre-scheduled to appear in Pittsburgh that day to discuss a bipartisan infrastructure bill that had passed through Congress. The collapse did not stop his visit. In fact, just hours after the collapse, President Biden visited the site in person to survey the damage.
The president stood at the collapse site with Mayor Gainey and other state officials, promising to "fix them all."
"What you all know, if you don't you should know, there are another 3,300 bridges here in Pennsylvania, some of which are just as old and just as decrepit condition as that bridge was, including here in Pittsburgh, the city of bridges," President Biden said.
On the last day of January, the bus that was on the bridge when it came down was lifted from the site by a gigantic crane. The spectacle created a buzz on social media. Pictures of the bus hanging over the city circulated across the internet.
The rebuild is in its final stages, with President Biden visiting the site a second time in October and PennDOT saying in November that the span could open back up by the end of the year. However, at least five lawsuits have been filed in response to the collapse and the National Transportation Safety Board continues what they have called a lengthy investigation.
OTHER HEADLINES FROM THE MONTH:
- Unexplained 'Boom' Startles Pittsburgh Region, NWS Says Meteor Explosion 'Most Likely' Explanation
- Ed Gainey Sworn In As Pittsburgh's First Black Mayor
- As Cases Surge, Allegheny County Health Director Says Next Couple Of Weeks Will Be Challenging
- Search For Suspects Continues After Student Killed In Shooting Outside Oliver Citywide Academy
- 3 People Injured After Shooting In Parking Lot Of Clearview Mall
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FEBRUARY: Uber Driver Christi Spicuzza Murdered
"I'm begging you, I have four kids." -- homicide victim Christi Spicuzza on dashcam video
Calvin Crew, 22, is accused of shooting and killing Uber driver and local mother, Christi Spicuzza, 38, and leaving her body in a wooded area along Rosecrest Drive in Monroeville in February.
Spicuzza's violent death shook the Western Pennsylvania community and other local Uber drivers.
"Why would you want to hurt an Uber [driver]? She's a young mother. She poses no threat to anybody," family friend Dominick Loffredo said.
"I just couldn't sleep that something so tragic could happen to a person that was in my home, in my neighborhood," Jeannette Johnson, a neighbor, said.
Police arrested Crew a few days after Spicuzza's car and remains were found. Investigators were eventually able to recover her dashcam while combing for evidence in Penn Hills. The camera revealed that Crew placed a gun to the back of Spicuzza's head about 10 minutes after getting in the Uber, telling her to "keep driving," according to the complaint. Spicuzza, according to court documents, responded by saying, "Come on, I have a family," with Crew saying, "I got a family, too, now drive."
In the final seconds of the footage, Crew allegedly grabs Spicuzza's cell phone and then pulls down the camera.
In March of 2023, Crew will go on trial in the case. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.
OTHER HEADLINES FROM THE MONTH:
- 'Ice Is Our Biggest Concern': Power Companies Prepare For Storm, Possibility Of Power Outages
- Vehicle Slams Headfirst Into Oakmont Bakery, Narrowly Misses Hitting 3 Working Employees
- Native Pittsburgh Family Evacuates Ukraine With Newborn Girl
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MARCH: Gas Prices Skyrocket
"This baby has a 32-gallon tank, so 32 times $4.30, and you're looking at about 150 bucks to top this off, that's a lot of money." -- vehicle owner and driver Stephen Juliana
The Russian invasion of Ukraine contributed to a sharp spike in gas prices beginning in March, eventually pushing prices at the pump to an all-time high of $5.02 a gallon on June 14.
The soaring prices prompted some Pittsburghers to think about alternative ways to get around. Pittsburgh area resident Madisyn Emily spent nearly $40 filling up half of a tank for her Kia Soul last March.
"I'm actually on my way to Home Depot to get a high viz vest so I can start biking more often," Emily told KDKA.
With consumers looking for ways to save at the pump, some lawmakers proposed a "gas tax holiday" to counter the rise in prices. Our gas tax is 40 cents more per gallon than the national average.
Gas prices rode a roller coaster for much of the year -- going back up as April turned to May and the summer travel season was on the horizon.
On June 8, gas prices reached the $5 mark throughout the Pittsburgh region.
"Gasoline has turned into liquid gold. There's no way to sugarcoat it. It's going to be painful and we could experience more bumps," Patrick De Haan, of GasBuddy.com, said.
OTHER HEADLINES FROM THE MONTH:
- Port Authority Workers Protest COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate
- Police: 26-Year-Old Man Entered Elementary School And Recorded Child In Bathroom
- Tom Hanks Photobombs Pittsburgh Wedding
- Tom Hanks Officiates Bellevue Wedding, Continues To Be Spotted Around Pittsburgh Area
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APRIL: North Side Airbnb Shooting
"It's not just in the front of the property. They're in the back also, wherever they were shooting from, there was bullets everywhere. If you look down, there's still a bullet on the ground." -- Stephan Long, who owns the unit below the crime scene
Matthew Steffy-Ross and Jaiden Brown, both 17, were shot and killed in a mass shooting at a packed party held in an Airbnb in the city's East Allegheny neighborhood on April 18. It was the weekend of the Easter holiday and the community was shaken.
As many as 13 other young people were injured in the gunfire. It was estimated more than 200 people attended the party.
Bullet holes riddled both living units in the building.
A family with children from Charlotte was staying in the other unit. They had been in town for the Easter holiday. They told KDKA off-camera that the music started shaking the walls. At that point, they decided to leave at 11:30 p.m. Police said the shooting was around 12:30 a.m.
"I'm literally taking my wife's car to the car wash to wash blood off of it. There's no processing that," Mitchell Wilston, who lives a couple doors down, said.
Airbnb ended up permanently banning the person who booked the accommodations. They have never named that person. Also, two of the people who were injured during the shooting have filed lawsuits.
Then, in June, Airbnb permanently banned parties in its short-term rentals.
"I applaud them for their efforts. We've seen these parties get completely out of control, in particular that night," Pittsburgh Councilman Bobby Wilson said.
Police are still investigating the shooting.
OTHER HEADLINES FROM THE MONTH:
- Investigation Underway As NFL Grieves Following Death Of Steelers QB Dwayne Haskins Along Florida Interstate
- Videos show Brooklyn subway shooting suspect Frank James stopped in Pittsburgh before attack
- Plum Borough home explosion not the first in the neighborhood
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MAY: New Kensington Child Murdered
"Hearing this news was the saddest news I've ever received. Azuree was the sweetest, most innocent, kind, caring child that I've ever met." -- teacher Brian Heidenreich
The Westmoreland County District Attorney's Office confirmed that authorities were investigating the death of 9-year-old Azuree Charles as a homicide, saying "he did die at the hands of another person."
The boy's body was found covered by a lawn chair behind a shed in a wooded area close to where he lived in the East Ken Manor neighborhood. He was reported missing early in the morning on May 4, 2022.
Tragically, neighbors said Charles had recently beaten pediatric cancer and was enjoying a second chance at life.
"All he does is ride his bike and play with his sister, and for something like this to happen to him, it's unbelievable. It's got to stop, whatever is going on," Osie Taylor, who found Charles' body, said.
People in the neighborhood and his friends from school were left shaken by the young boy's violent death.
"Who did it and why? Why would someone hurt a 9-year-old child? I don't understand," neighbor Rhonda Blakey said.
In September, police charged the boys' parents. His father, Jean Charles, was charged with murder in the first degree, criminal homicide, abuse of a corpse and strangulation. The boy's mom was charged with aggravated assault and child endangerment. Both will stand trial.
OTHER HEADLINES FROM THE MONTH:
- Buffalo shooting: 10 killed, 3 injured in mass shooting at supermarket
- Uvalde, Texas native living in Pittsburgh area devastated by school shooting
- Mayor Gainey names interim police chief following Schubert's retirement announcement
- Man arrested, another wanted in connection with drive-by shooting downtown that killed 1-year-old boy
- Mailman remains hospitalized after being brutally beaten in Brookline
- Lt. Gov. John Fetterman gets pacemaker after stroke
- Kennywood's Aero 360 gets stuck, leaves riders hanging upside down
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JUNE: SCOTUS Overturns Roe v. Wade
"Roe v. Wade is one of the few decisions most Americans know by name, and today, the Supreme Court said it's history." -- CBS News Chief Legal Correspondent Jan Crawford
A seismic shift for women's rights came from the Supreme Court on June 24. The decision to undo nearly 50 years of precedent has had sweeping ramifications for tens of millions of women across the country as abortion rights were curtailed, particularly in GOP-led states in the South and Midwest, and led to a patchwork of laws absent the constitutional protection.
Justice Samuel Alito wrote in his majority opinion, "Roe was egregiously wrong from the start. Its reasoning was exceptionally weak, and the decision has had damaging consequences. And far from bringing about a national settlement of the abortion issue, Roe and Casey have enflamed debate and deepened division. It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people's elected representatives."
The dissenting opinion, written by Justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, said in part, "Whatever the exact scope of the coming laws, one result of today's decision is certain: the curtailment of women's rights, and of their status as free and equal citizens," they wrote. "Yesterday, the Constitution guaranteed that a woman confronted with an unplanned pregnancy could (within reasonable limits) make her own decision about whether to bear a child, with all the life-transforming consequences that act involves. And in thus safeguarding each woman's reproductive freedom, the Constitution also protected '[t]he ability of women to participate equally in [this Nation's] economic and social life.' But no longer."
The decision had an impact on the race to be the next governor of Pennsylvania with Democratic nominee Josh Shapiro and Republican nominee Doug Mastriano making their stances clear.
Locally, there were also protests following the ruling.
"We're going to fight tooth and nail here in Pennsylvania for it to be a safe and accessible place for folks to come to get abortion care," Dena Stanley, with Women's March - Pittsburgh, said. "To make sure these elected officials know that we are not going to play with you, this will be a safe space."
OTHER HEADLINES FROM THE MONTH:
- Dave McCormick concedes to Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania Republican Senate primary
- Mayor Ed Gainey makes a late-night visit to South Side amid increase in gun violence
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JULY: Inflation
"We're kind of in this situation where you have to choose – which evil do you want? Do you want inflation or do you want higher interest rates because you're going to get one of them." -- Duquesne University economist and professor Antony Davies
Inflation is the story that affected everyone in 2022. As prices soared, it hit everyone in the pocketbook.
In the summer, the numbers showed the highest annual rate of inflation since 1981.
Fueled largely by skyrocketing energy prices in June and coupled with the hike at the grocery store, the Consumer Price Index jumped to an annualized 9.1%.
"Over the past year, prices have gone up about 9%. That's the fastest inflation we've seen in 40 years," Dr. Gus Faucher, PNC's chief economist, said.
Faucher says energy prices jumped 60% over the last year, while home food prices are up 12%
"About half the inflation we are seeing are from energy prices. Another big chunk of it is coming from food, but the more concerning thing is that we are seeing prices rise for a lot of other goods and services. For example, rents are rising. Housing costs are rising. Restaurant meals are going up," Faucher said.
COVID-19 relief programs coupled with supply chain problems, a war in Europe, and more people getting out and about to spend have boosted the inflation rate for everyone.
"You'll hear politicians saying this caught everybody by surprise. It did not catch everybody by surprise. A lot of economists, myself included, have been saying back when COVID began that all of this money printing we're doing to pay for these stimulus packages is going to come back to haunt us in the form of inflation," Davies said.
So what's next in 2023? CBS News looks at five ways inflation could impact your paycheck next year.
OTHER HEADLINES FROM THE MONTH:
- Swindell Bridge shut down after debris falls on drivers
- Man accused of shooting, killing off-duty Oakdale officer Charles Stipetich in road rage incident
- Dr. Wayne Walters named superintendent of Pittsburgh Public Schools
- As 100-ton beams arrive, Fern Hollow Bridge could reopen by year's end
- Allegheny County expands access to monkeypox vaccine after reporting 8 new cases
- Damian Bradford, involved in 2005 murder-for-hire plot, charged with shooting trooper in Aliquippa
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AUGUST: Pet Python Escapes
"It's like a needle in a haystack. It can be tough even though it has an all-white distinguish look to it with no pattern. All we can do is keep looking." -- Eastern Area Reptile Society President Christopher Estes
A python named Gene Simmons slithered away from his owner in the city of Duquesne on Aug. 24, 2022. Dan Shanley said his son collapsed while holding the python while out for a walk near State Street and Mehaffey Street.
"Where the snake went from there, I don't know," Shanley said.
The Shanleys said the snake is harmless but realized it could be scary for people. They wanted to find Gene Simmons safe, he is a beloved pet to their son.
"It's a bald python approximately 4 to 5 feet," Estes said. "It's non-venomous. They go by vibration. They don't have ears. He's probably just in a quiet hole somewhere."
Duquesne Police recommended residents keep an eye out for it, especially around small pets and kids.
Gene Simmons was eventually found weeks later in October. He actually hadn't slithered too far from home. A house painter found him curled up in the bushes on State Street.
OTHER HEADLINES FROM THE MONTH:
- Lawrence Rudolph, Pittsburgh-area dentist, found guilty in wife's death on 2016 African safari
- NWS confirms 2 tornadoes in Greene and Washington counties
- White House: Nearly 8 million borrowers will have student loans automatically forgiven while some will have to fill out form
- KDKA Investigates: Helping people experiencing homelessness in Pittsburgh
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SEPTEMBER: Kennywood Park Shooting
"Kennywood is a family-fun environment. Now you have to be scared to enter Kennywood. Worried that you're going to get shot." -- witness Tracy Yakubik
Chaos broke out at Kennywood's popular Phantom Fall Fest late at night on Sept. 24.
Officials said an argument between two groups of teenagers led to a shooting. One person pulled a gun and started firing, according to police. Law enforcement described the shooter as a male wearing a black hoodie and a mask.
The gunfire left three people wounded. Two of the victims were teenagers and the third was an adult male.
The man, 39-year-old Brandon Ward, was an innocent bystander. He was at the park that night with his 10-year-old daughter and his fiancée. She said the teenagers outnumbered the adults "by twenty times one."
"As soon as we heard the pop, Brandon just said he was hit. And everybody just scattered. Brandon ran one way. I started looking for Ava and couldn't find her so we were panicking," Lorrie Metrovich, Ward's fiancée, said.
Their daughter managed to escape from the park with friends unharmed. But, Ward was not so lucky. Two police officers applied tourniquets to Ward's leg.
"Terrified. Terrified. So terrified. When you see that blood, it's -- you just don't know," Metrovich said.
The incident prompted Kennywood to make changes to their security and protocols. Those included increased police patrols, park perimeter enhancements, implementation of chaperone policies, a new bag policy and more.
OTHER HEADLINES FROM THE MONTH:
- Queen Elizabeth II, Britain's longest-reigning monarch, dies at 96
- The devastating impact of Hurricane Ian
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OCTOBER: North Side Violence
"I couldn't imagine what that feels like – four kids that don't have a mom on some senseless shooting over some argument that automatically ended up in gunplay. I wouldn't know, nor would I ever want to know what that would feel like. There's no reason that anybody should want those type of killers on the street." -- Mayor Ed Gainey
Gun violence erupted on the city's North Side in the fall of 2022. First, a shooting that killed three people, including two innocent bystanders, and then another shooting outside of the funeral for the third victim.
On the night of Saturday, Oct. 15, 33-year-old Jacquelyn Mehalic and 59-year-old Betty Averytt, were gunned down along Cedar Avenue. They were innocent bystanders, waiting at a bus stop, and got caught in the crossfire of a gun battle that was caught on surveillance video, police said.
Just two weeks later, on Oct. 28, gunfire erupted outside of the funeral service for 20-year-old John Hornezes. He was the third person killed in the Cedar Avenue shooting. When police found him dead in the nearby park, there was a gun next to him, investigators said.
Five people attending Hornezes' funeral were wounded, and a sixth victim was injured as people ran from the scene.
Law enforcement swarmed the North Side's Brighton Heights area of Brighton Road, McClure Avenue, Termon Avenue and Benton Avenue after reports of gunfire. It happened outside of Destiny of Faith Church.
"Obviously, we believe there's a dispute going on, and we're going to continue to use resources," Pittsburgh Police Commander Richard Ford said.
Two people were detained later that same day after a gun was tossed out of a moving car on the McKees Rocks Bridge.
The violence left Mayor Gainey pleading with the public for answers and for peace.
"I know that there's a lot of families and friends who are hurt right now, and I know a lot of them feel like they should do something, so I want to do something with you," he said. "I want you to call and tell us what you know. I need you to speak up and say something. They shot up the sanctuary today."
OTHER HEADLINES FROM THE MONTH:
- Bigelow Boulevard closed while crews demolish pedestrian bridge hit by crane
- Sources: Oliver Citywide Academy teacher physically and sexually assaulted by student
- Thomas Stanko, charged in death of Cassandra Gross, appears in court
- Two children killed in house fire in Wilkinsburg
- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette newsroom workers go on strike
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NOVEMBER: Midterms
"The incumbents are typically very difficult to remove from office. It happens periodically, but it doesn't happen all that often. The one open seat upon which control of a 50-50 Senate might depend is here in Pennsylvania," -- Duquesne University's Dr. Lew Irwin
All eyes were on Pennsylvania as Midterm Election Day arrived on Nov. 8. Democrat Lt. Gov. John Fetterman and Republican candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz faced off in a heated campaign for a Pennsylvania's open U.S. Senate seat. It was a race watched across the country.
In the last days of the campaign, the race brought both former President Barack Obama and former President Donald Trump to town to drum up support for their party's candidate.
In the end of the close race, Fetterman was declared the winner, flipping a Republican seat in the Senate Democratic. Fetterman campaigned while recovering from a stroke earlier in the year.
"John is definitely from here, so there are things he can relate to when others can't," Dominique Davis-Sanders, Council President for Braddock, said.
"I am very proud with how we've run this campaign. Pennsylvania sent a very clear message to Washington, we want less radicalism and more balance, so I encourage everyone to vote, it's your duty," Oz said.
State Attorney General Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, beat Trump-backed state Sen. Doug Mastriano to be Pennsylvania's next governor.
Other race results included Democrat Summer Lee winning the 12th Congressional District race and Democrat Chris Deluzio winning the race in Pennsylvania's 17th Congressional district.
Look back on Election Day at this link.
OTHER HEADLINES FROM THE MONTH:
- Powerball jackpot: $2.04 billion winning ticket sold in California
- Taylor Swift fans report Ticketmaster outages while trying to scoop up presale tickets for The Eras Tour
- Man shot, killed at Northwestern Mutual in Scott Township; suspect in custody
- Kennywood announces new Spinvasion ride and Area 412 section of park for 2023 season
- Anthony Kennedy wanted for aggravated murder in death of missing Cleveland woman Adrianna Taylor
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DECEMBER: Mother, Daughter Shot And Killed
"She was the most beautiful, loveable, adorable grandchild any grandparent could want. In four years, she gave me joy that most people can get in 40 years." -- grandfather Kirk Thompson
Temani Lewis and her 4-year-old daughter Kaari Thompson were gunned down in the city's Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar neighborhood while at a food mart. The shooting left their family and the community devastated.
"She always came up to you. She would tell you she misses you, she loves you. Her and my daughter were best friends," Kaari's aunt Heather Thompson said.
Thirty evidence markers could be seen scattered on the ground outside the store on the night of the shooting.
Police said the shooters took off in unknown directions, which sparked an intense search for potentially multiple gunmen. Neighboring police departments were called in to help comb the area with K-9s and drones. Investigators are still looking for answers.
At a balloon release for Kaari in the days after her death, Mayor Gainey called for love to come through. He asked for everyone to give each other a hug, whether they knew each other or not.
"This street should be packed not just cause of what's going on but just to show love," Mayor Gainey said.
For Kaari's family, they want someone to be held responsible for the loss of a girl who had her whole life ahead of her.
"My niece didn't deserve this. She was 4 years old. She absolutely didn't deserve this," Heather said.
OTHER HEADLINES FROM THE MONTH: