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The images that defined Connecticut in 2022

UConn Huskies vs NC State Wolfpack in the NCAA Elite 8
Joe Amon
/
Connecticut Public
UConn Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma celebrates with his team after a 91-87 double-overtime win over the NC State Wolfpack in the NCAA Elite 8 at Total Mortgage Arena in Bridgeport, Conn., March 28, 2022.

At the beginning of the year, the world was still unsure how life would proceed. COVID-19 hospitalizations in Connecticut were spiking due to new variants, and while the virus is still circulating today, society has largly gotten back to its everyday routines.

2022 was a year full of celebrations, hardships, life-altering legislation and shocking moments. Here is a look at some of the top photos that told those pivotal stories.

Alex Jones speaks with reporters outside Waterbury Superior Court.
Mark Mirko
/
Connecticut Public
Conspiracy talk show host Alex Jones speaks with reporters outside Waterbury Superior Court during a trial to determine the amount of money Jones owes for spreading the lie that the 2012 mass shooting in Newtown didn’t happen.

Alex Jones trial
Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones went on trial this year after relatives of loved ones killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting sued him for defamation. He was found guilty and has since filed for personal bankruptcy as he faces nearly $1.5 billion in court judgments over lies that he spread about the 2012 Newtown massacre.

2022 Primary Elections
Tyler Russell
/
Connecticut Public
Republican candidate Dominic Rapini celebrates his primary win in the race for secretary of the state during a watch party at Republican headquarters in West Haven.

Primary elections

The Connecticut midterm elections were filled with unexpected moments, heated debates and close-call elections. We were there to capture those intense and surprising moments.

U.S. Senate candidate Leora Levy supporter Bob Leach wears an AK-47 tie pin
Mark Mirko
/
Connecticut Public
Bob Leach, a supporter of U.S. Senate candidate Leora Levy, wears an AK-47 tie pin while watching election results on a television monitor that showed an early lead for Levy during her primary night watch party.

Election results: Leora Levy wins GOP Senate primary; Erick Russell wins Democratic treasurer primary

Results from Connecticut's 2022 Republican and Democratic primaries.

Killingly Board of Education Meeting
Mark Mirko
/
Connecticut Public
Ivy Ross (left) kisses her daughter Emily Ross after the two addressed the Killingly Board of Education at a meeting April 28. Emily said during testimony that she endured regular bullying in high school due to her sexual orientation. “I have an emotionally literate parent, and I did not tell her,” she said. “I feel safe with her, and I still did not tell her. And I think that’s why it hurts so much to watch you debate this topic,” she told the board. “We know this isn’t a question of morality,” said Ross, “because we know that if a child or a high school student came to you and asked for help and said they wanted to take their own life, you would not ask, ‘Well, how much would it cost?’ or ‘Is your parent aware of the services you are seeking?’ You would help.”

Parents urge Killingly school board to OK school-based mental health center

Parents and students in Killingly continue to push for a no-cost, school-based mental health center after the school board tabled a vote to take action. A parent-led petition calling on the board to step up led to a public hearing.

More than 98 percent of Connecticut’s farmers are white, despite more one-third of state residents identifying as people of color. All season long, Connecticut Public Radio is bringing you voices from the state’s BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) farming community.
Mark Mirko
/
Connecticut Public
Azeem Zakir Kareem jumps a sprinkle pipe junction while preparing his fields for irrigation. “You start working in that soil, and there's things – there's biology inside the soil – that sends a light signal through your nervous system that hits your brain, that has your brain release beautiful, joyous chemistry that makes you feel good,” said Kareem.

BIPOC farmers in Conn. may be small in number, but they have plenty of stories to tell

One-third of Connecticut’s residents identify as people of color, but statistically, more than 98% of Connecticut’s farmers are white. It’s a disparity rooted in generations of racism, unequal access to land and credit, and systemic discrimination. But while their numbers are small, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) farmers do exist in Connecticut.

First Day of Sound on Sound
Ayannah Brown
/
Connecticut Public
David Shaw, lead singer of The Revivalists, jumps onto the loudspeaker barefoot mid-performance on Day 1 of the Sound on Sound festival at Seaside Park in Bridgeport, Conn.

Bridgeport 'Sound on Sound' festival brings big-name acts and problems to Connecticut

A new concert in Bridgeport brought in tens of thousands of fans to Connecticut over a weekend. But the two-day “Sound on Sound” festival was marred by parking problems, long lines and bad sound.

UConn Huskies vs UCF Knights
Joe Amon
/
Connecticut Public
UConn's Christyn Williams (13) goes up for the block on UCF's Neila Luma during the Huskies' 52-47 win over the Knights in the NCAA Tournament second round at Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Connecticut, March 21, 2022.

UConn wins ‘ugly-lookin’ NCAA Tournament game in front of sell-out crowd

The Huskies survived the University of Central Florida in Storrs to advance to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA women's basketball tournament.

Mid-Autumn Festival
Joe Amon
/
Connecticut Public
Volunteer Jinn Hoang breaths fire to lead the Lion Dance for luck that represents prosperity and goodness in every home during the Mid-Autumn Festival at St. Andrew Dung-Lac Parish in West Hartford, Connecticut, Sept. 24, 2022.

Mid-Autumn Festival

The Mid-Autumn Festival was a special occasion as part of an ongoing night market series organized by the St. Andrew Dung-Lac Parish, a Vietnamese Catholic community that worships at St. Mark the Evangelist Church, led by Father Andy Mai.

The festival is an annual celebration that’s popular in many Asian countries, and it reunites friends and families and typically involves making paper lanterns, watching lion dancing performances, eating mooncakes and having dinner with family and friends.

First Juneteenth Celebration
Joe Amon
/
Connecticut Public
CPTV's "Where Art Thou?" featured East Hartford's first Juneteenth celebration on the town green in East Hartford, Connecticut, June 18, 2022.

Where Art Thou? East Hartford-Wethersfield

Ray Hardman introduced us to Andre Rochester, a mixed-media artist who creates images of people and symbolism to illustrate experiences of trial, tribulation and triumph. And Grace Wright, a costume designer and choreographer who incorporates her Caribbean culture.

Bans Off Our Bodies
Mark Mirko
/
Connecticut Public
Speaking May 17 during a Bans Off Our Bodies rally at the Connecticut state Capitol, Shanique Reid said, “I am pregnant right now, and let me tell you this is not easy. It is hot, my back hurts, my ankles are swollen, but I got to decide that I wanted to keep this pregnancy. But for anyone who doesn't want to keep a pregnancy, that is OK. We are here to make sure that everyone has the autonomy and the accessibility to go to an abortion provider.”

Across Connecticut, abortion rights supporters gather for 'Bans Off Our Bodies' rallies

Connecticut protesters joined thousands across the country for a weekend of rallies in response to the leaked U.S. Supreme Court draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade.

Newtown Vigil
Tyler Russell
/
Connecticut Public
Po Murray, chair of the Newtown Action Alliance, embraces Mariam Azeez at the conclusion of a vigil in Newtown after the mass school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.

Sandy Hook parents turn grief into action

School shootings like Parkland and Uvalde continue across America. But some Sandy Hook parents believe the country is making progress on gun control even though it may not seem so.

Randy Cox
Mark Mirko
/
Connecticut Public
Outside New Haven police headquarters, civil rights attorney Ben Crump (with microphone and arm raised) leads the crowd in chants of, “If I say my neck is broke, don’t take it as a joke.”

Hundreds of marchers gathered in support of Randy Cox

Protesters gathered in support of Randy Cox, a man paralyzed in the back of a New Haven police van, hours after the family said they want civil rights charges filed against the officers involved in the incident.

Nilab Hanifi, 19, on Afghan New Year's Day in Bridgeport, Connecticut, March 20, 2022. Nilab called her mother, Mariza Hanifi, and her father, Mohammd Aziz Hanifi, in Afghanistan, wiping tears the whole time to wish them a quick happy new year during the short time on the phone. Then it was a shopping trip to a halal food store followed by Afghan tea with Concetta “Lina” Rinaldi, her husband, Mario Rinaldi, their son Alex Rinaldi, 42, and new friend Safia Rezwani, 23, before going shopping again at Goodwill in Bridgeport.
Joe Amon
/
Connecticut Public
Nilab Hanifi, 19, on Afghan New Year's Day in Bridgeport, Connecticut, March 20, 2022. Nilab called her mother, Mariza Hanifi, and her father, Mohammd Aziz Hanifi, in Afghanistan, wiping tears the whole time to wish them a quick happy new year during the short time on the phone. Then it was a shopping trip to a halal food store followed by Afghan tea with Concetta “Lina” Rinaldi, her husband, Mario Rinaldi, their son Alex Rinaldi, 42, and new friend Safia Rezwani, 23, before going shopping again at Goodwill in Bridgeport.

This teen fled Afghanistan for Connecticut. Her family still needs help to escape.

Since the government of Afghanistan fell to the Taliban last year, hundreds of evacuees have found a home in Connecticut. But many came without the people they love the most.

Sonsharae Owens 27, pocks up her 14 year old sister Zah-Myiah Owens for a ride to school
Joe Amon
/
Connecticut Public
Sonsharae Owens, 27, packs up her 14-year-old sister Zah-Myiah Owens for a ride to school and her father, Gerald Owens, 55, at the house of her mother, Michelle Owens-Jones, in Hartford, Connecticut, Feb. 24, 2022.

Rent paid, still evicted: The COVID-era rise of no-fault evictions

Dozens more households faced eviction each week during the pandemic, despite paying rent. As no-fault evictions rose to half of all filings, here's how a hot housing market and eviction restrictions didn't help these two women and many others.

Ukrainian Family Welcomed To West Haven
Ryan Caron King
/
Connecticut Public
Four-year-old Adam Bizyayev rounds the corner into the West Haven city clerk's office. His parents fled Kharkiv, Ukraine, with him and his two siblings after the Russian invasion and were staying with a host in West Haven. Municipal workers and community members greeted the family with pizza, cake and toys for the children a few days after they arrived.

‘We’re a refuge’: West Haven welcomes Ukrainian family

Connecticut welcomed one of the first Ukrainian refugee families. Nearly 4.5 million Ukrainians have fled their country since the Russian invasion began in late February, according to the U.N. Refugee Agency. Most have gone to Poland and Romania. The Biden administration said it would welcome 100,000 refugees from Ukraine.

Memorial to the 26 people who died during the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting
Joe Amon
/
Connecticut Public
Anastasia King, a Danbury mother of two, takes in the memorial to the 26 people who died during the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. “I was in California at the time, and it hit me,” she said. “As a parent I couldn’t imagine.” The memorial quietly opened to the public in Newtown, Connecticut, Nov. 13, 2022.

‘A poignant reflection place’: Memorial to Sandy Hook shooting victims quietly opens in Newtown

A memorial to the 26 people who died during the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting quietly opened to the public.

20220706Birds
Mark Mirko
/
Connecticut Public
A Black Skimmer skirts late-afternoon waves in West Haven’s Sandy Point Bird Sanctuary July 6, 2022.

Protecting Connecticut’s vulnerable shorebirds takes a community effort

Beach nesting birds are facing threats from human disturbance and climate change, but they’re getting help from some local wildlife agencies and their volunteers.

Turkeys forage on the grass at Ekonk Hill Turkey farm in Sterling, CT
Mark Mirko
/
Connecticut Public
Turkeys forage on the grass at Ekonk Hill Turkey Farm in Sterling, Conn., where farmer Rick Hermonot is raising nearly 4,000 birds this year for Thanksgiving. Despite a 9% increase in turkey prices this year, Hermonot says it’s not enough to cover his cost increases, which include a 25% jump in the cost of buying the turkey chicks and fertilizer prices that have tripled.

Turkey farmers had high hopes for better profits this year, but supply costs have spiked

With Thanksgiving gatherings coming back strong in 2022, turkey farmers were hit with skyrocketing production costs on everything from fuel to feed for their birds. “Supply chain isn’t just the turkey," said one Connecticut farmer. "It’s raising the turkey. It’s getting people to actually come to work ... so they can raise the turkey.”

First Snow 2022
Julianne Varacchi
/
Connecticut Public
Kenny Bachand uses a leaf blower to clear fresh snow from Christmas trees on display outside at Jillybean’s Farmstand in Farmington, Conn., on Dec. 12, 2022. The first snowfall of the season dropped up to 7 inches in some parts of the state.

The first winter storm of the season

Up to 7 inches of snow fell in parts of Connecticut during the region's first significant snow of the season, and that led to several school delays. There were reports of slippery road conditions across parts of the state as well.

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