To put it mildly, the past year has been eventful. Threats to reproductive rights, Russia’s war in Ukraine and wildfires, among many other issues, have had an impact on California. Sacramento saw gun violence, continued COVID-19 infection, and an increase in the number of residents who are now unhoused. Meanwhile, there were some positive developments, including a potential monarch butterfly population rebound, a return to community celebrations and even a good start for the Sacramento Kings this season.
Here are some of the images that captured our attention this year, in chronological order. This isn’t every important story of the year, but rather some photos that stood out to CapRadio as a reminder of what we witnessed in 2022.
Jarrett Kodama, a line cook at a local ramen restaurant takes a swab from Anna Wick outside Binchoyaki, to give a sample for a COVID-19 test, Monday, Jan. 10, 2022.Andrew Nixon / CapRadioSacramento County saw a surge in COVID-19 cases at the beginning of the year. County officials announced that they would not be enforcing measures for businesses during this surge, restaurant owners and workers took individual approaches to worker safety.
Gregory Jefferson, Vice President of the Del Paso Heights Community Association gets in a car before the Reclaim MLK Caravan on Monday, Jan 17, 2022.Andrew Nixon / CapRadioSacramento’s NAACP chapter and Black Lives Matter Sacramento hosted a Reclaim MLK car caravan in honor of Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. The caravan started at Grant High School in North Sacramento and made stops at Sacramento City College, the Oak Park Community Center and finished at Sacramento State University, the only California State University campus where King spoke.
Monarch Butterflies are attracted to the moisture on plants at the Monarch Grove Sanctuary in Pacific Grove Calif. Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022.Andrew Nixon / CapRadioMonarch butterflies have been on the decline for years, and in the winter of 2020 fewer than 2,000 were observed across the West Coast. Although the cause remains unclear, researchers have looked to climate change as one potential reason this insect population has hit turbulence. But this year was different: A boom of monarch butterflies flooded California’s seaside towns, and researchers estimate more than 247,000 were counted this season.
Michelle Schuermann's 2nd grade class at Del Dayo Elementary works on an art lesson Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2022.Andrew Nixon / CapRadioCalifornia continued to loosen masking regulations in 2022. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the state would no longer require face coverings for unvaccinated people beginning March 1, and students and school staff were able to shed their masks on March 12.
PIT count volunteer Nancy Conk interviews Mark Dias, who is experiencing homelessness on Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2022.Andrew Nixon / CapRadioSacramento saw its first Homeless Point-in-Time count since 2019. Results of the survey found that the county's homeless population soared to nearly 9,300 people over the past three years, the region’s highest total on record. The 67% increase coincides with a housing affordability crisis that’s worsened in each of the past three years.
A Ukraine peace rally at the Calif. State Capitol in Sacramento, on Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022.Andrew Nixon / CapRadioIn the hours following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February, members of the Slavic-speaking community in the Sacramento region organized an impromptu rally at the steps of the California Capitol to protest Russian president Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked actions. Hundreds of people — residents of Ukrainian descent and their supporters — flew the blue and yellow Ukrainian flag, held signs donning the country's colors and chanted “save Ukraine, save the world” and “stop Russian aggression.”
Sacramento City Unified School District employees and supporters form a picket line in the rain at Rosemont High School, on Monday, March 28, 2022.Andrew Nixon / CapRadioSacramento City Unified School District teachers and staff went on strike between March 23 and April 3, 2022, citing concerns over staffing shortages, unsafe working conditions and salary rates, among other issues. Students missed over a week of instruction, and supporters organized pickets, rallies and sit-ins during the duration of the strike.
Mourners light candles on 10th and K Street in Downtown Sacramento, on Monday, April 4, 2022.Andrew Nixon / CapRadioSix people were killed and 12 injured in a mass shooting on K Street in downtown Sacramento — the worst mass shooting the city has seen — on Sunday, April 3. Police officials have arrested three people who they believe are involved in the incident, and in a press release said that “gang violence is at the center of this tragedy.” In the days following the shooting, community members held multiple vigils, honoring those killed and injured.
Demonstrators gather at the Federal Courthouse in Sacramento Tuesday, May 3, 2022, in response to the leaked SCOTUS decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.Andrew Nixon / CapRadioIn May, Politico published a leaked draft of the majority opinion in the Dobbs vs. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which overturned the national right to an abortion and allowed states to set new restrictions on reproductive health care. People across the country demonstrated against the possible decision, including in Sacramento where dozens stood in front of the U.S. Courthouse and Federal Building in downtown chanting and holding signs supporting reproductive rights.
The Le family came up from San Jose to go rafting on the American River, Friday, June 10, 2022.Andrew Nixon / CapRadioSacramento saw a series of record-breaking heatwaves, prompting the National Weather Service to issue Heat Advisories and local governments to open cooling shelters, at several different points throughout the summer. Sacramento saw its hottest day ever recorded downtown — 116 degrees — on Sept. 6.
The Rices Fire continues to burn into the night after air operations stop for the day, Tuesday, June 28, 2022.Andrew Nixon / CapRadioThe Rices Fire, which started on June 28 in Nevada County and burned 904 acres, threatened historic California infrastructure like the Bridgeport Covered Bridge. It also promted evacuation orders and warnings for thousands of Nevada and Yuba County residents.
Dirt bike riders perform for fair goers at the Calif. State Fair on Wednesday, July, 20, 2022.Andrew Nixon / CapRadioSacramento saw the return of the California State Fair at Cal Expo this year, which was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus. The 166-year-old event included its first-ever exhibit dedicated to cannabis, modified security policies and a concert line-up with Chaka Khan, KC & the Sunshine Band, Neon Trees and more.
Recently arriving from Ukraine, Mykola Chernov plays Monopoly with his Son, Tima, in their Roseville home, Wednesday, July 27, 2022.Andrew Nixon / CapRadioCalifornia — and Sacramento — saw a surge of Ukrainian citizens seeking refuge after Russia's invasion. Family members, friends, YouTubers and bloggers all have drawn refugees to the area and supported them when they arrive. While an exact count is not known, Vlad Skots of the Ukrainian American House in Rancho Cordova said as many as 10,000 Ukrainians have moved to the Sacramento area in the first half of the year.
With some marchers having started in Delano, Calif., the last leg of the UFW March to the Capitol starts by Southside Park Friday Aug. 26, 2022.Andrew Nixon / CapRadioFarmworkers marched 335 miles across California — from Delano to Sacramento — in support of a bill pushing for labor rights. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the bill on Sept. 28, allowing farmworkers to vote to unionize by mail rather than just in person.
Firefighters battle the Mosquito Fire near Foresthill, Calif. Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2022.Andrew Nixon / CapRadioCalifornia saw another year of devastating and deadly wildfires, though markedly less than in previous years: in 2022, the fewest acres burned since 2019. Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed the state had reached "the end of peak fire season" in mid-November. The Mosquito Fire, which started on Sept. 6 and forced tens of thousands of El Dorado and Placer County residents to temporarily evacuate their homes, was the state's largest wildfire of the year.
Indigenous dancers at Back to the Boulevard dance on Franklin Blvd. on Sacramento, Calif, Sunday, Sept. 19, 2022.Andrew Nixon / CapRadioDespite intermittent rain, the Franklin Boulevard Business District celebrated Mexican Independence Day with its 2nd Annual Back to the Boulevard Festival and car cruise in September.
Franklin Boulevard was a well-known cruising spot in the 1970s and 1980s, and event attendees spoke of the memories they had formed with their families in the area. In May, the Sacramento City Council repealed a 34-year-old ordinance restricting cruising, a law many now consider discriminatory.
Community members plant in the garden of the Assata Shakur Freedom Farm housed in the Shakur Center, home to the new Malcolm X Academy on Monday, Oct. 3, 2022.Andrew Nixon / CapRadioAs COVID-19 restrictions continued to loosen, Sacramento saw a return of community celebrations and in-person gatherings.
Nick Warino drops off his ballot at the South Natomas Community Library in Sacramento, Calif., with election workers Claudia Bonsignore and Dede Macias on election day, Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022.Andrew Nixon / CapRadioVoters braved cold and wet weather on Nov. 8 to vote in-person or drop off their mail-in ballots for the 2022 midterm election. Sacramento County officials say the county saw 56% voter turnout and counted more than 480,000 ballots.
November’s election ushered in a record number of women and LGBTQ lawmakers elected to the California Legislature. To see a full list of election results, click here.
Holly Porter lies in a hospital bed in her tent at Camp Resolution in Sacramento, Calif., with a bike from a visiting friend leaning against it, Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022.Andrew Nixon / CapRadioSacramento voters passed Measure O, a proposal to ban camps from public property if certain conditions are met. In response, the city and the county forged an agreement, called the Homeless Services Partnership Agreement, which commits the county to opening up to 600 new homeless shelter beds. It also requires the local governments to form joint city-county outreach teams to visit encampments.
The Sacramento Kings beat the Indiana Pacers at Golden1 Center in Sacramento, Calif., on Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022. Fans have responded to the beam with delight, chanting for the beam to be lit during games and nicknaming the team the "Beam Team."Andrew Nixon / CapRadio
The Sacramento Kings had a promising start to the 2022-23 season. In September, team officials unveiled a new feature that celebrates their new-found success: A collection of giant purple LED lights sit atop the Golden1 Center and are lit every time the team wins, whether in Sacramento or at an away game.
"The Beam," as it's lovingly been called, has captivated Kings fans and Sacramentans alike.
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