Edhat Staff
By the edhat staff
It’s time to review the past twelve months and pick out some of our most read and most commented stories for our “2022 Year EnD Review.”
We’ve got an eclectic mix of stories that readers found to be the most engaging from a brush fire, to public health updates, to a tarantula eating a snake (we kid you not).
Before we dive into that, we thought it would be fun to highlight Google’s new offering of a “Local Year in Search.” We typed in Santa Barbara and these are what locals googled most during 2022:
1. Santa Barbara area was the only place in the U.S. that had taco tuesday as its top trending “near me” search
2. The Santa Barbara area was one of 2 places that had silver lab as its top trending animal this year. The other area was Lake Charles, LA
3. The Santa Barbara, CA area searched for funk music more than anywhere else in the country.
4. Tequila sunrise was the area’s top trending recipe — and Santa Barbara was the only place in the U.S. that had it in the top spot
Back to edhat, below are some of the most interesting topics, photos, and discussions from 2022 to highlight a year full of events. Check them out below and leave your comment on the most memorable 2022 story.
Most Read Stories of 2022
1. Santa Barbara County Public Health Director Steps Down: Dr. Van Do-Reynoso announced leaving her post for a new gig as the COVID-19 pandemic winded down.
2. Tarantula Caught Eating a Snake in the San Marcos Preserve: An edhat reader captured a sight that is rarely seen in nature, a local tarantula eating a small rattlesnake. This sight is so rare that edhat was contacted by scientists from around the world asking for more information to update their research.
3. Santa Barbara’s Unicorn OB Calls it Quits: Edhat joined forces with The Independent to report on Dr. Melissa Drake announcing her sudden closure of a bustling practice, creating long waits for remaining providers. The article sparked a big conversation about the quality of maternal healthcare in town leading to several followup articles.
4. Local Woman Caught on Camera Berating Restaurant Employee in Racist Tirade: A local woman was caught on video arguing with an employee of the Boathouse at Hendry’s Beach which turned into a racist attack on the man filming the interaction.
5. Shooting Homicide at Pacifica Suites in Goleta: In February, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office announced an investigation into a homicide at the Pacifica Suites hotel. Two people were arrested in connection with the murder and one was charged.
6. Lompoc Couple Dies in Florida After Tesla Crashes Into Semi: The 66-year-old woman, and the passenger, a 67-year-old man, both from Lompoc, died at the scene.
7. Bridge Fire Off Cathedral Oaks: In June, firefighters responded to the Bridge to Nowhere off Cathedral Oaks and Highway 154 for a growing brush fire. It reached nearly eight acres.
8. Hundreds Show Up for Impromptu Abortion Rights Rally: Local activists held an impromptu rally in support of abortion rights at De La Guerra Plaza following the Supreme Court’s decision this year.
9. Body of Missing Hiker Found Near Gaviota Tunnel: A Ventura man and his girlfriend suffered from heat exhaustion while hiking near Gaviota Peak. The man went to look for help but ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
10. Santa Barbara Rallies for Ukraine: The Santa Barbara community held demonstrations in support of Ukraine as Russia wages war.
MOST COMMENTED STORIES OF 2022
HUNDREDS SHOW UP FOR IMPROMPTU ABORTION RIGHTS RALLY TUESDAY – 209 Comments
SALCIDO, LOZANO CLASH ON COVID, LEARNING LOSS, RACE & GENDER TEACHING – 201 Comments
CALIFORNIA ASSEMBLY ADVANCES GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION PACKAGE – 194 Comments
FLEX ALERT EXTENDS TO THURSDAY – 181 Comments
VIGIL FOR ROE HELD AT SANTA BARBARA COUNTY COURTHOUSE – 173 Comments
OP-ED: IS THE LOCAL GOP OK? – 173 Comments
LOCAL WOMAN CAUGHT ON CAMERA BERATING EMPLOYEE IN RACIST TIRADE – 163 Comments
JULY 4TH CARTOON – 162 Comments
COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO PROTEST MODOC BIKE PATH ON SATURDAY – 145 Comments
MORE ACTIVE COVID-19 CASES IN COUNTY MAIN JAIL – 140 Comments
Frame-Worthy Photos from 2022
Hollister Fire in March 2022 (Photo: Montecito Fire Department)
East Camino Cielo’s Fog Blanket Sunset and Edhat’s Fall Foto Contest Winner (Photo by Doreen Edwards)
Butterfly Beach and Edhat’s Fall Foto Contest Runner-Up (Photo: Hunter Buur)
Young Flying Channel Porpoises (Photo by Dennis Meaney)
Jacaranda Bug by Terri Conroy
Incoming Storm by Tom Modugno
Red Foxes at the Bird Refuge (Photo: Joan Hunter Mayer)
“God Rays” by Gretchen Graham
Moon topper on the Stearns Wharf Christmas tree (Photo: Matthew Hawk Photography)
A GLOBAL REVIEW OF 2022
GOOGLE: This year, the world searched “can i change” more than ever before. From changing careers to seeking new outlooks on life, people are finding ways to reimagine themselves and reshape the world around them. Explore more trends from the year at https://yearinsearch.google.
TIME: Following years of uncertainty—and a global pandemic that has proven to be one of the most challenging events in history—we forged on, prepared to tackle what lay ahead. And as we continued to extract the possible from the impossible, this year taught us, above all, that our voices—no matter how big or small—can change the world.
