The most-viewed News 12 stories in 2022

From health concerns to store closings, these were your most-viewed stories of 2022.

News 12 Staff

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Dec 30, 2022, 1:30 PM

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Updated 692 days ago

10. Family: Bridgeport 8-year-old found in bedroom with window curtains around neck dies at hospital (June 6)

A Bridgeport mother lost her 8-year-old son and shared her story with News 12 to warn other parents about what she's calling "a deadly online danger."

MORE: The most-viewed stories on News 12 Connecticut

9. 13 dispensaries in New Jersey now selling adult-use recreational marijuana (April 19)

Thirteen dispensaries in New Jersey started selling adult recreational-use marijuana on April 19. This list of those locations was the eight most-viewed item of 2022 on News 12 Digital.

MORE: Most-viewed stories on News 12 New Jersey in 2022

8. Police: 7 employees of NJ strip club arrested following evidence of prostitution (June 22)

Police say five people who work at a strip club in Sayreville were arrested after a search warrant revealed evidence of prostitution. The accusations occurred following the previous arrest of two other employees.

7. LI woman arrested, charged in NYC shoving death of 87-year-old (March 22)

In a tragic story from earlier this year, a 26-year-old Long Island woman was arrested and charged in the death of an 87-year-old woman in New York City.

Lauren Pazienza, formerly of Port Jefferson, was charged with manslaughter in the death of Barbara Maier Gustern. She is awaiting trial.

MORE: Most-viewed stories on New 12 Long Island

6. CDC: Melatonin poisoning reports are up in kids (June 3)

The number 4 story of the year is another health-related piece - this one on Melatonin poisoning in children.

Researchers drew attention to a rise in poisonings in children involving the sleep aid — including a big jump during the pandemic.

Last year, U.S. poison control centers received more than 52,000 calls about children consuming worrisome amounts of the dietary supplement — a six-fold increase from about a decade earlier. Most such calls are about young children who accidentally got into bottles of melatonin, some of which come in the form of gummies for kids.

5. Popular wedding venue faces backlash for recent renovations to ballroom (Dec. 20)

A popular wedding venue in Morris County received backlash for some major renovations the venue recently underwent.

The Madison Hotel in Morristown announced on social media that it had been completely renovated – much to the surprise of some soon-to-be brides who booked their weddings there. Many had already signed contracts and put down tens of thousands of dollars in deposits before learning about the news.

4. Galleria at White Plains to close next March (Dec. 21)

The Galleria at White Plains, part of the downtown for over 40 years, will close next March, according to the mall’s owners, Pacific Retail Capital Partners.

It comes one month after they announced they plan to redevelop the site into mixed-use commercial and residential space.

MORE: Top-viewed stories on News 12 Westchester & News 12 Hudson Valley

3. King Kullen to close two Long Island locations (July 28)

Residents in some Long Island communities were shocked to learn King Kullen, the venerable grocery store chain, was closing two of its locations over the summer.

Shoppers told News 12 that the locations had been their hometown supermarket for nearly five decades, and that it's a big loss for the communities.

2. Parents outraged after son gets left off school field trip because of weight (June 17)

A Bronx mother and father say they were caught completely off guard when their son was denied the chance to go on an end-of-school field trip because of his weight.

Representatives of American Dream in New Jersey later invited John Astre and his parents to Nickelodeon Universe Theme Park.

John's mother Shatia says the invitation meant a lot to her family.

"I know this cannot fix the problem, it definitely doesn't fix the situation - but it definitely helps the problem, and that means so much," Shatia Astre said. "I felt that it was a blessing from God that he didn't want me to be left out."

MORE: Most-viewed stories from News 12 The Bronx

1. NY State Supreme Court judge strikes down governor's mask mandate (January 24)

The debate over mask mandates raged on in 2022, with a significant development occurring in January when a NY Supreme Court judge in Nassau County struck down Gov. Hochul's mask mandate.

The ruling was met with praise by opponents of the mandate, while the governor vowed to appeal. She did, and a stay was put in place that reinstated the mask mandate during appeal.

NY eventually ended its mask mandate in schools, businesses and mass transit in phases throughout the rest of the year.

MORE: Most-viewed stories on News 12 Brooklyn

Editor's note: Top stories as of 12/30/22. Weather forecast and category pages were excluded from results to solely focus on story content.