The world's been on a wild ride the last couple of years, and it's easy to forget about big news stories that happened in our own backyard. Before we ring in the new year, let's look back on five news stories that really caught San Diegans' attention.
1. No. 1: New Details Emerge About SDSU Football Player Gang-Rape Allegations (Aug. 26)
Lawyers for a teenage girl who accused at least three former and current San Diego State football players — including one who was drafted and played for the Buffalo Bills — of raping her at an off-campus party in 2021 shared photos of the injuries she alleged that shesustained during the incident.
In December, the San Diego County District Attorney's Office decided not to charge the former players named in the criminal complaint. A civil lawsuit is ongoing — Ed.
2. A Sad Story From the San Diego Zoo Safari Park (Jan. 20)
Park officials reported in January that their 2-day-old male Masai giraffe calf born at the park was euthanized. The unnamed calf was born on Jan. 17 to mom Zindzhi. Following the birth, the zoo said, wildlife care specialists noticed the calf's condition began to deteriorate, including difficulty standing and not nursing.
The calf was then sent to the Safari Park's Harter Veterinary Medical Center where wildlife health and wildlife care teams provided around-the-clock care.
"Unfortunately, despite all efforts, his condition continued to worsen, and the team made the compassionate decision to euthanize the calf," the zoo said in a statement.
3. Grisly News from Tijuana (Dec. 20)
Plaza Conquistador on Agua Caliente Boulevard was once again a crime scene near the end of 2022.
On Dec. 19. authorities disclosed that an abandoned van with six lifeless bodies inside it had been found in the shopping center parking.
The six victims were just part of a growing list of homicides that keep Tijuana residents living in constant fear.
"They told us they found some bodies, but that's it," said Joel Muñoz, a worker in the area.
4. A Local Doctor Had a Warning About Possible New COVID Variant (Jan. 21)
San Diegans were exhausted by the omicron variant by January 2022, but scientists predicted more variants were likely on the way.
“I think we kind of expect it at this point … to keep seeing new variants that affect us differently too,” George Medina, a bartender at Bolt Brewery in downtown San Diego, lamented to NBC 7 San Diego earlier this year.
Some doctors said the worry was that new variants won't be as mild as omicron and might be potentially more contagious.
“Maybe the variant that comes afterward, pi, might actually be as infectious or more infectious than omicron and yet deadly like delta,” said Dr. Davey Smith, Head of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health at UCSD. “It is very likely that we’re going to need shots and boosters over our lifetime and that the virus is not going away.”
Fast-forward to December, when San Diegans are dodging the XBB variant, which doctors say can also elude antibodies from vaccines and previous infections.
5. The Then-World's Richest Man Quashed a San Diego Rumor (June 9)
A claim made by San Diego-based One America News' CEO that Elon Musk was seeking to buy the network was quickly refuted by Musk in a tweet.
Robert Herring, the owner of the media company that launched OAN, tweeted back in June, "We just received a call from somebody very close to @elonmusk telling us that he would like to talk to us about purchasing @OANN."
Musk replied directly to the tweet just 10 minutes later with a brief reply, "Only Twitter."
Stories about Musk's eventual purchase of the social media platform — and the drama that surrounded the buy — didn't make this list.
