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2022: The year in pictures

2022 photos
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KUOW Photos/Megan Farmer

During a year marked by historical firsts and changing systems, residents of the Seattle area faced moments of both hope and disillusionment over the course of 2022.

The fall of Roe v. Wade brought hundreds out of their homes in protest. In early May, many had tears in their eyes during a pro-choice rally at Kerry Park following the leaked draft opinion from the U.S. Supreme Court.

“I am not surprised at the treachery," said Kathleen, who only shared her first name. "I am devastated by it.”

caption: Jackie Jacobs holds her head in her hands before the start of a pro-choice rally and press conference on Tuesday, May 3, 2022, at Kerry Park in Seattle.
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Jackie Jacobs holds her head in her hands before the start of a pro-choice rally and press conference on Tuesday, May 3, 2022, at Kerry Park in Seattle.
KUOW Photo/Megan Farmer

As wildfires in the Cascade Mountains burned from summer into fall, Western Washington was blanketed in smoke once again. In October, Seattle ranked number one for having the worst air quality on the planet.

caption: Seattle ranked as the worst city in the world for air quality on Wednesday, October 19, 2022, as shown from Sunset Hill Park in Seattle.
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Seattle ranked as the worst city in the world for air quality on Wednesday, October 19, 2022, as shown from Sunset Hill Park in Seattle.
KUOW Photo/Megan Farmer

A

s parents, Tynikki Arnold and her partner Sean have set a clear goal to give their kids a more loving and protected childhood than what they experienced, and to break cycles of trauma that contributed to deep emotional wounds and a mess of bad decisions.

The Lynnwood family is one of many that have found a lifeline in the state's Parent‐Child Assistance Program for pregnant and parenting women in recovery from substance use disorders.

caption: Tynikki Arnold kisses her 5-year-old daughter Vay’s cheek while playing outside of their apartment on Friday, July 15, 2022.
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Tynikki Arnold kisses her 5-year-old daughter Vay’s cheek while playing outside of their apartment on Friday, July 15, 2022.
KUOW Photo/Megan Farmer
caption: Sean holds his son, Messiah, as he navigates the McDonald’s play area during his 2nd birthday party on Friday, November 18, 2022, in Everett.
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Sean holds his son, Messiah, as he navigates the McDonald’s play area during his 2nd birthday party on Friday, November 18, 2022, in Everett.
KUOW Photo/Megan Farmer
caption: Vay, 5, rides a bicycle outside of the apartment complex where she lives on Friday, July 15, 2022.
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Vay, 5, rides a bicycle outside of the apartment complex where she lives on Friday, July 15, 2022.
KUOW Photo/Megan Farmer

Dancer Jonathan Batista made history as the first Black principal dancer in the Pacific Northwest Ballet’s 50-year history.

He may be the first Black principal dancer in the history of the Pacific Northwest Ballet, but he’s working hard to make sure he isn’t the last.

“This is a moment for us," said Batista. "This is a moment for my teachers. This is a moment for young black boys, young black girls that want to dance, that want to see themselves on that stage."

caption: Jonathan Batista, the first Black principal dancer in the history of the Pacific Northwest Ballet, rehearses on Monday, October 17, 2022, in Seattle.
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Jonathan Batista, the first Black principal dancer in the history of the Pacific Northwest Ballet, rehearses on Monday, October 17, 2022, in Seattle.
KUOW Photo/Megan Farmer

In November, thousands of students walked out from schools all around Seattle and met at a rally in front of City Hall.

They demanded gun reform, safety, and mental health counselors in every school that represent the diverse backgrounds of students. The march came less than a week after a student shot and killed another student at Ingraham High School.

"Don't let us be next," read a homemade sign at the rally.

Meanwhile, Democratic lawmakers are expected to push for a ban on assault weapons in Washington state during the next legislative session.

caption: Emmett O’Donnell, a 9th-grade student at the Northwest school, chants from a tree during a student walkout in protest of gun violence in schools on Monday, November 14, 2022, at Seattle City Hall.
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Emmett O’Donnell, a 9th-grade student at the Northwest school, chants from a tree during a student walkout in protest of gun violence in schools on Monday, November 14, 2022, at Seattle City Hall.
KUOW Photo/Megan Farmer

As the pandemic enters its fourth year, more than 1,400 children in Washington state have lost a caregiver due to Covid.

For three siblings in Puyallup, they’ve turned to family and friends, their school community, and a center for grieving children to try to patch their lives back together in the wake of their father’s death.

caption: Christy Maricle, right, stands for a portrait with her three children, Cadence, 20, Kaitlyn 13, Caileigh, 7, holding a portrait of their father, Kurt, on Thursday, December 9, 2022,at their home in Puyallup. Kurt Mrsny died of Covid in September of 2021.
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Christy Maricle, right, stands for a portrait with her three children, Cadence, 20, Kaitlyn 13, Caileigh, 7, holding a portrait of their father, Kurt, on Thursday, December 9, 2022,at their home in Puyallup. Kurt Mrsny died of Covid in September of 2021.
KUOW Photo/Megan Farmer

In October, roughly 12,000 offspring of endangered Lake Sammamish kokanee salmon were carried by small planes from a hatchery on Orcas Island. There, they were protected from potentially hazardous conditions like warming waters.

"We have now transported these little fish by land, by sea, by air," said King County Executive Dow Constantine to a large crowd gathered along the shore of Lake Sammamish, before the fish were released into the water.

Snoqualmie tribal elder Lois Sweet Dorman said that remembering how close the "amazing little red fish" came to extinction made the celebration feel bittersweet. "We will be here; other people will come and go. We will be here and we will be fighting for the little red fish because the little red fish are us."

caption: Snoqualmie tribal member Bethany Fackrell sings before the release of endangered juvenile Kokanee salmon into Lake Sammamish on Wednesday, October 12, 2022.
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Snoqualmie tribal member Bethany Fackrell sings before the release of endangered juvenile Kokanee salmon into Lake Sammamish on Wednesday, October 12, 2022.
KUOW Photo/Megan Farmer

As the year comes to a close, snow, ice, flooding, and freezing temperatures have made for an eventful winter thus far.

Looking ahead into the new year, experts are predicting that with the Pacific Northwest experiencing its third consecutive La Niña winter, colder and wetter months are on the horizon for the Seattle area before spring arrives.

The below images were taken in 2022 by KUOW photojournalist Megan Farmer in the Seattle area.

caption: A cyclist rides along Harbor Avenue Southwest in the rain on Thursday, November 3, 2022, in Seattle.
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A cyclist rides along Harbor Avenue Southwest in the rain on Thursday, November 3, 2022, in Seattle.
KUOW Photo/Megan Farmer
caption: Elliot Franklin-Bihary, also known as E.O., was a sophomore at Ingraham High School when a student was shot and killed in the school. They're portrayed with the words "we deserve safety" painted across their face during a student walkout to protest gun violence in schools on Monday, Nov. 14, 2022, at Seattle City Hall.
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Elliot Franklin-Bihary, also known as E.O., was a sophomore at Ingraham High School when a student was shot and killed in the school. They're portrayed with the words "we deserve safety" painted across their face during a student walkout to protest gun violence in schools on Monday, Nov. 14, 2022, at Seattle City Hall.
KUOW Photo/Megan Farmer
caption: Abby Tobin, white nose syndrome coordinator with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, tests bats for white nose syndrome and applies a probiotic to enhance the microbiome of the bat wings, at a bat roost on Wednesday, June 1, 2022, at Northwest Trek Wild Life Park in Eatonville.
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Abby Tobin, white nose syndrome coordinator with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, tests bats for white nose syndrome and applies a probiotic to enhance the microbiome of the bat wings, at a bat roost on Wednesday, June 1, 2022, at Northwest Trek Wild Life Park in Eatonville.
KUOW Photo/Megan Farmer
caption: Snow continues to fall on Tuesday, December 20, 2022, in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle.
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Snow continues to fall on Tuesday, December 20, 2022, in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle.
KUOW Photo/Megan Farmer
caption: Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal raises a fist in the air while speaking to supporters on Tuesday, November 8, 2022, during an election night party at the Westin in Bellevue.
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Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal raises a fist in the air while speaking to supporters on Tuesday, November 8, 2022, during an election night party at the Westin in Bellevue.
KUOW Photo/Megan Farmer
caption: Downtown Seattle is shown from the Space Needle on Monday, July 25, 2022.
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Downtown Seattle is shown from the Space Needle on Monday, July 25, 2022.
KUOW Photo/Megan Farmer
caption: A snowflake lands on the windshield of a car on Tuesday, November 29, 2022, in Seattle.
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A snowflake lands on the windshield of a car on Tuesday, November 29, 2022, in Seattle.
KUOW Photo/Megan Farmer
caption: Malayew Washington, a 1st-grade-student at Jennie Reed Elementary, plays with classmates during recess on Monday, September 26, 2022, in Tacoma.
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Malayew Washington, a 1st-grade-student at Jennie Reed Elementary, plays with classmates during recess on Monday, September 26, 2022, in Tacoma.
KUOW Photo/Megan Farmer
caption: Smoke from the Bolt Creek Fire is shown on Monday, Sept. 12, 2022, along Reiter Road outside of Index.
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Smoke from the Bolt Creek Fire is shown on Monday, Sept. 12, 2022, along Reiter Road outside of Index.
KUOW Photo/Megan Farmer
caption: A student places their hand on the wall of Seattle City Hall as hundreds gathered outside for a student walkout in protest of gun violence in schools, on Monday, November 14, 2022, in Seattle.
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A student places their hand on the wall of Seattle City Hall as hundreds gathered outside for a student walkout in protest of gun violence in schools, on Monday, November 14, 2022, in Seattle.
KUOW Photo/Megan Farmer
caption: Debbie Blodgett, left, and Mary Jennings, right, celebrate as election results appear on screen during a Republican Party election night gathering on Tuesday, November 8, 2022, at the Hyatt in Bellevue.
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Debbie Blodgett, left, and Mary Jennings, right, celebrate as election results appear on screen during a Republican Party election night gathering on Tuesday, November 8, 2022, at the Hyatt in Bellevue.
KUOW Photo/Megan Farmer
caption: Seattle ranked as the worst city in the world for air quality on Wednesday, October 19, 2022, as shown from Gas Works Park in Seattle.
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Seattle ranked as the worst city in the world for air quality on Wednesday, October 19, 2022, as shown from Gas Works Park in Seattle.
KUOW Photo/Megan Farmer


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