ARIZONA, USA — It's hard to believe 2021 is over!
12 News is taking a look back at the biggest stories of the year for us here in Arizona.
While coronavirus continued to dominate the headlines, other stories grabbed our viewers' attention and their choices may surprise you.
No. 1: Lingering pandemic problems
The top story of 2021 should come as no surprise – the lingering COVID-19 pandemic and the controversy over vaccines.
In January, vaccinations started rolling out in Arizona for essential workers.
State Farm Stadium in Glendale became a 24/7 vaccine distribution site, but early snags plagued the vaccine rollout.
In late March, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey lifted all COVID restrictions across Arizona including capacity restrictions in bars and nightclubs.
In mid-April, the governor lifted mask requirements in public schools across Arizona. Still, most districts decided to keep masks through the end of the school year while some made them optional despite CDC guidance for non-vaccinated students to mask up.
Ducey then signed a new law banning mask mandates at schools starting in September. Phoenix Union became the first district in Arizona to defy the new law. ASU, UArizona and NAU all followed suit – all requiring masks on campus.
In September, a judge ruled that a ban on public school mask mandates is unconstitutional.
In July, Arizona's largest employer, Banner Health, announced all 45,000 of its Arizona employees would have to get vaccinated by Nov. 1 to keep their jobs.
In September, President Joe Biden announced a sweeping vaccine mandate requiring vaccines for most federal workers and contractors while pressuring businesses to require vaccinations and testing.
By early November, kids as young as 5 years old become eligible for the vaccine, and the FDA authorized booster shots for everyone 18 and older.
Pfizer and Moderna say their boosters offer protection against infection and are highly effective in preventing severe illness, including variants like delta, which we saw a surge in over the summer.
And in December, Arizona got its first case of the omicron variant, which worries some Valley doctors.
Before omicron, Dr. Antony Fauci forecasted that the pandemic would end in the United States in 2022. But now, Pfizer is projecting it will last until 2024.
No. 2: Capitol insurrection and Arizona ties
On Jan. 6, 2021, rioters stormed and pillaged the U.S. Capitol, forcing lawmakers to hide in fear. The insurrection came just hours after former President Donald Trump directed protesters toward Capitol Hill.
Among the rioters from Arizona was a man who called himself "QAnon Shaman." Jacob Chansley was eventually sentenced to 41 months in prison.
The federal judge's sentencing was 10 months less than what the prosecution in the case was seeking. The judge also gave Chansley credit for time served, making the net sentence around 31 months in prison.
Other Arizonans arrested include Micajah Joel Jackson, Felicia Konold, Cory Konold, Andrew Hatley and Tim Gionet.
One week after the insurrection, the House impeached Trump accusing him of "incitement of insurrection” making him the first president to be impeached twice. However, the Senate acquitted him.
Then came a new turn in the never-ending 2020 presidential election saga - the Arizona election audit. People believing the 2020 race was stolen from Trump paid for and ran the election review.
After six months of hand counting and inspecting millions of Maricopa County ballots at the state fairgrounds, the results revealed Biden won Maricopa County and no evidence of fraud.
No. 3: Lori Vallow Daybell case
It's a story that's been on the Top 12 list for the second year in a row. We’re talking about the disturbing case of Lori Vallow Daybell, accused of killing her kids and having a hand in several other deaths here in the Valley and beyond.
This year brought more charges for Vallow Daybell and her husband Chad, shocking new evidence, plus some new insight into their alleged doomsday cult.
Investigators started searching for Vallow Daybell's children, Tylee and JJ, in December 2019 after Vallow Daybell moved them from Arizona to Idaho a few months earlier in September. The children's bodies were found buried in Chad Daybell's backyard in Fremont County, Idaho in June 2020.
No. 4: Arizona Cardinals on fire, make playoffs
2021 was a rollercoaster ride for the Arizona Cardinals and their fans.
In January, the team dropped their final game of the 2020 season to the Rams eliminating them from the playoffs.
But in March, a flurry of free agency signings brought big names to the Valley including J.J. Watt, James Conner, and AJ Green.
Noticeably absent at Cardinals training camp in 2021 was fan favorite Larry Fitzgerald. In August, Fitz went on the radio and said he didn’t have the urge to play but we’ve yet to hear him actually say the word “retire.”
In the 2021 season, the Cardinals came out on fire right out of the gate winning seven games. The team made a trade for Zach Ertz giving the Cards another offensive weapon.
The Cards are on a quest for Super Bowl glory and they've made the playoffs for the first time since 2015.
No one could have predicted the highs and lows of 2021 for the Arizona Cardinals but the Red Sea will be ready for whatever comes next.
No. 5: Historic run for the Phoenix Suns
Bouncing into the Number 5 spot on the top 12 list is the Phoenix Suns!
Devin Booker, Chris Paul, DeAndre Ayton, and the rest of the star players took the team all the way to the NBA Finals in 2021.
The team's fans took the phrase "Rally the Valley" to a whole new level.
Some fans got tattoos to show their support and hundreds more flocked Sky Harbor Airport to welcome the team home win or lose.
Sadly, the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Phoenix Suns 105-98 and became NBA Champions for the first time in 50 years.
No. 6: Arizona ties to the space race
Landing at Number 6 on our top 12 list is the race to space!
The Maricopa County Community College professor Dr. Sian Proctor was picked as one of the four civilians to take part in the Inspiration 4 mission that spent three days in space.
Her trip marked the first time a woman of color was the pilot on a mission to space.
The professor always wanted to go to space. She was a finalist to become a NASA astronaut more than 10 years ago, before just missing out. She likes to say space was in her DNA.
Her dad worked as a contractor on the Apollo missions that put the first men on the moon.
No. 7: The battle at the border
At number 7 on the list is the battle at the Arizona-Mexico border.
This year, we’ve seen a surge of migrants crossing into the United States.
Both Democrats and Republicans agree there’s an emergency but disagree on how to handle it.
Ducey hasn’t been shy on his position, blasting the Biden administration and demanding the Feds do more to secure the border.
No. 8: Arizona athletes win big at Tokyo Olympics
At number 8 on the list is bragging rights! More than 100 athletes with Arizona ties made it to the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games. More than 80 competed and more than a dozen won medals making Arizona proud.
Skateboarding made its debut and Mesa’s own Jagger Eaton brought home a bronze.
Gilbert’s own MyKayla Skinner earned a silver medal in the vault after stepping in for Simone Biles and Phoenix gymnast Jade Carey won gold after her spectacular performance on the floor.
Several other Arizona athletes made our state proud. Allyson Felix, Molly Seidel, Allison Schmitt, Haylee Flickinger, Chase Kalisz, Olivia Smoliga, Taylor Ruck, Delaney Schnell, and Julie Ertz all brought home medals.
And, no surprise here, Devin Booker, Diana Taurasi, Brittney Griner, and Skylar Diggins-Smith won big on the basketball court and brought home gold.
The Beijing games, featuring all of your favorite Winter Olympians, starts in early February. Tune into 12 News for all of the action!
No. 9: Arizona's hot housing market
Number 9 on the list will come as no surprise -- Arizona’s hot housing market. This year has been a seller’s paradise but miserable for buyers. There are simply not enough homes for those who want to buy and that’s driving prices through the roof and pricing out most buyers.
According to Zillow, in August, Phoenix had the second fastest annual appreciation rate in the country. Cash offers, out-of-state buyers, over-list price deals, and investors flooded the market.
The rental market also took a hit. The cost of renting an apartment or home in Phoenix continues to go up due to land costs and zoning requirements for new builds.
Arizona’s director of the Department of Housing said the affordable housing crisis has been exacerbated by rapid growth in our state.
And experts say, it looks like the housing market will continue its hectic pace well into the new year.
No. 10: Recreational pot and sports betting
At number 10 on the list is a year of firsts! Recreational pot and sports betting are now legal in Arizona.
Recreational marijuana became legal in January, and in the first ten months, the state collected $154 million in taxes from legal weed sales.
Sports betting was one of the last kinds of gambling not explicitly allowed in the state until the Arizona Legislature made it legal in September. The new law allows sports betting in casinos, sports venues, and online. It also legalized fantasy sports betting.
According to the state Legislature, Arizona should get about $15 million from sports betting. That money will go to the state’s general fund, the state’s main bank account used for running state agencies. The state estimates the sports betting industry is worth $134 million a year.
No. 11: Chandler print shop explosion
At number 11 on our top 12 list is a massive explosion at a Chandler print shop that seriously injured four men.
The explosion in late August at Platinum Printing changed more than just the façade of the shopping center at Ray and Rural roads.
The owners of the print shop, Allen and Dillon Ryan, and their employee Parker Mildebrandt were rushed to the hospital with severe burns. Glenn Jordan, who worked at an eyeglass store a couple of doors down, was also injured in the blast.
The gas company said a faulty pipe, known to leak in hot climates like Arizona, caused the explosion. The pipe should’ve been replaced months before the explosion, but the company said it was mislabeled and overlooked.
No. 12: Wild weather
At Number 12 on the countdown is the wild weather we saw across the state.
Arizona experienced an unprecedented amount of rain, more than the state has seen for years.
The National Weather Service reported that the summer of 2021 was the wettest monsoon since 2014.
This year's rainfall in Phoenix measured almost 12 inches more than the normal amount. In July, we had 17 times more rainfall than in July of 2020.
The Valley isn't the only spot that broke records. In Flagstaff, floodwaters from heavy rain actually swept away a car in July, and down in Tucson, we saw a risky rescue after an SUV got stranded in a flooded wash.
Also, in July, Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport clocked winds at 65 miles per hour!!
While all that rain made a dent in the drought, the federal government was forced to declare a water shortage on the Colorado River that triggered mandatory consumption cuts starting in January of 2022 for states in the southwest.
Up to Speed
Catch up on the latest news and stories on the 12 News YouTube channel. Subscribe today.
