HARTFORD, Conn. — As the year comes to an end, FOX61 has had a few stories that have made it to the top of the list this year.
Let's wave 2022 goodbye by remembering the stories that have made people laugh, mad, or maybe even cry (tears of joy, hopefully).
This year’s top stories ranged from people making millions of dollars to furry friends caught on camera trespassing into people's homes.
Top trending stories of 2022
Connecticut family awarded $100 million in largest settlement in state history
A Connecticut family was awarded $100 million after a 1,300-pound cube of lighting equipment fell on top of Juan Cruz during a shift at the Locust Street Warehouse.
In the case against Philips Lighting, the plaintiffs argued that the equipment was not properly stored when it was dislodged by another worker and fell on Cruz.
The six-person jury was the largest personal injury verdict in the state’s history. From start to settlement, the plaintiff's legal team said they worked on this case for about five years.
Viral video shows Fairfield man yelling racist remarks at employees, throwing drink
This video went viral all across social media platforms such as TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook after a man was seen in a video yelling racist comments and throwing drinks at employees.
The man, James Iannazzo, 48, of Fairfield, was fired from his job and later apologized for his actions.
The video was taken at a Robeks on Black Rock Turnpike.
The man said in a statement that he wanted to know who made the drink after his son suffered an allergic reaction and had to be taken to the hospital.
The employees called the police and said a man refused to leave and was throwing drinks at them.
In the video, he demanded to know who made the smoothie, and when employees could not tell him, the man became mad, yelling at employees.
Video of Greenwich assistant principal discussing hiring practices goes viral
A video of a Cos Cob assistant principal went viral after he allegedly said he would not hire catholic candidates for employment. The video was published by Project Veritas, which claims to be a non-profit website that provides undercover stories.
The Cos Cob assistant principal is seen at different restaurants in the video, which appears to be edited, talking to a representative from Project Veritas. The 12-minute video shows the assistant principal discussing hiring practices.
The video got attention from Connecticut local and state officials.
3 CT pizza places named in Yelp's list of Top 100 Pizza Spots in U.S.
Connecticut makes it to the top, yet again. Three Connecticut pizzerias made it to Yelp’s top 100 pizza spots in the U.S., this year.
Yelp identified the top-ranking businesses in the pizza category. The spots were ranked using different categories such as total volume and ratings of reviews.
The three highly rated Connecticut pizzerias were Zeneli Pizzeria in New Haven, which ranked at number 20, Waterbury’s Domenick & Piapizzeria at number 24 slot, and Rawa in New Haven ranked number 65.
$185 million Powerball jackpot ticket sold in Cheshire
This year many dreams came true, and that’s certain for one Connecticut resident that purchased the winning Powerball jackpot ticket that was sold in Cheshire earlier this year.
The winning numbers were pulled on Feb. 14, and it was sold at One-Stop Convenience Store at 914 South Main Street in Cheshire.
Bears attack pig pen, chicken coop in 2 separate incidents
Although they may look cute and cuddly, it is advised to stay away from bears and other furry friends whenever there are sightings. This past summer, Connecticut has encountered tons of bear sightings, especially in backyards.
Two bear encounters were caught on camera in March, where a bear was filmed climbing into a pig pen in New Milford.
In the video, the pigs can be seen putting up a fight to fight the bear. The first pig charges at the bear and then a second pig charges for the bear cornering it. The bear jumps out of the pig pen.
FOX61's Top YouTube Videos:
Raccoon attacks girl, mom flings it away
A raccoon was caught on camera attacking a girl in Ashford. The video obtained from the girl's mother received a little over 181,000 views on YouTube and over 300 comments.
In the video, the raccoon was seen latching onto the girl’s leg.
The girl can be heard screaming while she tries to shake the raccoon away.
The mom comes out after to see her daughter trying to shake the raccoon away. The mom reacts quick and grabs the raccoon by the by of its neck while telling her daughter to go inside. Just before she throws the raccoon she yells to her neighbors “It’s a rabid raccoon, get in the house!” She then throws the raccoon and runs inside.
Bear crashes Connecticut child's birthday party
A family in West Hartford received an unexpected visitor at their child’s second birthday party. The video got over 37,000 views on FOX61's YouTube page.
The bear was seen in the video eating cupcakes that was for the party.
No one was hurt.
Jareliz Diaz is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jdiaz@fox61.com
---
Have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com
----
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Steam Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.