'Hind Sight': An Essay by Wendy Rieger
News4 lost a beloved colleague, friend and "our poet laureate" in anchor Wendy Rieger, who died in April after a battle with glioblastoma.
Countless stories and memories of Wendy were shared, highlighting her humor, wisdom and gift for words.
At a celebration of life ceremony in May, Wendy’s longtime friend, drama professor at American University and frequent creative partner Carl Menninger read an essay by Wendy about aging that's relatable to so many people. (Warning: This piece contains profanity, so viewer discretion is advised.)
School Fight Videos Put Focus on Student Mental Health
School fight videos became an unsettling social media trend this year and sparked concern for students’ mental health.
The videos were circulated widely on social media and showed students violently fighting on school property. In one week, three school fight videos were from Walker Mill Middle School in Capitol Heights, Maryland.
A mom whose daughter was involved in one of the videos said she felt uncomfortable sending her kids to school.
“She says she doesn’t feel safe; she’s had multiple instances where she has been bullied,” the parent said.
News4’s Tracee Wilkins spoke to a psychologist who explained how the pandemic has impacted kids’ behavior. She said under the displays of anger is depression.
Security Camera Captures Moment Flock of Birds Drops Dead in Mexico
In February, a security camera in the Mexican city of Chihuahua captured video of a flock of birds mysteriously dropping dead.
The shocking video captured the internet's attention and sparked numerous theories about what could have caused the birds' sudden deaths.
Police reported that close to 100 yellow-headed blackbirds birds died during the incident and released a video of locals sweeping the birds' bodies off the sidewalks afterward. The birds migrate from northern Canada to Mexico for the winter.
Experts said trauma, electrocution and electromagnetic interference were possible reasons for the incident.
Drivers Stuck on Frozen I-95 for Over 24 Hours
It's safe to say that 2022 did not start smoothly for a number of drivers on Interstate 95 in Virginia. A major snowstorm left snow and ice packed onto the road, which caused crashes between multiple trucks just a few days into January.
The backup that followed stretched for 50 miles, trapping dozens of travelers -- including Sen. Tim Kaine -- on the road for more than 24 hours. Drivers ran out of food, water and even gas, and were unable to access restrooms. Some parents worried for the lives of their children in the plummeting temperatures.
Eventually, the Virginia Department of Transportation crews and local first responders were able to get people out of their cars and off I-95.
DC Police Find 5 Fetuses in Anti-Abortion Activist's Home
In March, D.C. police officers said they found five fetuses inside the Capitol Hill home where an anti-abortion activist lives. Police went to 28-year-old Lauren Handy's basement apartment in the 400 block of 6th Street SE to investigate a tip about potential biohazard material at the house, the Metropolitan Police Department said in a statement.
The medical examiner's office collected the fetuses, and police investigated. No further information was available about the fetuses, including where they came from.
Handy was one of nine anti-abortion activists charged with federal civil rights offenses after they blocked access to a reproductive health center and streamed it on Facebook, federal prosecutors said.
In a statement on her Facebook page, Handy said the fetuses were named and given a funeral mass.
