PORTLAND, Ore. — As 2021 comes to a close, let’s take a look back at our YouTube videos that you were watching the most this year.
10. Security video shows Oregon lawmaker opening door to state Capitol, letting demonstrators inside
Date published: Jan. 8, 2021
Views: 65,000+
Security footage from the Oregon State Capitol building shows Republican Rep. Mike Nearman letting far-right demonstrators into a one-day special session that was held in December. Oregon State Police launched an investigation into the incident that culminated in Nearman being stripped of his role as representative and pleading guilty to criminal misconduct. He received 18 months of probation. You can read more on KGW.com.
9. Chance to see northern lights in the PNW this weekend
Date published: Oct. 29, 2021
Views: 70,000+
The eruption of a massive solar flare in October has the potential to spark a geomagnetic storm strong enough to make the northern lights visible in Oregon and California. Sadly, most of Oregon saw cloudy skies the night of the big event.
8. Oregon brothers arrested on federal charges in connection with deadly US Capitol riot
Date published: March 24, 2021
Views: 77,000+
A pair of brothers from Oregon were arrested and charged with a litany of crimes for participating in the deadly U.S. Capitol riot and insurrection on Jan. 6. Read more on KGW.com.
7. Proud boys, antifa clash in NE Portland
Date published: Aug. 22, 2021
Views: 86,000+
After gathering at separate events, the far-right hate group Proud Boys and the far-left Antifa clashed violently in downtown Portland. A look at the scene showed the use of explosive devices, some that resembled fireworks, and others, as well as destruction and violence between the two groups. You can read more on KGW.com.
6.Beaverton school lunch worker helps get special cart for student with dwarfism
Date published: Oct. 28, 2021
Views: 100,000+
This is a heartwarming story you’ll want to see if you haven’t already. 6-year-old Julian Worsham has dwarfism and was using a sort of ramshackle cart to help carry his lunch tray at school. A lunch worker saw the little boy’s cart and thought he deserved something special. She commissioned her husband to make Julian a one-of-a-kind cart so he could have his lunch in style. You can read more on KGW.com.
5. Portland’s rivers expected to rise several feet due to king tides
Date published: Nov. 5, 2021
Views: 198,000+
King tides happen when the moon is closest to the earth and when the earth is closest to the sun. All the celestial bodies were in perfect alignment to see a king tide. It can cause large waves on the coast as well as swelling rivers. You can read more on KGW.com.
4. Portland is trashed. What is the solution to clean it up?
Date published: Jan. 29, 2021
Views: 214,000+
Portland has a trash problem. Early in 2021, The Story looked into how much trash was being picked up off Portland streets and it turns out that Portland was on track to pick up more trash than ever before. However, if you asked Portlanders they’d say they couldn’t tell. A callout on Facebook from KGW garnered hundreds of responses from people calling out problem areas littered with trash around the city. You can read more on KGW.com.
3. Impact of a single homeless camp: $18,347 in cleanup, one thousand complaints and endless conflict
Date published: Sept. 1, 2021
Views: 266,000+
KGW spoke with neighbors, businesses and people experiencing homelessness to get a better understanding of the widespread impact of a homeless camp. You can read more on KGW.com.
2. Huge ‘dead zone’ forming off the coast of Oregon, Washington
Date published: July 22, 2021
Views: 230,000+
A huge dead zone off of the coast of Washington and Oregon is much larger and closer to shore than researchers anticipated. KGW spoke to an Oregon State University marine ecologist who is measuring the oxygen in the water to track the dead zone. You can read more on KGW.com.
1. Overwhelmed: Inside Oregon’s ICUs
Date published: Aug. 26, 2021
Views: 280,000+
The delta variant swept through Oregon causing soaring COVID case numbers and record-breaking hospitalizations. It pushed hospitals in Oregon to the brink. KGW stepped into two Oregon ICUs, one in Bend and one in Portland, to glimpse the grim realities health care workers were faced with, a tidal wave of patients that were younger and sicker without enough hands or room to care for them. You can read more on KGW.com
Subscribe to KGW’s YouTube channel so you don’t miss stories like this next year.
Destiny Johnson is a digital reporter at KGW. She hosts a Nerd News YouTube show and often writes about crime. You can follow her on Twitter at @hello_destiny.
