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These were the top 5 most-viewed stories on KJZZ.org in 2021
Over the course of 2021, KJZZ News covered a wide range of stories. As 2022 approaches, here's a look back at the five most-viewed stories on KJZZ.org this year.
1. Election audit confirms Biden's win in Maricopa County, but also casts doubts
Howard Fischer/Capitol Media Services
Audit team members Ben Cotton (from left), Doug Logan and Randy Pullen prepare to give their reports Sept. 24, 2021, to the state Senate of what they found while auditing the 2020 election returns.
September saw the end of an infamous Arizona saga that spanned 11 months (and, as of December, still has ongoing murmurs): the audit of Maricopa County's 2020 presidential ballots, conducted by Florida-based group Cyber Ninjas. At the end of September, the group certified that now-President Joe Biden received the most votes among Maricopa County's voters.
2. Metrocenter Mall will be demolished. Here's what will go up in its place
Hines
Preliminary sketches of the redevelopment Metrocenter site.
Demolition and major redevelopment are coming to an iconic property in Phoenix. In December, KJZZ's Christina Estes got an exclusive look at the plans for the area.
3. Whistleblowers: Software bug keeping inmates in prisons beyond release dates
Jimmy Jenkins/KJZZ
The Arizona Department of Corrections headquarters in downtown Phoenix.
In February, whistleblowers from the Arizona Department of Corrections revealed a shocking glitch in the prison system's software: Hundreds of incarcerated people who should have been eligible for release were being held in prison because the inmate management software could not interpret the sentencing laws at the time.
4. Voucher interest high among anti-mask mandate parents, to the dismay of public schools
Howard Fischer/Capitol Media Services
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey shared more details about two new programs he launched during a Aug. 19, 2021, press conference.
By September, the debate around masks in schools was still being fiercely argued. For Arizona parents whose children's schools require masks, Gov. Doug Ducey offered $7,000 in federal COVID-19 relief funds to help send those children elsewhere. Critics called it another example of Republicans trying to undermine public education.
5. What do you do if you lose your COVID-19 vaccination card in Arizona?
Sky Schaudt/KJZZ
A vaccination card for the COVID-19 vaccine.
Health experts worldwide continue to urge vaccinations to protect against COVID-19. But what if you’ve misplaced that card that proves you’re fully vaccinated?
