Health, but not COVID: A look back at The Border Mail's files reveals what made the news in 2022

But it was not mask rules or vaccine mandates at the fore, it was the push for a new Albury-Wodonga hospital.

There was a rally in May, where hundreds heard medicos and patients tell of a broken health system, and calls for up to a $1 billion from federal and state governments to bankroll a fresh site.

In June, then Victorian Opposition leader Matthew Guy pledged $300 million to a new hospital if he was elected in November's election.

With pressure mounting, Victorian premier Daniel Andrews and his NSW counterpart Dominic Perrottet came to the Border in October to announce a jointly-funded $450 million for an upgraded Albury hospital.

That drew dismay from some quarters as being inadequate and not a greenfield site as sought and Wodonga Council was upset at its city having no hospital.

IT has been a relentless year for rain and the tone was set in January with storms causing damage across Thurgoona, Chiltern and Rutherglen.

By the second week of August, Lake Hume was brimming and Albury's River Deck Cafe forced to shut as the Murray River swelled.

"We'll be closing this afternoon for an unspecified period of time," cafe boss Alex Smit said not knowing it would be more than 100 days before trade resumed.

As spring continued, the water wreaked havoc with the region's roads with a landslide cutting the route between Mount Beauty and Falls Creek, a ravine opening up on Gooramadda Road near Rutherglen and countless potholes.

Unsurprisingly, it was Albury-Wodonga's wettest spring in history with 534 millimetres recorded - 144.2 in September, 198 in October and 191.8 in November.

By the end of the year, councils across the region were left with road repair bills running into the millions of dollars and rising.

SOMETHING not seen in 26 years had hordes of people heading for the hills.

Dartmouth Dam exceeded capacity for the first time since 1996, which resulted in millions of litres of water pouring over its spillway, creating a spectacular sight.

Anticipation began in late August as the water level inched closer to the brink and then a tourism bonanza was unleashed as the dam's lip was breached on September 22.

Dartmouth's only motel was booked out and extra staff were needed as its hotel was overrun with sight-seers hitting town to see up to 20,000 megalitres each day cascade from the dam.

A stopgap food and drink stand was set-up in the Dartmouth fire brigade shed and by the time the spill had stopped in December there had been $56,000 raised to assist the local CFA, progress association and anglers' club.

THE deaths of an Olympic cycling champion, Border hospital chief, past Wodonga mayor and Albury real estate agent made the front page of The Border Mail in 2022.

Dean Woods was part of the teams pursuit team which won gold at the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984.

The 55 year-old died on the Gold Coast on March 3 with his funeral in his hometown of Wangaratta involving him delivering a eulogy he recorded while in care for cancer.

Hospital workers across the Border were left mourning after the passing of Albury Wodonga Health chief executive Michael Kalimnios, 57.

He died in January after battling illness.

AWH chairman Matt Burke said he was "an outstanding CEO and he brought a lot of good ideas and initiatives to the organisation".

Trail-blazing Wodonga mayor Pam Stone died at the age of 93 in August.

She became the city's first female leader in 1985 and was heavily involved in pushing for a kindergarten, TAFE and university in her community.

Estate agent Sharon Jacka was a dynamo in property sales but she was equally strong in raising money to fight cancer after her son Karl, 35, died of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2010.

Mrs Jacka, 64, died in July after her own cancer diagnosis and more than 500 attended her funeral.

IN an Australian-first, a radio pair become mayors while also hosting a breakfast show together.

Kylie King was elected unopposed as mayor of Albury in January, joining her 2AY co-host Kev Poulton, who had been leading Wodonga Council since 2020.

By year's end, Cr Poulton had quit radio and lost his position as mayor to Ron Mildren after a 4-3 vote went against him.

A CHANGE of mayor was among a number of big episodes in the life of Wodonga Council this year.

Former deputy mayor Kat Bennett resigned in March and later told a podcast the conduct of some councillors had created a "toxic workplace".

Feedback she provided contributed to the council being put under the scrutiny of a monitor imposed by the Victorian Local Government Minster to scrutinise governance.

In October, former mayor John Watson resigned after receiving a pancreatic cancer diagnosis.

"We're certainly too far down the track to do anything for life-saving," he told The Border Mail last month.

Danny Lowe and Danny Chamberlain won countbacks to replace each of the resigned councillors.

THIS year brought Victorian and federal elections which saw Lower House incumbents Bill Tilley, Tim McCurdy, Helen Haines and Sussan Ley returned in their respective seats.

The Victorian Upper House vote saw former Wodonga councillor Tim Quilty and Wangaratta advocate for victims of crime Tania Maxwell lose their positions.

Northern Victoria voters instead ended up electing One Nation and Animal Justice Party candidates to sit alongside Labor and Coalition representatives.

In Canberra, Ms Ley became the Liberal Party's deputy leader after the Coalition lost the federal election in May.

Dr Haines was celebrating in November when legislation for a Commonwealth anti-corruption body was passed after she had long campaigned for such an organisation.

AFTER a long wait, passengers finally had new VLocity trains operating on all V/Line services between Albury and Melbourne.

The full switchover was not without incident as V/Line pulled VLocities from service in June due to wheel damage later linked to a set of points in inner Melbourne.

Track work conducted through August saw buses needed as the full changeover to VLocity sets was delayed after the last N Class departed in July.

Then in November, the VLocity fleet was again withdrawn from service due to problems related to cars' suspension.

There have also been delays in having the onboard buffet operate and staffing issues with the service.

WHILE there were no border closures or lockdowns, COVID continued to make its presence felt.

It was most evident in the health system with Albury Wodonga Health issuing multiple code yellows over the year as it struggled to have the resources to meet patient demand.

Restrictions on visitors to hospitals also eased and then tightened as the virus spread through spring.

In May, Albury High School students were directed to study from home after exposure to COVID left staff and scholars unable to attend the Kiewa Street campus.

On the flipside, this year also marked the return of many events for the first time since COVID struck in early 2020. The Henty Machinery Field Days, football and netball grand finals, agricultural shows, City2City fun run-walk, Rutherglen's Winery Walkabout and Carols by Candlelight sessions in big and small centres all resumed after going into hiatus.

TWO men were this year jailed for the murder of Gerogery resident William Chaplin, 12 years after he was killed and three years after his remains were found.

A 29 year-old, who can't be named, was imprisoned in April for a minimum of eight years and a maximum of 12, while Paul Anthony Watson, 52, was locked up for a minimum of 16 years and a maximum of 24.

Both were found guilty by Supreme Court juries in separate trials.

They both lacked remorse with Watson continuing to deny the murder.

Chaplin's partial remains went undiscovered until 2019, when a police search over several days lead to a skull, teeth and other items. Information about the killing was related by Watson to another prisoner in Victoria which unravelled the case.

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