The end of the year has arrived and it's given us a chance to look back at the past 12 months.
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From COVID, to floods to a missing person involved in one of the country's biggest stories, this year has dished up plenty for our readers.
Here's the most-read stories on our website in 2022.
10 - Development of a new Taco Bell restaurant in Dubbo takes steps towards potential approval
There's nothing like a new restaurant coming to town to get people excited. There was a buzz around the likes of Carl's Jnr and Goman y Gomez, but none of that matched the hype around Taco Bell.
In July of this year a development application for Taco Bell was submitted to council but this story wouldn't have a happy ending for lovers of Mexican food as in October the bid to move to Dubbo was withdrawn.
9 - Police siege ends in dramatic fashion as man taken into custody
This year again proved our readers care about what's happening in the wider western area.
Never was that more true than in September, when we were all keeping a close eye on an unfolding siege situation at Orange.
After 14 tense hours of negotiating the siege at Peisley Street home came to an end. Ethan William Crook, 27, was arrested and later faced a string of charges in court.
8 - Dubbo person with COVID-19 dies, as regions records 342 new cases
For many, the threat of COVID and the lockdown at the start of the year seems like a lifetime ago.
For those who lost loved ones, however, it's a pain that won't be forgotten anytime soon.
On January 22 it was confirmed one person form Dubbo was among 30 people across the state who died with the virus in the space of 24 hours.
7 - 'It's just awe-inspiring': Photos and video from the flooding at Dubbo and Wellington
Much of the region was devastated by flooding towards the end of this year, and in late September Wellington was among those hardest hit.
Astronomical, powerful and scary were some of the words residents used to describe the scene at Wellington after the Bell River well and truly exceeded the moderate flood level.
Photographer Amy McIntyre captured a host of images around Wellington and Dubbo while video we took also showed the threat flooding could pose.
6 - Woman dead following crash with truck on Mitchell Highway
There was a tragic outcome following a collision between a truck and a woman just outside of Bathurst at the start of December.
The crash resulted in the closure of the Mitchell Highway and despite the best efforts of emergency services crews on the ground, police confirmed the woman died at the scene.
5 - Macquarie River issued yet another flood warning, roads close to traffic
After the flooding in late September, October arrived and it was more of the same for the Dubbo region.
On October 4, the threat of six days of heavy rain for a large chuck of the western area resulted in another flood warning for the Macquarie River.
It led to the closure of both roads and footpaths damaged by the wet.
4 - Woman dies in Mitchell Highway crash, two airlifted to hospital
In early October, a 69-year-old woman died following a two-car crash on the Mitchell Highway between Geurie and Wongarbon.
Multiple NSW Ambulance Paramedic Units, NSW Police, Rural Fire Service, local Emergency Rescue Services and also a second Rescue Helicopter tasked from Sydney were in attendance at the scene.
The highway was closed for several hours on Sunday afternoon and into the night following the horror crash.
3 - Family calls for urgent action after son dies hours after being released from Dubbo Hospital
One of the biggest stories of the year came at the start of 2022 and it was one that gained national attention.
In January, the family of a Dubbo man who died shortly after being sent home from the local hospital announced they would be protesting in a bid to change the way Aboriginal people are treated in the NSW health system.
In August last year, 36-year-old father of eight Ricky Hampson Junior - also known as Dougie - attended Dubbo Hospital with severe stomach pain and a popping or tearing feeling in his stomach.
His family said he was treated and sedated, given painkillers and sent home without a proper diagnosis, before he died a short time later.
2 - FLOOD WATCH: Bridge to reopen by midday, safe to return to tourist park
The flooding was undoubtedly one of the biggest stories of 2022 for much of the state.
While Dubbo wasn't hit as hard some other areas around the west, we were still kept busy by the threat of rising waters in September of this year.
We provided rolling coverage and updates as the threat of flooding resulted in roads, bridges and car parks being closed and a caravan park being evacuated.
1 - MISSING: Appeal to locate Nathaniel Train
If flooding and COVID cases in the western area gained national attention, it was nothing compared to earlier this month when a missing Dubbo man was involved in one of the most horrific crimes in recent Australian history.
A week after being declared missing from Dubbo, Nathaniel Train, his brother, and sister-in-law murdered two police officers and an innocent bystander in remote Queensland before they were then killed following a firefight with with heavily armed tactical officers.
As we followed the unfolding horror, a huge amount of people followed our coverage and went to where it all began, the missing person story.
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Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
