With 2023 resembling something close to pre-pandemic times, this year marked a new beginning for Whidbey residents.

From the discovery of Joseph Whidbey’s will to the death of Tokitae the captive orca to a controversy surrounding the Whidbey Island Fairgrounds, this past year was both lively and eventful.

The following are the top news stories from the front pages of the Whidbey News-Times in 2023.

January

Grethe Cammermeyer resigned from the WhidbeyHealth board of commissioners after 13 years.

Courtney Storer, the culinary producer of the show “The Bear,” cooked meals at the Captain Whidbey Inn.

Hastie Lake Road resident Kristi Finch was charged with multiple counts of animal cruelty following an investigation into two horses that allegedly died of starvation on her farm the previous month. Deputies had seized many emaciated and allegedly neglected dogs, cats and horses from her property. She later pleaded not guilty.

Sharon Jensen was appointed to the Oak Harbor School Board.

An exhibit of bearded men photos hit a snag at the Oak Harbor Library after a handful of people objected to an image of a man dressed as a female pirate.

Island County awarded $7 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to three organizations — Shelter Resources, Habitat for Humanity and Goosefoot Community Fund — to build affordable housing.

A crew lost in Vietnam was honored at a Naval Air Station Whidbey Island ceremony.

A South Whidbey man was arrested for allegedly stealing and walking around the area with the well-known pickle-shaped sign from Pickles Deli in Clinton.

King tides caused severe flooding on Whidbey Island, damaging homes and prompting the Island County commissioners to declare an emergency. The extreme high tides surpassed 13 feet in some areas.

Oak Harbor police arrested four teenagers who were suspected of being responsible for late-night crime sprees.

Port of Coupeville board members voted to make an offer on buying the A.J. Eisenberg Airport near Oak Harbor.

Residents raised concerns about a roadside homeless camp on Hoffman Road. County crews cleaned up the trash.

February

Members of the Oak Harbor Council decided that the Angel de la Creatividad sculpture should be installed in Flintstone Park. The giant work of art inspired much debate in the city.

Coupeville Mayor Molly Hughes proposed a plan to make Front Street a one-way road. The plan was enacted later in the year.

WhidbeyHealth’s board named Nathan Staggs as the new CEO and Morgan Cooper as a board member, replacing Cammermeyer.

Oak Harbor Public Schools’ $121 million bond measure failed to get a supermajority vote.

An Illinois man found Joseph Whidbey’s will and donated it to the South Whidbey Historical Society.

In response to an animal cruelty case, Animal Advocates of Island County formed to improve the welfare of animals in the county.

Oak Harbor police’s investigation into a shovel-related assault lead to the discovery of illegal guns and significant amounts of fentanyl and meth.

SPiN Cafe, an Oak Harbor nonprofit that helps homeless people, was awarded a $600,000 federal grant to help with homelessness.

Lt. Peggy Dente and Lt. Lyndsay Evans, aviators from NAS Whidbey, were chosen to fly over the Super Bowl in Arizona.

Ellison the elephant seal made a scene in Central Whidbey when he killed a harbor seal.

March

Former Oak Harbor resident Bryce Hill was identified by the U.S. Attorney’s Office as a “key distributor of drugs in the Seattle area.” He was indicted on charges of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, cocaine and meth.

North Whidbey resident Robert DeLaurentis put the Port of Coupeville’s attempt to purchase the airport in doubt by announcing he already had the property in escrow. He later sued over the airport.

Citizens for Safe and Humane Fireworks formed to advocate for a ban on pyrotechnics in unincorporated areas.

Oak Harbor police caught Oscar Sampedro, a wanted man who had avoided apprehension for months. He had been wanted on a $100,000 warrant on a gun-related case and a $250,000 warrant in an attempting to elude case.

A family of four was displaced but no one was injured in a house fire on Northwest Crosby Avenue.

Oak Harbor Councilmember Shane Hoffmire and business person Ronnie Wright announced plans to run for mayor.

April

The Miami Seaquarium announced that Tokitae, an orca also known as Lolita, may be returned to the Salish Sea. The orca was the last living orca taken into captivity during the 1970 round up in Penn Cove. Groups had been advocating for her release for decades. Sadly, the orca died later in the year.

Daniel Sanders, a 23-year-old Navy man and father of two, was killed in a crash near Coupeville. Two others were also injured in the single-car rollover crash.

A Little League shed in Oak Harbor was destroyed by an arson fire.

A jury deadlocked again in a child rape trial. North Whidbey resident Charles Ringer went on trial twice on charges he raped his stepdaughter. The jury was unable to return a unanimous decision both times and the charges were later dismissed.

Oak Harbor resident Sarah Bils, a Navy veteran, gained international fame after being linked to a pro-Russia social media account involved in the leak of top-secret documents.

NJROTC students at Oak Harbor High School were awarded $3 million in scholarships.

State Sen. Ron Muzzall secured $27.5 million in state funds for two school construction projects in Oak Harbor. The federal government will fund the bulk of the two projects, which are on federal land and serve military families.

May

Oak Harbor Police Chief Kevin Dresker proposed a temporary city code making drug possession illegal. The proposal, later adopted by the council, was in response to the state’s failure to pass a new drug possession law.

Prosecutors charged Oak Harbor resident Eric K. Keo in Island County Superior Court with manslaughter in the first degree in shooting death of 15-year-old Ericolis Kelley. Keo was accused of recklessly pointing the gun and pulling the trigger as a game or joke.

Bones found by divers at the South Whidbey Harbor in Langley were identified as the remains of Allen Fletcher, a Port Townsend man who disappeared in 2013.

The city of Oak Harbor settled a lawsuit filed by former public works director Cathy Rosen and former city engineer Joe Stowell. Rosen received $200,000 while Stowell settled for $15,000 and $32,000 in attorney fees. Among other claims, Rosen and Stowell accused Mayor Bob Severns of scapegoating city staff for the lack of communication over the escalating cost of the sewage treatment plant.

Oak Harbor High School students appealed to the school board after the principal vetoed plans to perform “The Laramie Project,” a play that tells the true story of the homophobia-related murder of a student in Wyoming.

The Port of South Whidbey created controversy by deciding not to ask tenants of buildings on the fairgrounds to vacate during the Whidbey Island Fair, which was the practice in the past. The decision left less room for fair exhibits and activities. Organizers of the fair later decided not to cancel it.

A South Whidbey underwater robotics team qualified for an international competition.

Chris Wiegenstein was appointed to the Oak Harbor City Council. He replaced Dan Evans, who stepped down.

Coupeville held its first Pride Parade.

Bookstore owner Meg Olsen announced she was challenging Coupeville Mayor Molly Hughes in the election.

A historic log cabin was discovered inside a Langley home slated for demolition.

June

A black bear was spotted outside a home in the Strawberry Point neighborhood of North Whidbey.

After months of discussions, Port of Coupeville commissioners voted 3-1 to not purchase the Oak Harbor airport.

An EA-18G Growler aircraft from NAS Whidbey malfunctioned over Whidbey and was witnessed by several Coupeville residents, who reported unusual smoke and noise.

SPiN Cafe moved into the former Washington Federal bank building on Southwest Barlow Street.

A 30-year-old Skagit County man smoked fentanyl in the Oak Harbor Walmart and led police on a high-speed chase that ended when his car crashed through a fence on the Navy base. The man, Jose Castaneda-Torres, suffered a cardiac arrest and was resuscitated on the way to the hospital. He was charged with several felony crimes.

Joshua Wiener, an Oak Harbor man, was accused of kidnapping and raping a 14-year-old girl. A judge set his bail at $150,000.

A highly contagious rabbit disease decimated Langley’s famous population of bunnies. Disposal sites were set for the bunny carcasses.

July

Island County commissioners discussed banning fireworks in unincorporated areas of the county, but the measure does not have enough support to pass.

Tom Black, longtime dean of students in Coupeville, lost his job in budget cuts despite public outcry.

A resident spotted a black bear in the middle of an Oak Harbor residential area. The bear moved on without incident.

Four people were honored with a WhidbeyHealth Emergency Medical Service Community Award for saving a man’s life by pulling him from a burning car following a crash on Highway 20.

A minke whale visited Deception Pass.

A large fire destroyed a building and equipment at a Central Whidbey farm. A total of 40 firefighters from departments across the island responded to battle the blaze. The farm, located at the corner of Fort Casey Road and Terry Road, belonged to the federal government and was leased by farmers.

Ferry workers saved a kitten marooned on a wing wall of the ferry dock in Clinton. A pair of ferry workers later adopted the kitty, which they named “Buoy.”

August

A couple who purchased a house on North Whidbey discovered that 1,000 bats were living in the walls. The couple and their child moved out while efforts were made to bat-proof the home.

Coupeville resident Eric Arnold won the grand prize in Ivar’s “Where’s the Ferry?” contest. To win the prize, Arnold composed a song wondering about the whereabouts of the ferry.

A judge approved a motion of forfeiture of the many animals seized from Kristi Finch’s farm.

The Whidbey Homeless Coalition’s homeless shelter in Coupeville opened. The Haven offers overnight emergency shelter.

A naked and intoxicated Clinton man was arrested for allegedly pointing a gun at a deputy.

Whidbey bid farewell to Tokitae the orca.

U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell visited South Whidbey to tout a broadband project.

Pacific Northwest Naval Air Museum began construction of a new facility on Ault Field Road.

September

A federal judge ordered the Navy to redo an environmental study on the impact of expanded EA-18G Growler operations at NAS Whidbey. The judge, however, ruled that the Navy can continue operations at the current levels as the study is being done.

Test results from untreated wastewater in Oak Harbor and Coupeville showed a spike in COVID-19.

The body of a 51-year-old Kirkland man who jumped off Deception Pass Bridge was found on the west side of the island by a family out fishing.

Danielle Cruz was sentenced to 17.5 years in prison for driving while impaired and causing a crash on South Whidbey two years prior that killed Sharon Gamble and Kenneth Weikle.

Oak Harbor man Marc Davis died in the hospital five months after a crash on North Whidbey.

Clinton resident Jeffrey Bryan was killed in a motorcycle accident on South Whidbey.

Bruiser, Whidbey’s sole elk, made national news after the News-Times reported an incident in which he attacked a car that stopped near him on the North End. Nobody was injured and the state wildlife agents have no plans to move the big guy.

October

The newsroom of the Whidbey News-Times and South Whidbey Record won a record 25 awards in the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association’s Better Newspaper contest. Record reported Kira Erickson won first place as Feature Writer of the Year. The News-Times won third place in general excellence. Erickson, Karina Andrew, David Welton and Jessie Stensland also garnered many other individual awards.

Island County Sheriff Rick Felici announced plans to remove RVs from the Hoffman Road encampment. Soon afterward, a dog died in a fire of an RV parked on Hoffman Road.

Builders and developers aired grievances at a commissioners’ meeting with the county permitting process.

Oak Harbor City Council adopted rate increases at the marina in which owners of bigger boats will see higher rates.

Island County commissioners approved the allocation of $3.9 million in COVID stimulus money to the Opportunity Council for an 82-unit apartment community.

Whidbey resident Richard Martin was discovered naked while burglarizing a business for the second time. He acted unruly in court and had to be removed.

November

A suspect in serial bathroom-related arson cases was arrested in Coupeville. Firefighters responded to seven reports of fires in restrooms and port-a-potties on Central Whidbey over the year. The Coupeville marshal staked out the restrooms in the town and allegedly caught Ryan Parish in the act. He was charged with two counts of arson.

Oak Harbor resident Jordan McCully was arrested for allegedly firing into a house and then shooting up a car with an AR-15-style rifle. Police received 37 calls from neighbors about the gunshots. Nobody was injured in the shooting.

Ronnie Wright won Oak Harbor mayor’s race in election. In addition, Barbara Armes and Chris Wiegenstein won seats on Oak Harbor City Council. In the race for Oak Harbor School Board, Josh MacLean, Jessica Aws, Nicole Tesch and Sharon Jensen won. In Coupeville, Mayor Molly Hughes was reelected and Charles Merwine and Alison Perera successfully ran for the school board.

Chief Kevin Dresker retired after seven years with the Oak Harbor Police Department.

Freeland resident Justin Wiener was accused of murdering his mother, Brenda Wiener. He allegedly walked to Nichols Bros. Boat Builders with blood on his hands and confessed to committing a crime. Prosecutors charged him with murder in the first degree.

A P-8 Poseidon aircraft from NAS Whidbey overshot a runway in Hawaii and landed in the water.

December

Mike Case-Smith passed away. He will be remembered as “Mr. Pumpkin” by generations of Oak Harbor families.

Oak Harbor resident McArthur Jackson was accused of vehicular homicide related to an accident in Skagit County that killed an Arlington woman.

IHOP and Sonic are among several new businesses that plan to open in Oak Harbor.

Tony Slowik was named as the new chief of Oak Harbor Police Department.

Lt. Peggy Dente, left, and Lt. Lyndsay Evans represented the U.S. Navy — and Oak Harbor — as part of an all-female crew that participated in the traditional Super Bowl Sunday flyover. (Photo by Karina Andrew)

Laramie Spydell, left, is confounded by mashed radishes. Kindergarteners from Olympic View Elementary School in Oak Harbor tried plenty of unfamiliar foods, such as radishes, thanks to the Harvest of the Month program. (Photo by Rachel Rosen)

Members of various Coast Salish tribes participate in canoe races at the Penn Cove Water Festival May 13. This year’s festival was the first since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic to hold the traditional canoe races. (Photo by David Welton)

Scott Waitley greets his wife, Maggie, and 2-month-old son, Warren, after returning home from deployment in April. (Photo by David Welton)