Whidbey Island residents in 2019 participated in political and environmental demonstrations, lost loved ones, listened to and either enjoyed or resented the sound of Growlers and some maybe even spotted Tom Cruise and a bear (not together). They debated housing issues and they got stuck in the snow.

Here’s a look at the past year:

JANUARY

Former pastor Thomas Stoneham at an Oak Harbor church was sentenced to prison for child rape.

Mushroom hunters on North Whidbey found part of a human skull.

Oak Harbor was ordered to pay nearly $10,0000 in a gender bias lawsuit brought by a former police captain.

Greenbank resident John Meadows shot his girlfriend, Freeland resident Natasha Blouin, with a rifle inside a car with their baby in the back seat. He later shot himself.

Everett pilot Marc Drake died when his private plane crashed near Whidbey Airpark in Langley. His passenger was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Investigation of the incident was delayed by the partial government shutdown.

A “super blood wolf moon” was visible in the skies over Whidbey Island. The moon’s alignment with the Earth and sun also caused king tides.

FEBRUARY

The controversial gun-rights group Patriot Prayer held a meeting at Greenbank Farm.

A snow storm descended on Whidbey Island, leaving first responders busy with a number of weather-related calls.

A federal lawsuit was filed against manufacturers of products that use PFAS chemicals, claiming they are responsible for contamination of groundwater on the island.

A Greenbank man admitted to sexually molesting an 11-year-old girl and blamed marijuana edibles for his behavior.

MARCH

An investigation found a police-involved shooting in front of Walmart was justified.

Oak Harbor Intermediate fifth graders raised more than $8,100 for cancer research after math and science teacher Tom Karney’s Hodgkin’s Lymphoma hadn’t gone in remission as was believed.

The secretary of the Navy announced the final decision to add Growlers to NAS Whidbey and increase training at OLF Coupeville fourfold.

The Oak Harbor High School robotics team helped create a custom bicycle for a 4-year-old girl who has a limb difference.

The Catholic chapel at NAS Whidbey closed after 77 years.

It was announced Whidbey Island Race Week would move to Point Roberts in 2020 after 37 years.

The Navy provided few details regarding Tom Cruise’s presence to film the “Top Gun” sequel.

APRIL

Wright’s Crossing proposed a 160-unit community in Oak Harbor city limits.

WhidbeyHealth CEO Geri Forbes announced her retirement. She later resigned from her position ahead of her planned retirement. Ron Telles, former chief financial officer, was named as her successor.

Coupeville resident and noted Whidbey historian Roger Sherman died at the age of 84.

Oak Harbor businessman and World War II veteran Hank Koetje died at the age of 95.

A man in a black ski mask robbed an Oak Harbor bank. He initially escaped on foot and later fled to California. The man, identified as 20-year-old Duane Payne, was sentenced to prison in October.

Firefighters with North Whidbey Fire and Rescue extinguish a fire that destroyed a fifth wheel trailer in May. File photo by Jessie Stensland/Whidbey News-Times

MAY

An island-hopping bear made a stop on Whidbey. The black bear was spotted in a Coupeville couple’s backyard in the first confirmed bear sighting on the island in decades. The bear was later spotted on other islands before being tranquilized and relocated to a wilderness area.

Roman Ogourtsov admitted to defrauding more than $700,000 from customers in an internet scam run out of a Coupeville home.

A man died in the water and another was found alive after their boat capsized in waters west of North Whidbey.

Oak Harbor preschool owner Coy Bozeman Jr. was accused of molesting three girls.

A Navy investigative report and recording from the cockpit exposed the rationale for jets drawing a penis in the sky over Eastern Washington.

A Whidbey Island couple was accused of trying to fraudulently obtain a life insurance policy on a child after he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Charles H. Boyles III and Genia Boyles later pleaded guilty.

The federal Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Education recognized an Oak Harbor public school and the district on the same day for sustainability efforts.

JUNE

Aggressive deer killed a dog and cat.

North Whidbey Fire and Rescue Chief Mark Kirko left the district for another position. He cited tension with a fire commissioner as part of the reason for his departure.

Oak Harbor Hearing Examiner Michael Bobbink considered approval of permits for a 51-unit affordable housing development on Pioneer Way. He recommended approval and the proposal was narrowly approved by the city council. The decision was challenged by the Oak Harbor Main Street Association.

JULY

An Oak Harbor man died and five were injured following a collision on North Whidbey. Cindy Wilson, who failed to yield at a stop sign, was arrested.

The state attorney general announced his lawsuit against the Navy over noise and other impacts of Growler expansion at NAS Whidbey.

Citizens of Ebey’s Reserve, known as COER, sued the Navy, alleging Freedom of Information Act violations.

People rallied in Coupeville to join nationwide protests against the poor conditions in immigration detention centers.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, then a presidential candidate, visited Whidbey to learn about restoration and education projects.

AUGUST

Island County Commissioner Helen Price Johnson announced she will run for state Senate.

People gathered in Oak Harbor to rally in support of the Navy in response to the attorney general’s lawsuit.

Sen. Barbara Bailey, R-Oak Harbor, announced she would step down from the state Senate.

A judge granted a petition to posthumously change a woman’s last name so she no longer shares it with the husband who murdered her.

Island County Prosecutor Greg Banks apologized for his social media posts criticizing President Donald Trump’s supporters after regional news outlets reported on them.

Coupeville Town Council voted to restrict short-term rentals.

SEPTEMBER

Carlton Miller, an Oak Harbor resident, was killed when his motorcycle collided with a pickup on North Whidbey.

Three houses on the former Freund farmstead were moved as part of an agreement with a developer.

Russell Blake, a 24-year-old sailor at NAS Whidbey, was killed in a motorcycle collision with a motorhome. This was the seventh motorcycle crash since May.

Island County withdrew funding for SPIN Cafe, citing inappropriate behavior by the nonprofit’s staff.

Central Whidbey residents filed a class-action lawsuit against the Navy seeking damages from the Navy over Growler aircraft practice.

Approximately 200 people gathered in Coupeville to join worldwide rallies demanding political action on climate change.

Students lead a chant at a climate strike in Coupeville. The event joined hundreds like it across the globe in an effort. File photo by Laura Guido/ Whidbey News-Times

OCTOBER

Coupeville restaurant Knead & Feed closed its doors after 45 years in business.

The last active-duty P-3C Orion in the Navy returned home to Whidbey Island from its last deployment.

A hunter walking through woods near Greenbank discovered a skull, which was later identified as belonging to a Freeland man who had been missing nearly 19 years.

WhidbeyHealth implemented a program to offer same-day access to contraception at all its clinics.

County officials from the 10th Legislative District selected Whidbey farm owner Ron Muzzall to fill Sen. Barbara Bailey’s vacant seat.

Law enforcement seized 50 pounds of methamphetamine in an Oak Harbor drug bust.

Al Koetje, former Oak Harbor mayor and businessman, died at age 89.

NOVEMBER

In the general election, the Oak Harbor measure to fund street repair passed. Incumbent Oak Harbor Mayor Bob Severns and Councilwoman Tara Hizon retained their positions. Businessman Jeffrey Mack won the contest for the seat previously held by Rick Almberg.

A ballot-ordering issue caused precinct-level election data to display incorrectly. Final tallies were correct, the state Secretary of State’s Office confirmed. Mayoral candidate Pat Harman paid for a recount of his race after reading about widespread errors in election result displays.

DECEMBER

Fire officials suspected arson as the cause of a North Whidbey residential fire. No one was injured.

Two 4-year-old girls were called heroes after scaling an embankment following a car accident to seek help for their father, Corey Simmons, who didn’t survive the crash.

An episode of HGTV’s “My Lottery Dream Home” featuring a Coupeville couple aired.

A resident at an assisted living facility was charged with sexual assault of a fellow resident who has dementia.

Protesters in Coupeville showed support for impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump.

The rally joined hundreds like it across the nation.