The turnover at City Hall, the swine flu virus and fears that the ongoing drought would lead to a water shortage in Beeville made headlines in Bee County in 2009.

Longtime Beeville Mayor Kenneth Chesshir unexpectedly announced in early March he would not seek another term of office. The following week he confirmed he planned to support mayor pro tem John Fulghum for the post.

Chesshir formally resigned from office at the end of the month and, true to his word, supported Fulghum as his replacement. The majority of the council agreed and Fulghum was named mayor of Beeville.

He served in that position until right after the City Council election in May, at which time the council voted to name Jimbo Martinez mayor.

Mike Scotten was named mayor pro tem.

In July, Martinez asked longtime Beeville City Manager Ford Patton to resign — or be dismissed.

Patton told the council he expected to be compensated if he was forced to resign before the end of his contract.

The council held a special session to discuss the issue and afterward voted to part ways with Patton. Former Beeville City Manager Joe B. Montez, who is executive director of the Bee Development Authority, was appointed acting city manager.

Ford went on to become city manager of nearby Kenedy.

The council voted in December to hire Tom Ginter as Beeville’s newest city manager.

Bee County residents watched in horror as the swine flu virus spread from Mexico to countries around the world in 2009.

The virus reared its ugly head in Texas within weeks of killing its first victim in April in Mexico.

Bee County authorities confirmed in May that several people who had severe cases of influenza most likely had contracted swine flu. By October there had been 33 confirmed cases of swine flu in Bee County, nine of which required hospital stays. In December, authorities confirmed the first death in Bee County as a result of swine flu.

In August, the city of Corpus Christi announced plans to lower the level of Corpus Christi reservoir to a point where the city of Beeville would no longer be able to pump fresh water.

Corpus Christi city leaders said they were willing to renegotiate the contract with the city of Beeville to avoid the water level drop.

Beeville city leaders said the contract renegotiation amounted to extortion, and they voted to hire an engineering firm to study the issue and recommend the best option to get around a contract increase.

Engineers reported back later in the fall that dredging around the water intake structure at the lake likely would not resolve the city’s problem and if the city of Corpus Christi chose to go ahead and drop the lake level, it would leave Beeville without a source of fresh water. However, Jim Urban of Urban Engineering said Corpus Christi city leaders were willing to reconsider the cost increase in light of the new developments.

Other stories that caught readers’ attention in 2009 included:

• In January, the Texas Department of Transportation announced it was abandoning plans to build the much-hyped, much-maligned Trans-Texas Corridor, a multi-lane superhighway that would pass through Bee County and which critics said would split ranches and farm land statewide that had been in families for generations.

The ongoing drought had turned Bee County “into a tinderbox,” authorities said prior to imposing a countywide ban on outdoor burning.

• In February, the Bee County Junior Livestock & Homemakers Show’s special sale topped a record $300,000, despite a slumping national economy.

Sikorsky Support Services Inc. announced plans to expand its Chase Field helicopter repair facility. The expanded facility would require an additional 200-250 employees, Sikorsky officials announced.

The Skidmore-Tynan Lady Cats advanced to the regional quarterfinals in basketball with a resounding 57-32 win over the George West Longhorns.

• In March, Beeville ISD Athletic Director and head football coach Chris Soza, who took the Trojans to the playoffs four of his five years in Beeville, announced plans to accept a similar post in Alice.

The Lady Trojan soccer team won the district championship by defeating the Floresville Jaguars, 5-0.

• In April, the Lady Trojans continued their winning streak, defeating the La Joya Lincoln Huskies 3-0 to advance to the regional semifinals.

Bee County Tea Party Patriots gathered at the county courthouse to protest higher state and federal taxes as well as what they believe to be the government’s move toward socialism.

BISD hired Lockhart ISD athletic director and head football coach Troy Moses to replace Chris Soza.

Former Chase Field veterans and civil employees returned to the long-closed naval air base for a reunion.

• In May, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality fined the Tynan Water Supply District $26,800 for various violations. The following week, four members of the board voted to terminate the contract between the district and the management company.

• In June, a 72-year-old Skidmore man was killed when the truck he was driving was hit by a vehicle driven by an A.C. Jones High School senior, who was due to graduate the same night.

A committee recommended the city impose a ban on plastic shopping bags in order to help beautify the community.

The following week the City Council voted against the ban after local merchants explained the negative impact it would have on their businesses.

• In July, Beeville ISD trustees announced they would do their best to find money in the budget to give bonuses to employees. The move came after voters rejected BISD’s proposed six-cent tax rate hike the previous fall. The tax hike was to pay for employee pay raises.

U.S. Rep. Rubén Hinojosa, whose congressional district includes Bee County, announced he would not hold a town hall meeting in Beeville to discuss the proposed health care bill before Congress.

• In September, commissioners adopted a “bare bones” budget.

Beeville ISD announced plans to track truant students via GPS in order to save more than $700,000 annually in state funding.

At the end of the month, county commissioners were forced to amend the “bare bones budget” because of a $470,000 bookkeeping error.

• In October, BISD filed a lawsuit against the county after commissioners raised the tax collection rate from $1.50 per parcel to $1.98 per parcel and prohibited the county tax assessor-collector from collecting at a lower rate.

The Skidmore-Tynan and A.C. Jones High School marching bands earned superior ratings at UIL marching competition.

The A.C. Jones varsity volleyball team won the district championship.

• In November, Precinct 3 Commissioner Eloy Rodriguez voted against allowing the Tea Party Patriots to use county electricity during a rally at the courthouse, saying the group is divisive.

Jaime Rodriguez was named principal of A.C. Jones High School and Kyle McManus replaced Donnie Montemayor as Bee County’s agricultural extension agent.

• In December, Bee County folks proved that the Christmas spirit was alive and well, donating thousands of dollars worth of toys and food to the needy through several charitable efforts.