Many local residents will be glad to see the end of the year 2008. It has been a year in which our financial fortunes have taken a decided turn for the worse. We suffered minor damages from a hurricane and our cotton crop was pretty much ruined by bad weather.

Still, those of us who enjoyed good health in 2008 are looking forward to the new year 2009 with hope if not a great deal of confidence.

This is the way the Chronicle/News reported the events of 2008 in Willacy and Kenedy counties:

Plans were announced by the city of Raymondville to spend $2 million to renovate city hall and the police station. At years end city hall had been completely restored with an attractive new face to show passersby.

On January 12 a wall raising at the new multi-million dollar La Quinta Inn on Exp. 77 was scheduled by the Chamber of Commerce By late December the facility was open for business giving the city three modern, first class hotels to choose from. In addition to the La Quinta we have the Best Value Inn & Suites and the Best Western.

The former Cashway grocery on S. Bus. Hwy. 77 was hit by a Cameron County task force in early January and dozens of 8-liner gambling machines were seized along with an undeter- mined amount of cash. By years end illegal gambling houses were again open in several locations in the city.

A mobile home on the southside was a total loss after a home fire on Jan. 14. Local resident Rachel Cruz lost her home and everything in it due to an electrical short.

A 1,000 bed detention facility built to house illegal aliens was opened on Feb., at a cost of $40 million. It provided an estimated additional 188 new jobs.

A state investigator confirmed the presence of mold in the county courthouse in the women's rest room on the second floor.

The county was still trying to decide what to do about it at years end.

Francisco Hernandez, 66, a long time Lyford resident died from injuries he sustained in an automobile accident at FM.490 and U.S. Hwy 77. The accident occurred on Jan. 23.

Three Raymondville Bearkats were named to the Texas High Coaches Academic Assoc. on Jan. 30. They are John Constante, David "DJ" Rodriguez and Julian "JC" Cortez.

A year long fued between members of the Cruz family and the De Los Santos family led to a brawl at the corner of N. 11th St. and San Francisco Ave. on Jan. 25 and Jan. 26. As a result four men and a woman were arrested and charged with aggravated assault with deadly weapons.

Rosa Maria Si1va was arrested and charged with stealing almost $20,000 from a local couple who reportedly had treated her like their daughter. Silva was accused of intercepting their social security checks and cashing them for her own use.

Eight employees of the Movie Gallery rental store in Raymondville lost their jobs in early Feb. when the company announced plans to close 400 stores nationwide. The building now stands empty and is for sale.

Willacy County Livestock Show, Fair and Auction was held the last weekend of February. Five princesses were named to preside over the show, they are Tracy Pedraza, Mia Vasquez, Heather Hasson, Brenda Guadiana and Jessica Salas.

A public debate between district attorney and sheriff's candidates was well attended by the public on Feb. l3,sponsored by the Chronicle/ News and KRGV-TV Channel 5. Bernard Ammerman was the only district attorney candidate who showed up and incumbent sheriff Larry Spence and his challenger, David Martinez also participated.

In the March 4 Democrat Party primary incumbent district and county attorney Juan Guerra was soundly beaten by two challengers, Bernard Ammerman and Art Saenz. They were set for a run off on April 8. Ammerman led with 2,000 votes followed by Saenz who had 1,591. Guerra trailed with 1,552votes.

Meanwhile Sheriff Larry Spence won re-election over his Chief deputy David Martinez and Constable Ben Vera. Spence got 60 percent of the vote, Vera was second with 21 percent and Martinez trailed with 19 percent.

And in the race for State Representative Dr. Tara Rios Ybarra of South Padre Island beat the incumbent Juan Excobar of Kingsville by a margin of 10,426 votes to 9,616 votes.

On March 12 the Chronicle/News reported that Sheriff Larry Spence had fired his long time chief deputy David Martinez, after winning reelection over Martinez and Ben Vera in the recent primary election.

On March 25, RISD Superintendent Johnny I Pineda told board members that a 3 percent decline in attendance caused mainly by truancy has caused the district to have a shortfall of $1.2 million in state funds.

RISD Superintendent Johnny I. Pineda was given a $5,000 salary increase as the result of his first successful evaluation.

"We are all very satisfied with him," said board president John Solis. Pineda is now making $120,000 annually, following the increase.

The April 2 newspaper reported that suspended county judge Eliseo Barnhart had been reindicted on two counts of perjury for making conflicting statesments about his actions toward a secretary who claims that he sexually molested her, groped and kissed her against her will. Andreas Espinosa said that Barnhart fondled her breasts in his office after hours when she returned to retrieve her purse, in Feb. 2006.

Bernard Ammerman was elected Willacy County and district Attorney in a runoff election on April 8, beating his opponent Art Saenz by a margin of 1,685 votes to 1,381 votes. In the same runoff election Eliberto "Beto" Guerra beat the incumbent Pct. 1 Commissioner Abiel "A.J." Cantu 529 votes to 342.

Cantu will join Alfredo "Fred" Serrato who beat incumbent Pct. 3 Commissioner Emilio "Junior" Vera earlier in the primary election. Guerra and Serrato will take office on Jan. 1, as will Ammerman.

Special prosecutor Vincent Gonzalez asked for a change of venue for the aggravated perjury trial of suspended Willacy County Judge Eliseo "Cheyo" Barnhart claiming the state could not get a fair trial in Willacy County. The trial was later moved to Kingsville, by State District Judge Manuel Banales.

A Mexican Mafia member, Ricardo Davila, 40, pleaded guilty to participating in the murder of JoAnn Chavez 31, in 2003 and was sentenced by Dist. Judge Migdalia Lopez to serve five years in prison with credit for time served in jail.

Two MTC prison employees were indicted for attemting to smuggle illegal aliens through the Border Patrol checkpoint at Sarita. One is Sgt. Erik Villanueva but the other had not been identifed. The charges brought the number of MTC employees indicted to six.

253 students graduated from area high schools during the week of June 1, 2008. Valedictorian at Raymondville High school was David Rodriguez and Gerardo Castillo, Jr. was Salutatorian both of Lasara. Va1edictorian at Lyford High School was Yvette Perez and Salutatorian was Eleazar Jacob Leal. At San Perlita High School the Valedictorian was Maria del Carmen Rodriguez and Brenda Michelle Guadiana was the Salutatorian.

Daniel Vela, 47, of Raymondville was killed at 3:15 p.m. June 4th when he was hit by a freight train as he tried to cross the tracks near North 7th Street. A witness said the train did not sound any warning before striking the victim

A man who stabbed his brotherin law to death during an argument at a family gathering was no-billed by a county grand jury. Pablo Hernandez ,32, had been held in county jail since the stabbing incident on $800,000 bond on a murder charge. The victim was Efrain Coronado, also 32.

Ernesto Velasco, 55, formerly of Chicago and Arizona was appointed warden of the ICE 3,000 bed unit in Raymondville during the week of June 25.

(Happenings from the second half of 2008 will be reported in next week's newspaper).