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Today is April 16, the 106th day of the year. There are 259 days left in 2015. Below are news items from the Creston News Advertiser for this week (April 13-19) in history.
5 years ago
Creston Municipal Utilities joined a federal lawsuit against Sweden-based chemical manufacturer Syngenta Ag and its U.S. subsidiary Syngenta Crop Protection Inc. Filed in United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois, the lawsuit requested reimbursement for costs incurred by community water suppliers (CWS) while removing atrazine from drinking-water supplies. According to court documents filed by the Korein Tillery law firm of St. Louis, Mo., on behalf of 24 plaintiffs, including Creston Municipal Utilities, Syngenta “earned billions of dollars in revenues from the sale of atrazine” and “left plaintiffs to pay the ever-growing bill for filtering the toxic product from the public’s drinking water.” Additionally, court documents state Syngenta did not have consent to contaminate these water supplies and “designed, marketed and sold atrazine knowing it would contaminate public water supplies when used as intended.”
What appeared to be a large meteor streaked across the Midwestern sky the night of April 14, momentarily turning night into day, rattling houses and causing trees and the ground to shake, authorities said. There were no immediate reports of injuries. Gilbert Sebenste, a meteorologist at Northern Illinois University, said authorities were not sure if a meteor hit the ground or not. National Weather Service offices across the Midwest said the light was visible from southwestern Wisconsin and northern Iowa to central Missouri. Radar information suggested a meteor landed in the southwest corner of Wisconsin, either Grant or Lafayette counties, said Ashley Sears, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Milwaukee office. Officials in both counties said no one reported seeing a meteorite or crater.
Freshman distance runner Emily Wignall broke the school’s 1,500-meter record in winning the race at the Ram Invitational April 16. Wignall, who just fell short of the mark in the home Lady Panther Relays, broke away from the field to win in 5:07.02. That broke the mark of 5:08.09 set at the 1992 state meet by Nathalie Binetruy.
10 years ago
Four yearling Trumpeter swans were released at Three Mile Lake through the Trumpeter Swan Restoration Program. The birds would remain at the lake for several months as their wings were clipped, keeping them flightless until new feathers were grown. As part of the program, 85 to 90 swans were to be released that spring.
The tradition began April 14, 1910, when William Howard Taft threw a ceremonial first pitch at a Washington baseball game between the Senators and Athletics. In 2005, exactly 95 years to the day – and after a drought of more than three decades – President George W. Bush received the honor when the Washington Nationals hosted the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first home opener since 1971.
Southwestern Community College’s men’s golf team hosted its first dual meet April 16. In its first season, the team lost to Iowa Western 303 to 327.
Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germany was to become the new pope. He was given the name Pope Benedict XVI.
20 years ago
Musical act White Diamonds of Ringgold County were among 80 competitors in the finals of Star Seek, a TV program based in Nashville, Tenn. The country western trio included Vicki Knight and daughters Wendy Jarred and Lesa Downing. The show appeared on Keystone network and was available locally on satellite.
In the datebook, on April 14, 1912, the unsinkable Titanic sank when it was pierced by an iceberg.
“Tommy Boy” staring Chris Farley and David Spade was playing at Strand Theatre.
Creston Athletic Boosters were given approval from the school board to build a new concession stand underneath the west bleachers at the football complex at Creston High School. The board approved the recommendation from Superintendent Dr. Gary Cowell to commit $40,000 to the estimated $80,000 project. The district would allocate $20,000 for the project from the current year’s physical plant and equipment levy and $20,000 from the next budget year.