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Today is Jan. 18, the 18th day of the year. So, there are 347 days left in 2018. Below are news items from the Creston News Advertiser for this week (Jan. 15-21) in history:
10 years ago
Longtime Greenfield resident and legacy business owner Edwin Sidey, 82, died Jan. 17, 2008, after battling a lengthy illness. He was an influential figure in Greenfield and Adair County, and was part of a four-generation-long ownership of Adair County Free Press, working for the publication since 1955.
Senior members with a combined 859 victories and 11 state placings at state for the defending state champion Creston/O-M wrestling team included Bret Kautz, Andrew Long, Summer Sistad, Quin Leith, Jesse Harris, Casey Tanner, Kaleb Livingston, Kalab Evans and Trent Tucker.
20 years ago
Murray School District planned an ambitious internet computer network and provided electronic mail (email) addresses for 160 students in grades 7-12 and all staff members. In the fall of 1997, 65 computers in the district were connected to the internet after the Iowa Communications Network (ICN) room was equipped in the elementary wing. Principal Bill Carper said, “The research component is the biggest advantage.”
Nine Creston policemen showed up to Creston City Council meeting hoping to plead their case in regard to the city’s action in November that changed the way the officers were paid overtime. When the change was first announced, both Officer Pat Henry and Chief Bill Heatherington indicated officers would be willing to fill in overtime shifts for “free” out of a sense of professionalism and dedication to Creston residents. But Heatherington was having to order officers to fill shifts due to them no longer volunteering.
50 years ago
Girl Scout leaders of the Creston neighborhood met at the Salvation Army citadel to plan for the annual Girl Scout products sale. For the first time, the Girl Scouts planned to take orders in advance of delivery. The products for sale were five kinds of cookies, mixed nuts and candy. The cookies were chocolate mint, Savanna sandwich, Scot teas, pixies and sandwich cremes.
Fire losses from 1967 totaled $73,449.67 in Creston with 112 fires according to Fire Chief Raymond Shrimpton in his annual report to the city council. The fire department answered 127 alarms with 112 in the city and 15 in rural areas.
The city council approved salary and pay increases for employees of the city with an increase of $20 per month for salaried employees and five cents per hour for hourly employees. Salaries were increased to $493 per month for the chief of police, fire chief and street commissioner. Assistant police and fire chiefs would receive $430. Regular policemen and firemen would be paid $395 in their first six months of employment and $414 after.
Officers for the Creston United Fund were elected with Mrs. L. Richard Emerson as secretary, Bill Winter as treasurer, Frank McKasson as vice president and campaign chair and Joe Brownrigg as president. They were installed by Mrs. Stanley Brown, retiring president.
Bounties paid by Union County for killing predatory animals totaled $1,002.10 according to Mrs. Gladys K. Breese, county auditor. The bounties included 80 adult wolves at $10 each, 41 wolf cubs at $4 each, 376 gophers at 10 cents each and two ground hogs at 25 cents each.
Diagonal telephone service changed to dial operation by Hawkeye State Telephone Company. The Diagonal exchange was to have a prefix of 734, followed by four numbers for each telephone with 275 telephone lines connected and a capacity for 400 lines.