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Today is Sept. 24, the 267th day of the year. There are 98 days left in 2015. Below are news items from the Creston News Advertiser for this week (Sept. 21-27) in history.
5 years ago
Taxable sales, number of businesses and even population were on the rise in Creston in 2009, during a challenging economy that showed an opposite trend statewide.
“We’re very fortunate,” said Ellen Gerharz, Creston Chamber of Commerce director, “in that we are the largest community in this region. That makes a difference when it comes to retail sales. Bunn-O-Matic Corporation, Farley’s & Sathers Candy Company, Wellman Dynamics Corporation and Precision Optical Group are thriving manufacturing firms which keeps a viable population of shoppers in the retail trade area.”
Taxable sales rose 6.2 percent in 2009 in Creston, compared to a 0.8 percent decline statewide. Number of firms increased by 4.2 percent locally, and population rose 1.1 percent while statewide the increase was only 0.5 percent.
The fall brawl on Sunday in the gym and powder puff football game kicked off Creston High School’s 2010 homecoming celebration, “Cirque du Soleil.” The schedule for the rest of the week was different than in past years with a community pep rally scheduled Wednesday in the high school gymnasium with more than 30 items on the agenda. The pep rally was followed by fireworks presented by the Creston Shooters. On Friday, the queen coronation and Hall of Fame induction ceremony was held in the high school auditorium. Queen candidates were Krystal Daggett, Taylor Davis, Chelsea Ekeler, Dana Gordon and Sarah Jennett. That program was followed by the parade in uptown Creston and football game against Winterset. The week was finished by the homecoming dance Saturday in the high school commons.
10 years ago
Creston News Advertiser publisher Rich Paulsen announced Stephani Finley would become the newspaper’s new managing editor in mid-October. Finley was to succeed John Van Nostrand, who was accepting the publisher position at the Colby Free Press in Kansas. Finley had began writing free-lance play reviews for CNA in 1994 and was hired as a general reporter in 1998.
Union County officials confirmed its first West Nile case, bringing the total number of cases in Iowa to 15 with one fatality. The state had confirmed that Jack Freeze of Creston contracted the virus and was strongly urging Iowans to use mosquito precautions as late summer and early fall are peak times for the infection. Freeze, 65, said he contracted the virus while gardening in his back year.
The first eight members of Creston High School Hall of Fame were inducted during homecoming festivities. The group included Dr. Lance Goetz, spinal cord injury surgeon; the late Max Sandeman, CNA sports editor; Marcia Wallace, actress known for the Bob Newhart Show and the Simpsons; John Robinson, Grammy-winning rock-and-roll drummer; the late Howard Browne, state tournament sports official and starting tennis as a sport in Creston; Ron Levine, CHS principal; Jack Davis, owner of M and M Motors and CHS sports announcer and Dr. Robert Kuhl, local surgeon.
20 years ago
The official closing ceremony of the Three-Mile reservoir dam was conducted and marked the end of the project that had begun in the spring of 1994. The new 880-acre lake would provide municipal, industrial and rural water supply to several counties. The lake was expected to fill in about 18 months to two years, and SIRWA would eventually use it to serve approximately 30,000 people.
Robert Kessler, Creston police chief, announced his retirement effective Nov. 1, with almost 30 years with the force. The 1992 retirement of Assistant Chief Dean Jarman and the 1994 retirement of Captain Dick Teply meant a loss of nearly a century of experience from the city’s police force.
Homecoming queen candidates were chosen for Creston High School. They included Nikki Crawford, Mandy Moffitt, Samantha Willets, Cari Briley and Melissa Baker.