March 28, 2024

Throwback Thursday

Today is Feb. 21, the 52nd day of the year. So, there are 313 days left in 2019. Below are news items from the Creston News Advertiser for this week (Feb. 18-24) in history:

10 years ago

Fansteel/Wellman Dynamics wasn’t feeling the recession as the company planned an 52 X 100-foot addition to the east side of the facility to produce a series of castings for Bell Helicopters to go to the Boeing V-22 Osprey. Fansteel had more than doubled the 200 employees from 2003, and annual sales topped at $18 million in 2003, but was expected to reach more that $60 million in 2009. Mike McCullough, manager of sales and marketing, credited the employees for the current upswing and said things were going pretty well.

The Iowa Rural Water Association announced Dan McIntosh, Southern Iowa Rural Water Association in Creston, was named the 2008 Rural Water System Manager of the Year during the 24th annual conference in Coralville. McIntosh had been with SIRWA since 1989 and in 2003, was promoted to system manager and had grown SIRWA by almost 1,900 customers.

20 years ago

After years of battling odors in Lenox, the new wastewater plant opened. Papetti’s of Iowa supplied the money, the city supplied 6.1 acres of land and a brand new $5.3 million wastewater treatment facility began operation.

Movie critic Gene Siskel died at age 53 after a battle against complications after a growth was removed from his brain. Roger Ebert said he couldn’t imagine what it will be like without him. The pair hosted a public TV show so popular it was syndicated nationwide with their trademarked “thumbs up, thumbs down” movie reviews.

The 1999 state wrestling tournament opened with four Creston wrestlers qualified for the event, including defending 130-pound champion Dylan Long, 119-pound Michael Mickey, 145-pound Charlie Tripp and 152-pound Andrew Hayes. Many others from the area were also participating.

50 years ago

Vanmark offered its present site at Walnut and Mills streets to the U.S. Post Office for consideration as a site for the new post office in Creston as they were making plans for expansion. N.C. Rasmussen, Vanmark president, said Vanmark was outgrowing its present plant and the present site was not suitable for an expanded plant, but should meet the requirements for the post office.

FFA, an organization for boys enrolled in vocational agriculture, observed National Future Farmers week with 57 members from Creston High School. Each boy conducted one or more projects in either livestock, crop production or both.

Creston’s Marcia Wallace was set to co-star with comedian Ron Carey in a new type of TV game show produced by Merv Griffin that utilized improvisation. Wallace was visiting her parents and brother in Creston, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Wallace and Jimmy, and was scheduled to be interviewed on KSIB about her work as an actress.

Nine CHS seniors, representing five percent of the class, became members of the National Honor Society. They were Sherry Betts, Tom Bowers, Mary Daughton, Rhonda Fry, Chris Hood, Kathy Kuta, Diana McGill, Dave Seymour and Rich Thompson. Three other students were presented Outstanding Teenager Awards at the assembly. They were Charlotte Woods, Andrew Hoskinson and Jeff Coen.

Greater Community Hospital received news it had been accredited by the U.S. Joint Commission on Accreditation of hospitals – one of the highest awards or recommendations that a hospital could attain.