Today is May 9, the 129th day of the year. So, there are 236 days left in 2019. Below are news items from the Creston News Advertiser for this week (May 6-12) in history:
20 years ago
Bob Bennett, 61, was appointed Ringgold County Sheriff after longtime sheriff Lyle Minnick submitted his resignation. Bennett had been chief deputy since Feb. 15, 1987, and before that, he was a reserve officer for 10 years. His first order of business was to hire two new deputies.
Union County Tourism and Crest Area Theatre presented, “Murder in Goldrust,” at Berning’s Activity Center in Creston. Curt Olson played Sheriff Copper Potts in the lead role along with Jane and Tim Youngdaul, Cathy Whited and Chad Paxton.
A narrow defeat of the LOSS sales tax gave hope to Creston and East Union school officials. The vote cast by 1,853 people was lost by 64 votes, and would have given the proceeds from a one-cent sales and services tax to the schools for the next 10 years.
The 25th annual National Skillet Throw Championship was planned for June 19 in Macksburg City Park. A parade, bull ride, street dance and antique and flea market were planned along with the skillet throw.
50 years ago
Six Civil Defense shelters for use in case of a nuclear attack which threatened the area with fallout were designated in Creston according to Union County Civil Defense chairman Walter T. Jones. The shelters were at the courthouse, Center Milk Products Co. plant, Iowana Hotel, Jefferson School, Southwestern Community College administrative office and the women’s dormitory in the old hospital building and the basement of Supreme Cleaners. None of the centers had been stocked with emergency supplies, although Greater Community Hospital had supplies for the old hospital.
Creston Bottling Company won honors from the Dr. Pepper Company of Dallas, Texas, for having the highest percent of sales increase of any Dr. Pepper bottler in Iowa. Creston President James Tyler and manager Gary Gaidies received word of the honors from Dr. Pepper. The Creston operation proved the strength of the company’s national programs and was an inspiration to the 485 other franchised bottling plants with a 24% sales increase over the year before and being substantially ahead of the soft drink industry average.
The Burlington Railroad depot building in Orient was torn down. Leo Cheers of Creston purchased the building and removed it from the railroad right of way. It had not been used by the railroad for more than a year after it was damaged by vandals and the railroad agent moved his office to the Johnson and Tuttle elevator. The building was built in 1879 when the Creston-Cumberland North branch reached Orient. Cheers found a number of bills and telegrams from the early years of the depot as he was tearing it down.
Arispe councilman Oliver Eyberg was appointed by the council as the new mayor. He succeeded Leonard Wasteney, who resigned after the council voted 4 to 1 to order mailboxes on the Afton postal rural route removed from Arispe streets.