Throwback Thursday

Today is March 25, the 84th day of the year. There are 281 days left in 2021. Below are news items from the Creston News Advertiser for this week in history.

5 years ago

Balloonist Andrew Holly of Bristol, England, made an attempt to drift into the Guinness Book of World Records. Holly was a chief pilot and operations director of a company called Exclusive Ballooning, which operated branded hot air balloons for high profile clients from around the world. They came to Creston as part of their lofty goal: to fly all of the 48 contiguous U.S. states in the fastest time during a calendar month. His team took their first flight from Louisville, Kentucky, then weather permitting they went on to launch from other locations such as Cadillac Ranch, Texas; Meteor Crater, Arizona; Temecula, California; Las Vegas, Nevada and Billings, Montana. Iowa became the 47th state for Holly and his team to check off the list when they came to Creston.

“I’ve always wanted to roam America with a balloon in the truck,” the 42-year-old Holly said in a blog. “Road trips in the U.S. are so much fun and the option to stop off and meet up with balloonists along the route and see as much as we can from the air is fabulous.”

It was announced that Three Mile Lake in Afton was to close for a two-week renovation in the fall so that Department of Natural Resources officials could apply chemical applications to eradicate both yellow bass and common carp from the well-known southwest Iowa fishery. Andy Jansen, fisheries biologist with the DNR, said the reason for the decision was that these two species diminished sport fish populations and decimated water quality at the lake over a five to six year period, which made immediate action necessary.

15 years ago

Galen Zumbach, Creston High School teacher, received the Golden Apple award in a brief surprise assembly. The award, sponsored by WHO-TV 13 and Allied Insurance, is given in recognition of excellence in teaching.

Lois Rose, Creston High School individual speech coach, accompanied 16 CHS students to state speech contest held in Osceola. Amanda White was honored as outstanding performer and was asked to participate in the All-State Festival at the University of Iowa in Cedar Falls. Other students receiving I ratings were Elizabeth Kenyon, Sam Hood, Melanie Blomquist, Chris Helm, Brook Peppmeier, Cassandra Gribbins, Jessica Riley, Maddie Mongar, Elizabeth Walsh, Alex Smith and Kari McCann, and receiving II ratings were Danielle Horning-Carter, Zach Henry and Meghann Kosman.

25 years ago

The Afton community was notified that the U.S. Postal Service planned to construct a new facility, as it was determined at that time that the location at 200 N. Douglas St. was inadequate for Afton’s needs. Postmaster Judy Hopkins recommended the new building should be 2,960 sq. feet and should be built within the city limits. Present at the meeting to discuss ideas for locations were Hopkins and daughter Sherri, mayor Malcom Amos, assistant city clerk Virginia Rawlings and editor of the Afton Star Enterprise, Donna Haight. The new post office was to be completed within 18 to 24 months.

Eleven wrestlers ranging from fourth to eighth grade attended the Amateur Athletics Union wrestling tournament in Cedar Rapids. They were Jeff Larkins, William Harris, Chris Loudon, Boone Hayes, Chris Downing, Andy Hanson, Mike Mickey, Adam Travis, Tyler Hanson, Curtis LaMasters and Cody Downing.

Union County tourism director Kathy Parmenter moved into her new office in the Frank Phillips Visitors Center on Highway 34. Operations began from the center March 25.

After 12 seasons, Angela Lansbury’s “Murder, She Wrote,” had finally ended an extremely long run. Lansbury, then 70, wanted to quit the series to have a chance to pursue other career opportunities. With a whopping 264 episodes under the show’s belt, “Murder, She Wrote” joined “Dragnet” and “Hawaii Five-O” as TV’s longest running detective series.

55 years ago

Tallying over 200 ballots cast for Creston High School’s “Ideal Seniors” proved to be no small task for the Arrow editor and crew. The winners were: Beverly Looney and Bruce Beecher for personality; Nancy Cederburg, best figure; Bob Herzog, best build; Cindy Sharp and Hartford Jackson, best dressed; Susan Smith and Skip Churchill, neatness; Lana Minnick and Mike Henry, musical ability; Judy Boyer and Phil Maltzahn, eyes; Janet Johnston and Warren Thompson, hair; Andrea Fisher and Steve Wallace, scholarship; Jane Posten, poise; Danny Purdum, sense of humor; Susan Evans and Ray Fauver, smile; Linda Brown, complexion; Robert Hayes, coloring; Debbie Hill, legs; Jim Dalton, athletic ability; Mary Baker and Steve Brown, friendliness.

Melvin Seymour, a 53-year-old Creston business man and vice president of Veg-A-Peel was reported missing, after a week had passed with no contact from him. Seymour was on a business trip, flying from Vermont to Maine, when somewhere along the way, contact was lost. A massive search effort was conducted in both states with a $500 reward offered by his company and employees.