Throwback Thursday

Today is Thursday, Aug. 12, 2021, the 224th day of the year. There are 141 days left in 2021. Below are news items from the Creston News Advertiser for this week in history.

5 years ago

Creston High School senior Emily Gravlin got hooked on rodeo having spent 10 years barrel racing. From there, her fascination grew, and in 2016 she competed in the 68th annual National High School Finals Rodeo in Gillette, Wyoming, in the reined cow horse category. Gravlin earned a position on the team by placing third in the state. With more than 1,650 contestants from 43 states, five Canadian provinces and Australia, the NHSFR is one of the world’s largest rodeos. In addition to competing for more than $200,000 in prizes, NHSFR contestants also compete for college scholarships and the chance to be named an NHSFR World Champion. While her standing was higher the previous year, Gravlin said she was content with receiving 17th place at this event.

Six Orient-Macksburg Bulldogs and three Murray Mustangs earned spots on the 2016 Bluegrass All-Conference team. Three O-M players picked up first team selections: Junior Jackson Mikkelson, catcher; junior Dylan Nichols, infielder; senior Jesse Johnson, outfielder. The three from Murray included one on each the first and second team as well as one on the honorable mention. Junior Kenny Boles, pitcher; junior infielder Bryce Keller and sophomore Seth Shannon, who received an honorable mention.

The Creston Fire Department received a new, shiny red and black medical and brush truck in 2016. The truck was installed with a slide-in unit including a reel of hose and pump engine. Farm Bureau board member Matt Ramaeker stated, “I think it looks really cool. I think they did a really good job doing their homework and finding out which equipment would be beneficial for them. This is something that when we find a need, we want to apply for the grant through Farm Bureau and get.” Farm Bureau supplied part of the funding for the new unit.

15 years ago

New staff at Southwestern Community College included Loyal Winborn, business systems, administrator; Rebecca McCann, nursing; Kathryn Scott, nursing; Kimberly Weehler, nursing; Maureen Weaver, nursing; Deron Shawley, agriculture business; Lisa McLaggan, music department; and Randy Hughes, history.

Laura and Aaron Mathes were transplants to the Lorimor area and had settled in nicely as owners of the Whistle Stop convenience store, Mathes Seed and Chemical, Tire Depot and several storage units. Aaron, 37, and Laura, 35, moved to Lorimor three years earlier with their children Zachary, 14, and Shelby, 7, when Aaron began working at the Macksburg branch of the Afton Farmer’s Co-op.

25 years ago

A relaxed softball Creston team hammered Forest City 7-2 in the semifinal game of the Class 2A state softball tournament in Fort Dodge. Creston was spearheaded by the pitching performance of Katie Turner, and Ashley Wimmer came up big at the plate. Coach “Fox” Clinton made sure everyone got to play at some point during the game. The team ended up placing sixth in Class 2A and it was the school’s first appearance at state since 1978.

Allen Weimerskirch from Creston’s Fareway Store was named state champion bagger at the Iowa State Fair competition. He was named best among the 12 competitors participating. The competition was sponsored by the Iowa Grocers Industry Association. Weimerskirch had won the local store competition and advanced to regionals for Fareway employees. He was one of three who advanced to state competition and was to advance to national competition in February, 1997, in Houston, Texas.

Randy Thelen and John Thomsen, both of Creston, claimed the championship of the Iowa Division of the 1996 InBass Team Tournament, winning $1,600. The top 25 teams of the Iowa division advanced to the national Championship Oct 5 on the Mississippi River.

55 years ago

Franklin Kinkade of Creston received the sweepstakes award at the second-annual Iowa Inventors Congress. Kinkade’s trench tractor tile-laying machine was judged the best invention at the event.

Southwestern Community College was the name selected for the Area 14 area junior college and vocational-technical school which was to be opened in the fall of 1966. The board selected the name after a discussion, as it was not one of the names submitted in the contest to name the school. The board rejected all the names submitted in the contest. However, the names would be placed in a box and one person would be drawn for the one-year scholarship offered as the prize in the naming contest.

Toni Hoffman, a 16-year-old from Afton, was crowned Union County Fair queen out of a field of 13 candidates. Steve Wilson showed the grand champion market pig, Steve Rall showed the grand champion market lamb and Carol Sammons of Kent showed the grand champion baby beef.