Enjoy these snapshots of articles written in past issues of the Nisqually Valley News from 45, 35, 25 and 15 years ago, respectively.
A Look Back at This Week, 45 Years Ago
• Intruders attempted to break into the Jayhawks store in Yelm. Two officers answered the alarm as the burglars attempted to jimmy open the back door of the firm. This was the third attempt to enter the building, and all failed.
• A petition to recall Rainier Mayor Floyd Short was filed. Eight individuals signed the petition charging the Rainier official with “acts of malfeasance and misfeasance while in office,” among other alleged violations.
• A request from residents in the McIntosh Lake area to transfer property from Rainier to Tenino school districts was slated to be heard on Feb. 20, 1979. Some residents requested the transfer citing distance, telephone and other considerations as their reasons.
• Southworth Elementary School had the highest percentage of students completing the 1978 MS READ-a-thon, officials of the multiple sclerosis organization revealed. Students signed sponsors who pledged funds for each book read during the month.
A Look Back at This Week, 35 Years Ago
• On Feb. 11, 1989, school buses were barred from county roads due to soggy asphalt from snow and ice. The burden for transporting school children fell on their parents. On Feb. 13, 72 children missed school at Southworth Elementary School due to the roads, as well as a flu outbreak.
• Richard M. Morris of Yelm was charged with second-degree arson in Thurston County Court, Feb. 8, 1989. He was arrested for an arson attempt at the old Walker’s Leather site at 14842 Highway 507 on Feb. 4.
• Citizens from throughout western Washington marched on the state Capitol in Olympia on Feb. 17, 1989, to protest two proposals regarding sludge. Seattle-Metro planned to spray sludge on a 2,000-acre site on Bald Hills Road, and Pierce County planned to spray 5,836 acres near Elbe by the year 2010.
• The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office received a call of an explosion at the Olympic Pipeline Company Pumping Station in Yelm on Feb. 2, 1989. An employee advised that there was a power outage where the pipeline originated in Ferndale.
A Look Back at This Week, 25 Years Ago
• Monica Keith, 10, of Roy got to meet the woman who donated the bone marrow that saved the girl’s life. Gina Zaniroli of Marysville, California, matched with Keith, who was the same age as her daughter.
• An environmental planner for Thurston County said flooding along Thompson Creek could be addressed if affected residents applied for the required permits. Neighboring residents said flooding along the creek had gotten worse since a 1996 flood that inundated large portions of land along the Nisqually River and elsewhere.
• The Yelm City Council approved a $1.5 million bond anticipation note at its Feb. 10, 1999, meeting to continue the city’s upgrade of its sewage treatment plant and water reuse facilities.
• A school-record 11 Rainier High School wrestlers advanced to the Mat Classic after a strong performance at the regional tournament at Adna. Bill Gallwas was the lone champion for Rainier, winning four consecutive matches to claim the 141-pound crown.
A Look Back at This Week, 15 Years Ago
• A fire completely destroyed a two-story garage in the 8600 block of Joyce Court Southeast. The fire started upstairs in an unfinished portion of the garage, fire officials said. They were unsure of how the fire started since it had no electricity to that portion of the structure.
• For the second year in a row, Olympia and surrounding cities, including Yelm, were honored as one of the most secure cities in the nation. The City of Yelm was notified of the honor and was slated to receive an award in May.
• Yelm Police Department took part in a countywide DUI emphasis on Feb. 6, 2009. Two Yelm officers patrolled the area but could go anywhere in the county. The eight-hour emphasis resulted in two suspected DUI stops on Yelm Avenue.
• Rainier’s boys basketball team, losers of five of their previous six games, stunned the league’s No. 1-ranked Winlock Cardinals, 46-43, in overtime. On senior night, Rainier senior guard Kyle North sealed the game with three made free throws with 2.6 seconds left.
