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
- Six people were injured and damage was estimated in excess of $15,000 after a Yelm home located on Old McKenna Highway caught fire, Aug. 5, 1979. Two workmen who were inside the home preparing to install a new floor and four firemen were injured. The fire was contained in the kitchen area with other rooms in the home receiving smoke and water damage.
- The Nisqually Valley News’ Cindy Kaufman drew out 4.8 pounds of milk to receive the special milking-contest trophy awarded to the top milker among the media at the Thurston County Fair Aug. 4, 1979.
- Yelm City Councilman Bob Sanders drew one of the larger fines levied by the Public Disclosure Commission for a late filing of his financial report. Sanders was nicked $60 by the commission and was one of 52 office holders who were fined.
- Howard Christensen took a series of three photographs in early spring near Yelm that showed a funnel-shaped cloud that almost touched down in the area. While his wife grabbed their child, he grabbed his camera and shot the photographs showing the clouds moving in his direction. The sequence lasted about three minutes.
A Look Back at This Week,
35 Years Ago
- Tasha Ahlquist, 13, Roy, earned her “wings,” July 21, 1989, from the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry’s Pacific Rim Spaceflight Academy in Portland.
- The steering committee of the Nisqually Valley Neighbors for a Contaminant-Free Prairie decided to dissolve the group as the majority of the team felt it no longer represented the whole local community.
- The Yelm Historic Commission recognized the Wolf’s Grocery Store’s local significance by placing it on the Yelm historic register. It was the first site placed on the register. The stucco and brick veneer structure was built after the 1924 Yelm fire.
- Yelm was well represented at the Washington State Cheerleader Camp in Ellensburg as 15 members of the Yelm High School varsity squad brought home the coveted “Pep Paddle.” The award had to be earned three days out of four in order to become a school possession.
A Look Back at This Week,
25 Years Ago
- Two vehicles were seen leaving a Bald Hill Road residence following an apparent drive-by shooting, Aug. 10, 1999. The residents of the house reported hearing gunshots and discovered bullet holes in the building. No one was injured. A suspect was detained later that day.
- The Rainier Town Council asked the public to submit ideas for a trailhead design to be implemented when the Yelm-to-Tenino portion of the Thurston County “Rails-to-Trails” project reached Rainier.
- A Nisqually Valley man was a suspect in the Aug. 10, 1999, shooting at a Jewish community center in Los Angeles. The attack wounded five people, including three boys who were attending a day camp at the school.
- The Yelm Players youth baseball team followed up their championship in the Nisqually Basin Little League and in District 3 with a fourth-place finish at the Junior State Championships in Vancouver. It marked the highest a Yelm junior team had placed in a state tournament.
A Look Back at This Week,
15 Years Ago
- An Oregon murder suspect was found by Thurston County Sheriff Office deputies in a trailer on Squaw Wood Lane outside Rainier, Aug. 3, 2009. Gregory Alvin Cook, also known as Gregory Alvin Mitts, 42, was wanted in the connection of three murders in Union County near Elgin, Oregon.
- A Yelm man was arrested after he allegedly crashed his car while under the influence and bailed on foot Aug. 1, 2009. Jakob Nommensen, 24, was cited for driving under the influence, hit-and-run and obstructing a law enforcement officer.
- An 18-year-old man was taken to the hospital after he jumped from a train trestle into the Nisqually River in Yelm, Aug. 1, 2009. When the man jumped off of the trestle, he landed flat on his back in the water. He climbed out of the water himself but was bleeding and having difficulty breathing.
- Carrie Ooms, a 1998 Rainier High School graduate, was hired as her alma mater’s new head volleyball coach after Kayla Mounts resigned in June 2009. Ooms played three seasons at St. Martin’s University in Lacey and played internationally in Holland.
