Enjoy these snapshots of articles written in past issues of the Nisqually Valley News from 45, 35, 25 and 15 years ago.
A look back at this week, 45 years ago
• Puget Power was granted an interim rate increase of five percent by the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission. The increase was expected to produce $15.4 million for the company annually.
• Many Washington taxpayers were eligible to claim tax-deductible casualty losses for damage caused by the Mount St. Helens’ eruptions. Arrangements had been made with the Ogden Service Center for special handling of the disaster claims.
• Leaders were needed for the local Cub Scouts of Yelm. Rick Mayfield hoped to gather a number of volunteers to help with the club’s various dens.
• A Yelm citizen stated to officers that he pulled an abandoned motorcycle out of a ditch. The motorcycle was later found to have been reported stolen.
A look back at this week, 35 years ago
• A stray 105-millimeter howitzer shell shook some tree branches near the Nisqually Tribal Smoke Shop on June 29, but caused no injuries. The shell escaped during an ROTC training exercise at Fort Lewis.
• University of Washington fisheries biologists said that grass carp could cost one-fifth as much as the next cheapest method for weed control in Lawrence Lake. Biologist Scott Bonar said the lake could be safely stocked with 13,840 fish that could eat 1,484 metric tons of lake weeds.
• Residents along Highway 702 awoke to an eight-foot blast of natural gas on July 2. The Northwest Pipeline Corporation had opened up the gas line to monitor pressure in the pipe.
A look back at this week, 25 years ago
• The Yelm City Council unanimously voted to impose a moratorium against adult stores, strip clubs and casinos. The “preemptive strike” came despite officials admitting that no such businesses had approached the city with plans to open.
• William “Mike” Elliott announced that the coming year would be his last as mayor of Rainier. The two-term mayor and electrician planned to start his own business.
• Water service in the Nisqually Pines gated community was back on after workers flushed and cleaned the storage tanks contaminated with fecal coliform and E. coli bacteria. Representatives from the state’s Department of Health applauded the Nisqually Pines for its speedy cleanup, saying only about 20 of the 2,200 residents had contacted the department to report illness.
• Local citizens flocked to Roy for the town’s Fourth of July parade, which boasted a long line of vintage trucks, miniature horses, color guards and hay wagons rolling down Warren Street.
A look back at this week, 15 years ago
• A 22-year-old Rainier woman reported seeing a naked man hiding in the bushes Saturday while she was swimming in the Deschutes River near Vail Road and Vail Cutoff Road. Sheriff’s deputies were called to search the area, but did not locate a suspect.
• Les Schwab broke ground on a facility in Yelm. The tire store was expected to open in November.
• The Rainier-based Children’s School of Excellence raised over $181,000 for student scholarships during a silent and live auction held at the Red Lion Hotel in Olympia. More than 400 people bid on 335 items, none more grossing than the $76,000 winning bid for a “Divine Feast with Ramtha.”
• Yelm’s annual Prairie Days kicked off with a parade on Thursday, which featured more than 130 entries. The carnival ran throughout the weekend and brought in at least $1,000 more than in 2009, breaking records, said Dave Pratt, member of the Yelm Lions Club.
