Looking Back - 1962: WHS hosts tribute to band director

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One year ago

Several Nobles County commissioners had been receiving calls and complaints about county roads not being cleared of snow quickly enough. Public Works Director Stephen Schnieder said the department had revamped its workload due to budget cuts.

Three snow days off for District 518 the previous week were causing concern about make-up days and less time in the classroom for students.

Three men were charged in Nobles County this week with felony-level crimes relating to the possession of methamphetamines and storing meth paraphernalia in the presence of a child. All the charges stemmed from a single traffic stop.

Five years ago

Dr. Greg Lecy, an orthodontic specialist from Marshall, was purchasing Dr. Bruce Anderson’s Worthington orthodontic practice and would take over the business when Dr. Anderson retired in August.

The Nobles County Library was in the midst of its “Winter Page Turners” annual adult reading program, with various incentives offered to encourage patrons to check out materials and read more books.

Four area teachers were among the final candidates for the 2007 Minnesota Teacher of the Year award, including Karen Beers of Murray County Central, Timothy Owen of Heron Lake-Okabena, Pat Esser of Jackson County Central and Doug Anderson, Windom.

A $1 million fundraising campaign for the historic Palace Theatre in Luverne was announced. The funds were needed to complete the second phase of the three-phase restoration of the facility.

10 years ago

The Nobles County commissioners unanimously approved a community-based plan that was to provide a reference for making decisions over the next 25 years. The 20/25 committee started gathering public input for the plan in April 2000. The plan addressed issues ranging from land use and parks to housing and economic development.

Don and Marie Motl sold their Worthington True Hardware Store to Mike Schwalbach, owner of Schwalbach Ace Hardware, Windom. The Motls had owned the business for 41 years.

Art Frame announced his intent to retire on June 30 after 27 years as a Nobles County extension educator.

Liz Collin, a 2000 Worthington High School graduate, was the new morning anchor at KDLT-TV in Sioux Falls, S.D.

25 years ago

Northwest winds at Worthington were recorded with gusts of up to 45 miles per hour Monday.

Sheila Grigsby of Sibley-Ocheyedan High School was named the Daily Globe Athlete of the Week for her achievements on the basketball court.

After a two-hour meeting, District 518 school board and administration members were to write a new policy statement for human sexuality education curriculum taught in the district.

Advertised specials this week at Worthington’s County Market included a 12-ounce package of John Morrell hot dogs for 59 cents, shaved deli ham for $1.99 a pound, five mini croissants for $1, a one-pound box of generic potato chips for 99 cents and a 20-count package of coney buns for 99 cents.

Four people were treated and released at Worthington Regional Hospital after a two-car collision on North Humiston Avenue in front of ShopKo at 1:31 p.m. Sunday.

Dorthy Rickers included recipes for Sweetheart Cinnamon Rolls and February Cherry Nut Bars in her “Mixing and Musing” column this week.

50 years ago

Authorities were investigating a break-in at the Rock Island Depot at Luverne. Sometime Sunday afternoon or evening, intruders made off with a desk telephone and a dry cell used to operate the telegraph.

A car stolen at Sherburn early Monday morning was recovered at Worthington before the owner was out of bed and before he knew the car had been taken. Two 17-year-olds from Shakopee were apprehended here at 4:54 a.m. in a 1956 model car they had stolen at Sherburn at 3 a.m. Police were alerted when the youths attempted to sell a tire at a local filling station.

The Worthington High School band and a crowd of Worthington area residents came together at the high school Wednesday night in a final tribute to Gerald Niemeyer, former band director, who died in a traffic accident last November. The band filed in and performed with an unusual enthusiasm in a pops concert program that stirred equally enthusiastic applause from the near-capacity audience.

The first fatal car crash of 1962 in Nobles County occurred about 5:15 p.m. Wednesday. A two-truck collision about 1½ miles south of Brewster claimed the life of Wayne Harms, 24.

75 years ago

Headline reads: “Aged man is injured when he backs into wood saw yesterday.” O. P. Anderson, 74, suffered a deep cut on his left shoulder in a wood-sawing accident, which occurred at his farm east of here. He was rushed to a local hospital, where the wound was treated and closed with stitches, and was recuperating there. The wound extended across his left shoulder blade and into the muscles of his left arm and was about 12 inches long.

Drifts blocked most of the east and west roads in Nobles County after high winds whipped loose snow over the open country. Snow was falling again thereafter, sending the flakes swirling into deep-cut highways to spell more headaches for the county road crew.

Edward Lannon of Wood, S.D., purchased the beer dispensing half of the Jackson restaurant on Second Avenue, and was to take possession this week. Mrs. Lannon was a sister of the Deuth brothers, Kriene and Fred, of Worthington.

Patrons of Worthington’s municipal utilities this week received their first billing under the new rate schedule, popularly known as the “one meter system. For the first time since inauguration of continuous service, customers whose electrical appliances also include motor-driven or heat-producing devices received one bill instead of two.

Tags: looking back, lifestyle, columns, reminiscing