Reminiscing: 1998: Iowa beef plant closes its doors

One year ago

Board members of the Southwest Minnesota Habitat for Humanity chapter dedicated a home in Pipestone to its new owner, Bonnie Eskelson, and her 7-year-old son.

More than 200 people gathered at the Jackson National Guard Armory for the 2007 district Boy Scout Scout-O-Rama.

The Worthington High School team won the overall outstanding recognition award for the third consecutive year at the Culinary Skills Challenge held at Southwest Minnesota State University, Marshall.

For the fourth time in five years, Worthington Public Utilities (WPU) earned the American Public Power Association's Electric Utility Safety Award for safe operating practices during 2006. There hadn't been a serious injury among staff at WPU for at least 20 years.

Five years ago

Firefighters for Worthington, Round Lake, Bigelow and Rushmore battled a blaze when the Peterson State Wildlife Management Area eight miles south of Worthington caught fire. The fire spread rapidly due to dry grasses and vegetation. Between November 2002 and March, Minnesota experienced one of the driest fivemonth periods in the state's history, the state climatology office reported.

The Daily Globe was awarded the 2003 Celebrate Literacy Award from the Southwest Minnesota Reading Council in recognition of its annual Links Fore Literacy golf tournament.

Thirty-eight members of Worthington's St. Mary's Catholic Church reenacted the Passion Play of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on Good Friday.

10 years ago

The Worthington American Legion and its Auxiliary announced their 1998 Boys and Girls State selections. Candidates for Boys State were Joshua Hanson, delegate, and Matt Wolf, alternate, and candidates for Girls State were Kelli Ackerman, delegate, and Naomi Wittstruck, alternate.

Packerland Packing Company, a beef-processing plant in Hospers, Iowa, announced plans to close its doors to 150 employees by mid-June.

Residents of Nobles County and the other six Minnesota cities that received a Presidential Disaster Declaration following the tornadoes of March 29 had a six-month extension available for filing 1997 state and federal income tax returns.

Sheldon (Iowa) High School junior Quentin Storm received a first-place physical science trophy and a trip to the National FFA convention for his project involving farm combines and corn samples.

25 years ago

Carolyn Wasmund, a Bigelow resident since 1962, was appointed Bigelow postmaster effective April 15. Wasmund was married to Daryl Wasmund, who operated the bowling lanes in Sibley, and she joined the postal service on a part-time basis in 1975.

Villager Foods Inc. -- Jackson's third largest employer -- closed its doors April 15, taking 80 to 125 full-time jobs with it.

Worthington's Holiday Inn was sold in a foreclosure auction to Banco Mortgage Company of Minneapolis for $1,481,780.31. Its furnishings were bid at $150,000.

Karl's General Trading Co., 1531 Oxford St., celebrated its 10th anniversary with an open house.

Bob Petrich, member of the L.R. Swenson, CLU, and Associates Agency, Worthington, attained membership in National Travelers Life's 1983 President's Club.

50 years ago

Armed with nail-pointed sticks, the Cubs of Den 5, Troop 120, waged a cleanup war on paper and other debris near the rearing ponds along Worthington's Park Avenue. Taking part in the spring cleanup were Lonnie Lien, Jim Peterson, Stephen Morse, Craig Thoresen, Conrad Soderholm, Steven Dagel, David Hand and Charles Wright.

More than 1,200 high school band and chorus students were in Worthington for the District large groups music contest, an all-day affair whose winners were to advance to regional competition later in the month.

Brewster mayor Helmer Everson was elected district chairman of the Noble Rock district committee of the Sioux Council, Boy Scouts of America, at the district's recent annual meeting.

Worthington High School junior Rebecca Wight, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lester Wight, Rushmore, was selected to attend Girls State as representative of the Rushmore American Legion Auxiliary.

Cora E. Moret retired after 41 years as postmaster of the Chandler post office.

75 years ago

With 3.2 percent beer being legalized this month, efforts were being made in the city and villages of Nobles County to get ordinances in shape to permit the sale of the beverage. According to James G. Mott, city attorney, an ordinance was being prepared to permit the sale of beer in Worthington. The earliest possible date sale could be permitted was May 4. Brewers and distributors were going ahead with plans to make and store beer in Worthington, and to make the town one of the major distribution points. The Hamm company of St. Paul had leased space in the Omaha freight depot sufficient to store two carloads.

Mr. and Mrs. H. H. Read observed their 60th wedding anniversary on April 17. The two were married in Logan County, Ohio, and came to Worthington on May 2, 1873, just 18 months after the village was established. All but three of the 60 years since had they lived in Summit Lake Township, where they filed a claim. The village of Reading was named in Mr. Read's honor when it was founded in 1899 upon the extension of the Rock Island railroad from Worthington. "Their home is one of the favorite meeting places of those who gather to talk over the pioneer life in the county, they having lived through the grasshopper years, the Indian scare of 1876 and all of the years during which the county has been brought from unbroken prairies to its present populous state."