1985: Redevelopment project nearly done in Jackson

One year ago

Minnesota Soybean Processors (MnSP) in Brewster returned to normal operations in soybean receiving and soybean meal loading Wednesday afternoon, following a fire late Tuesday night at the facility. The fire was detected in the air system in the soybean preparation area of the plant and the Brewster Fire Department was called to the scene at 10 p.m. Tuesday, with calls for mutual aid requested shortly thereafter to Worthington, Round Lake, Heron Lake and Okabena fire departments.

The same electronic medical record (EMR) system that had been in use for four years at Sanford Luverne Clinic came to the Worthington clinic this month. "The ultimate goal is that we don't use a paper record anymore, so that tests and orders and prescriptions and all of those things become electronic," said Laurie Jensen, director of clinic operations at Sanford clinics in Adrian, Luverne and Worthington.

Five years ago

Jackson County Central agriculture instructor and FFA advisor Jeff Voss was honored as the Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation's 2005 FFA Advisor of the Year.

The Worthington Regional Hospital board of trustees agreed to move forward with the implementation of an electronic information system as proposed by Sioux Valley Health System of Sioux Falls, S.D. The new system would basically get rid of all paper records within the health care organization.

A brief ceremony marked the completion of the five-month Nobles County 35 road project between Worthington and Rushmore.

In the annual report of the Minnesota Agriculture Statistics Service, southwest Minnesota's crop and livestock producers were in the state's top ten for bushels of corn and soybeans harvested and number of hogs raised.

10 years ago

Nobles County revived talks with KidsPeace, one of the nation's largest youth treatment organizations and a potential provider of services for the county's planned juvenile detention center.

Deb VanderKooi of Worthington's Main Street Kids/Country Stork was named Retailer of the Year by Northstar Fashion Exhibitors of Minneapolis. The award was given annually to a retailer in a six-state area.

Mike Wertz began duties as branch manager at United Prairie Bank of Round Lake.

Jan Petersen, Worthington High School business teacher, was selected the Worthington Education Association's 2001 Teacher of the Year. Petersen had 34 years of teaching experience, 31 of them in District 518.

Shanna Granstra and Katherine Gavin placed first and second, respectively, in the Worthington VFW Post 3958 speech contest. This year's theme was the "Voice of Democracy."

25 years ago

Harland Bergeson was honored as the Worthington Education Association's Teacher of the Year. Bergeson had spent more than 20 years educating elementary children.

The Worthington Fire Department recently purchased 20 new air masks for about $14,000. The funds were contributed by individuals and local businesses, and profits from the annual firemen's ball and teaching first aid classes were also included in the total.

A two-year downtown redevelopment project in Jackson was expected to be finished by at least Dec. 15, said city administrator David Hartley. All that remained was installation of some street lighting and a traffic signal.

The Windom Public Library recently reopened at its new location.

Lloyd Standafer was appointed executive director of the Worthington Regional Health Care Foundation.

50 years ago

A balmy, 53-degree November day brought out picnickers in Worthington's Chautauqua Park. While the thermometers did dip to 28 degrees over the weekend, more mild weather was in sight.

Karen Colwell, a 15-year-old sophomore at Ellsworth High School, won the junior division of Minnesota's fifth annual "Make it Yourself with Wool" contest. She made a two-piece gray and blue plaid frock and matching hat, which won her a trip to the National Fashion Show at Denver, Colo., in January.

On sale this week at the Sav-Mor Food Market were: Betty Crocker pancake mix, 42-ounce package for 45 cents; 12-ounce package of Hormel link sausage, 39 cents; 10 pounds of pure beet sugar, 98 cents; Starkist Green Label tuna, three can for 89 cents; celery stalk, 13 cents; 25 pound bag of potatoes, 79 cents; and a two-pound bag of Swift's skinless franks, 79 cents.

The official population of Worthington on April 1, 1960, was 9,015. The city's population had increased by 1,092 people since 1950 for a growth rate of 13.8 percent. Figures were provided by the U.S. census report, released this week by the Bureau of Census.

75 years ago

An open house took place at the Worthington Carnegie library as part of a nationwide celebration of benefactor Andrew Carnegie's 100th birthday. Carnegie funded the local library building at the corner of 12th Street and Fourth Avenue, among nearly 3,000 other libraries internationally.

The Worthington Gas Company marked its fifth anniversary with no ceremony of any kind. At the moment of the official opening of service, the gas concern had 43 services connected. As of this week, the company had 619 users of its products, employing 1,003 separate appliances. Of that total, 499 were gas ranges, the balance consisting of refrigerators, water heaters, mangles and small heaters.

Celebrating the 2-th anniversary of the class, the Baraca boys of the Indian Lake Baptist Church gathered last Friday evening in the church's roomy basement dining room for a banquet, served by the girls of the World Wide Guild, at 6:30 p.m. There were 55 persons present.

The Nobles County Times stood ready to receive letters to Santa Claus. "All letters received will be bundled and sent by plane as far north as feasible, with dog teams completing the journey if weather conditions further north are dangerous to air travel," potential writers were assured.