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
• Lacamas District 17 firemen called for help when a stubborn roof fire on the home of Rodney Diggs, Longmire Road, threatened to get out of control. Firemen had to chop through several layers of shakes in the older home to reach the blaze, believed to be started by a spark from the chimney.
• Gordon Michael Diamond and Ronald Lane Kell of Rainier both drew deferred sentences from Judge Frank Baker of the superior court. The incident began when the two men were stopped by a deputy marshal for drag racing, and the two assaulted the marshal.
• Douglas D. Edminster of Rainier died in a two-vehicle head-on crash on Vail Loop Road. The accident, near Deschutes Village, occurred during a dense fog that blanketed the area. It was believed that the driver of the other vehicle was attempting to pass another automobile when he crashed into Edminster’s vehicle.
• William Paterson, an economist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s marketing service, said published reports of damage done by a generation of tobacco budworms immune to insecticides, while partially accurate, were greatly exaggerated. The “superbug” was blamed for causing higher lettuce prices.
A Look Back at This Week, 35 Years Ago
• Several Yelm leaders named their top priorities for 1989. Police Chief Ralph Wyman said he wanted to emphasize the community crime watch; Mayor Ron Lawton hoped to promote civic and personal involvement in the community; and Superintendent Glen Nutter wanted to plan the new elementary school and begin its construction.
• A fire at 304 Longmire St. NW was determined to be an arson, according to the inspecting deputy state fire marshal. The fire started in the house’s south wing on the back porch and had been burning for at least 15 minutes before it was reported. The house had been vacant for several months.
• Local residents planned to build a mountain made out of roadside garbage in the vacant lot next to Puget Sound Bank. The planned mountain was an effort to clean up the area for the state centennial. One participant called the cleanup “Yelm’s birthday gift to the state.”
• The Yelm school board approved an architectural agreement with Erickson-McGovern for design and construction of a new elementary school and authorized a call for bids for stadium construction after making a few minor changes.
A Look Back at This Week, 25 Years Ago
• The City of Yelm entered into an agreement with the Nisqually Indian Tribe that was slated to distribute winnings from the tribe’s Red Wind Casino to city agencies. The agreement authorized the payment of 2% of the casino’s net winnings to city and county agencies.
• A shooting death that was reported as an apparent suicide turned out to be accidental, Yelm police said. An 18-year-old Nisqually Pines man died at a Yelm gasoline station from a gunshot wound after an occupant of the car showed the group how to play Russian roulette.
• Ryan Johnson, a 13-year-old Yelm boy who attended Yelm Middle School, made headlines as he recovered from a brain tumor. At one point in 1998, Johnson was unable to walk, but in 1999, he learned how to walk again with the aid of a treadmill.
• Roy sixth grader Calvin Pearce submitted a letter to the editor that explained the impact of the failed levy. He described how students were upset that their parents had to pay more money for them to play sports and that jobs were lost.
A Look Back at This Week, 15 Years Ago
• Crime statistics for Yelm in 2008 were released, which reported a 5.8% increase in overall police calls from 2007 and a 26% increase in burglary calls. Auto theft calls decreased 44%, and assaults decreased 16%, however. The highest increase of calls came in narcotics and vehicle prowls.
• A Yelm man got quite the wake-up call after he fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into a wall fronting the home of channeler JZ Knight and her Ramtha School of Enlightenment. Once off the road, his vehicle hit a state Department of Transportation sign and telephone box before crashing into a cement wall.
• Residents in Scenic Shores were advised to boil their water after E. coli was found in the water supply. More than 600 residents in roughly 230 homes were affected. One of the district’s three wells was contaminated.
• A Tenino resident was arrested on suspicion of vehicular homicide after a passenger in her car died in an accident. A combination of speed and driving under the influence contributed to the fatal accident. The driver lost control and left the roadway, crashing into a tree on the passenger side.
