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
• Puget Power filed a petition with the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission, requesting a 29.9% general rate increase. The power firm also proposed a new baseline residential rate to benefit those who conserve energy.
• Max “Sam” Daskam was the guest of honor at a retirement dinner Feb. 10, 1980, held in the Yelm Inn by Wolf’s Shopping Center management. Daskam, long associated with the repair department of the Yelm department store, was honored for his 31 years of service to the firm.
• It was a disastrous year for the Yelm Tornados boys basketball team as they went through another season without a victory, their second in a row. They completed their season with a 58-37 loss to the Olympia Bears Feb. 22, 1980.
• Dana Couthran, senior hooper for the Yelm Tornados girls basketball team, was named to the Black Hills League’s all-opponent team. Couthran was the league’s leading scorer with 15.8 points per game.
A look back at this week, 35 years ago
• The Rainier Mountaineers boys basketball team advanced to the state B championship in Spokane for the first time despite a 62-59 district championship loss to Quinault Feb. 24, 1990. Rainier entered the tournament with a 17-7 record for its best mark ever.
• Two Yelm High School students participated in an all-state gala concert Feb. 19, 1990. Amy Mickelson sang in the first alto section for the all-state mixed choir. In the all-state orchestra, Kitten Carollo was first chair and first trumpet.
• The 7th Mapps Division of McChord Air Force Base donated three bus shelters to Yelm Community Schools. Before donating the shelters, the Air Force sandblasted, repaired and painted the wooden shelters and set them up at three bus-loading areas for Yelm students.
• Residents living along Bald Hill Road to the Clearwood area were without power Feb. 27, 1990, following a single-truck accident. Daryle Mensing, 27, left Bald Hill Road and broke a power pole off near the base. Yelm medics indicated Mensing had a broken nose plus cuts and bruises.
A look back at this week, 25 years ago
• With all 283 Thurston County precincts counted, the Yelm Community Schools maintenance and operations levy had failed by a slim margin; 56.62% voted yes while 43.3% voted no. At least 60% of the votes were required to pass. Rainier’s levy also failed by a few percentage points, with 58.01% voting in favor against 41.18% opposed.
• The City of Yelm and Yelm Community Services won a state development grant to build a new family and youth center. Yelm was one of a group of state counties and cities awarded a piece of more than $8 million in community block grants.
• Armed with a search warrant, Yelm police raided Yelm Smoke Shop Plus, a Yelm Avenue tobacco shop, March 1, 2000, and confiscated boxes of scales, bongs, pipes, filters and other alleged drug paraphernalia. Jae Im, owner of the shop, was charged with four counts of selling paraphernalia and eight counts of selling dangerous weapons, namely ninja “throwing stars.”
• Rainier police captured a mobile methamphetamine lab Feb. 27, 2000, just south of town toward Tenino. This was the second mobile meth lab that Rainier police made in as many weeks.
A look back at this week, 15 years ago
• The body of a missing Rainier man was found Feb. 24, 2010, below Deschutes Falls. The body of Jeff “Jay” Nelson, 20, was found by volunteer divers in a canyon below the falls. He was last seen alive camping with friends on a cliff overlooking the falls around 2 a.m. Feb. 20.
• Yelm auctioneer Dan Schorno played a minor role during an episode of “Pawn Stars,” a reality TV show on the History Channel. Schorno’s rapid voice was heard for about 50 seconds, including three on-camera shots, as he auctioned off the family’s rare, Belgium-made 1942 Sarolea motorcycle.
• A bomb threat written in a boys bathroom at Yelm Middle School had authorities evacuating the building Feb. 24, 2010. Kids weren’t allowed back in the building when school let out.
• Despite attending different schools, Dylan Hyder of Yelm and Tyler King of Auburn Mountainview were intertwined in Yelm’s wrestling history. Hyder won the 119-pound title at the Mat Classic, and King helped secure Yelm’s first state championship by defeating Enumclaw’s Josh Musick in the final seconds of their 152-pound title match. Yelm surpassed Enumclaw in team points thanks to King’s victory.
