A look back: Take a trip through our area's rich history

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

• Following Rainier Mayor Floyd Short’s resignation, Jerry Bergman was sworn in as the mayor of Rainier. Janet Aschenbrenner also replaced Councilor Ray Silva, who resigned as well. Nearly the entire police department resigned, leaving the town to be patrolled by Thurston County deputies.
• Dr. William Nichols, a Yelm chiropractor, was named to a vacant position on the Yelm school board. Dr. Nichols replaced Charles LeMoine, who resigned for health reasons. He was slated to serve in the position until November of 1979, when the election for the spot was to be held.
• Steve Walton, a senior at the U.S. Naval Academy in Maryland and Yelm High School alumnus, helped Navy to repeat as league baseball champions as the Midshipmen posted a 19-7 overall record and 10-4 in the Eastern Intercollegiate Baseball League.
• Sally Edminster, Rainier High School valedictorian, was presented with the Washington Women’s Bowling Association $500 scholarship. Edminster had been bowling for five years and carried a 150 average.

A Look Back at This Week,

35 Years Ago

• New admissions complicated the case against suspected Yelm arsonist Richard Morris. Yelm resident Robert Kaiser revealed he set up Morris’ Feb. 4, 1989, arrest. Kaiser notified Yelm police that Morris was planning to set a fire at the abandoned Walker’s Leather located at 14843 Highway 507.
• Students and faculty of McKenna Elementary were treated to a special presentation by the Pioneer Farm Museum of Eatonville on May 17, 1989. The traveling project, called “Children of the Ohop Valley,” taught children about the cultures of the Ohop Valley 100 years ago. Demonstrations and activities included Native and pioneer tools and food, vintage toys and more.
• Yelm received an Urban Arterial Board grant of $203,000 for the improvement of First Street. With the grant, the City could cancel a loan of $180,000 previously granted for the project, which included realigning the street, straightening the curve and adding a new culvert at the Yelm Creek.
• Jeremy Turner, a Rainier High School senior, was named the winner of the 1989 DEKALB Agricultural Accomplishment Award. The award was presented to the outstanding senior agriculture student demonstrating superior scholarship, leadership and supervised agricultural program.

A Look Back at This Week,

25 Years Ago

• Detectives with the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office investigated several leads in connection with a recent drive-by shooting in the Yelm area. Four people were sleeping in a home located on Bridge Road Southeast when approximately half a dozen bullets were fired at the house.
• A lasting monument to the memory of a special son and friend was erected near the Muck Creek Bridge on state Route 507 north of Roy. In December of 1998, 23-year-old Gregory Meyers, an avid bicyclist, died when his bicycle was struck from behind by a pickup truck driven by an impaired driver. The sign, reading “Please Don’t Drink and Drive — In Loving Memory of Greg Meyers,” was installed on May 19, 1999.
• An 8-year-old male black Labrador named Cody handled by McKenna resident Jim Gonia won the 15th annual Purina Outstanding Open All Age Field Trial Retriever Award and the coveted top Open Dog title for 1998.
• Rainier High School freshman Lindsay Barlow shattered the school record in the mile in a thunderous win at the Southwest District meet at Kalama. Her time of 5 minutes, 22.36 seconds broke the 3-year-old record of Michelle Kimble and was the second-fastest time recorded by a 1A runner that year.

A Look Back at This Week,

15 Years Ago

• The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office suspended the search for a Fort Lewis soldier missing after a rafting accident on May 17, 2009. Pfc. Robert Lang Wheatley, Jr., 23, was one of 10 people — nine adults and one child — rafting on the Nisqually River when one of the rafts struck a log. Wheatley was the only one who didn’t make it to shore.
• State Highway 702 was closed in both directions after a woman rolled her car six miles east of McKenna. The vehicle rolled before landing on its top in the middle of the road. The woman was treated for basic life support injuries.
• After 35 years with Yelm Community Schools, Executive Curriculum Director Lois Baker decided to retire. Her retirement coincided with her granddaughter’s graduation from graduate school.
• With about 325 total competitors at the equestrian state tournament and 20 to 25 in each event, Yelm High School junior Ceara Maxwell won two gold medals in Pasco en route to helping the Yelm equestrian team tally seven top-eight placements.