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

• Dana Couthran was crowned the 1979 Prairie Days Queen and was served by her court of princesses, Wendy Worthington, Darlene Iverson and Laurie Smith. Couthran, 16, was an active athlete at Yelm High School with interests in basketball, tennis, running, water skiing and swimming. She was also a member of the Honor Society and student council.
• David Roller was named the new head coach of the Yelm High School football team. Roller previously served as an assistant coach at Sumner High School.
• A pickup hit a ditch and was upset on Vail Loop Road, July 24, 1979. Jerry Schuman, 18, driver of the wrecked vehicle, was taken to a Tacoma hospital by ambulance after he indicated he had abdominal pain.
• Washington Gov. Dixy Lee Ray received a royal visit from Prairie Days Princess Darlene Iverson and incoming Queen Dana Couthran.

A Look Back at This Week,

35 Years Ago

• Kiasa Smith was chosen as the 1989 Prairie Days Queen, July 22, 1989. The envelope containing the winning princess’s name had been kept in a mayonnaise jar since noon that day, or so it was said. Amy Edwards, Kelly Lawson and Gina Shaw were named Prairie Days princesses.
• Over 150 Yelm-area residents attended the Thurston County Commissioners meeting July 24, 1989, asking for help against Metro’s proposal to apply sludge on their Bald Hills property. The residents asked the commissioners to block Metro’s permit for sludge application.
• Yelm City Council approved its First Street improvement project, which included raising the street by 2.5 feet, eliminating curves and constructing a new, wider culvert to handle Yelm Creek.
• Kimberly Kreitel, 4, was named Little Miss Yelm, while Robert Ribella, 5, was named Little Mr. Yelm in a Thurston County Parks and Recreation Department event. The two were set to represent the community in the upcoming Prairie Days parade.

A Look Back at This Week,

25 Years Ago

• A $16 million interpretive and educational facility dedicated to the Nisqually River Basin was planned for land between Roy and McKenna. According to the plan, adopted in 1988 by the Nisqually River Council, the facility would provide increased environmental awareness of the Nisqually Basin area.
• The City of Centralia made significant progress in upgrading its 70-year-old hydroelectric facility on the Nisqually River in Yelm. An $8 million project now under construction at the facility and its diversion dam were required by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to bring the facility up to federal standards.
• As part of an effort to have all its stores in free-standing structures, the Rite Aid Corp. planned to move its Yelm store across the street from its previous location. The new store was set to be located at 909 Yelm Ave. E., just west of the Yelm Safeway grocery store. Rite Aid previously occupied a store in the Nisqually Plaza shopping mall, located on Algiers Drive.
• Three Yelm track athletes were set to participate in the United States Junior Olympics. Justin Seymour, Justin Miller and David Paul all qualified for the national meet in Omaha, Nebraska, by finishing in the top three at a Northwest regional meet in Cheney.

A Look Back at This Week,

15 Years Ago

• Responding to a tight economy, the City of Yelm eliminated half a dozen positions, a move expected to save more than $820,000. A six-month review of the city’s financial status showed revenue projections were on target, However, when preparing the budget, the city estimated low, hoping revenue would actually be higher than projected.
• Crews battled a nearly 2-acre brush fire that threatened a half dozen homes in Yelm July 16, 2009. The 1.6-acre fire started in a 10-acre pasture off of Morris Road, and flames came within feet of fenced-in houses.
• With the state cutting education dollars, Yelm Community Schools suspended its high school swimming program for the 2009-10 school year.
• Thurston County Sheriff’s Office investigated an incident in which someone apparently ripped out all of a cat’s claws. The incident was reported July 17, 2009, in the 17800 block of 120th Avenue near Yelm. The cat had to be put down because of the pain it was suffering.