From The Washington Evening Journal, Friday, Oct. 24, 2008

10 Years Ago

The six members of the Washington City Council, meeting in special session Saturday morning, voted unanimously to appoint Sandra Johnson as mayor of Washington. Johnson is a council member who has served as mayor pro tem since the death of Mayor Rick Cicalo in September.

Cicalo would have been up for reelection in November of 2009.

The Washington County Secondary Roads Department received approval from the Board of Supervisors to purchase one new motor grader and upgrade a second motor grader for a total cost of approximately $171,730. The approval came during the supervisors weekly meeting Tuesday morning.

With the pheasant population declining this year as much as 75 percent in southeastern Iowa, Jason Gritsch, Iowa Department of Natural Resources private lands wildlife technician, hopes landowners will do what they can to help preserve pheasant habitat.

20 Years Ago

Don Randol, school counselor at Mid-Prairie High School, Wellman, was named the Iowa Secondary School Counselor of the Year. He was named during the annual Iowa Counseling Association conference held at the Scheman Building on the Iowa State University campus in Ames.

The Iowa High School Press Association is pleased to announce that Donna Manfull, the publications adviser for the Washington High School, is the recipient of the prestigious Rod Vahl Teacher of the Year award.

Washington's Ron Hall, of Mercy Hospital in Iowa City, has been named a regional semifinalist in the 5th Annual Maple Leaf Farms Recipe Contest.

Last Thursday Bea DeLong, of rural Letts, officially became the new owner of the Once More Store.

Monday, WEDG received notice that an affordable housing subdivision it had been working on received a $443,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

WASHINGTON COUNTY – A few months ago, a group of Washington County 4-H members won a prestigious award by collecting some 70,000 soft drink can tabs.

30 Years Ago

Two students of Washington High School, Dan Luers, son of Mr. and Mrs. Dean Luers, Brighton, and Kim Johnson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Johnson, Washington, have attained the highest individual honors available to Iowa high school musicians. They were selected to be members of the 1988 All-State Chorus.

When awards were handed out at the recent YMCA 'cluster” meeting at the Amana Holiday Inn, Wednesday, Washington came away with two of the highest honors: The Association of Professional Directors (APD) of YMCAs presented Distinguished Service Awards to Washington YMCA executive director, Dave Snow, and former Washington YM program director, Pat Burke.

KEOKUK – Washington High School coach Chuck Henry saw his 99th career win at Calvert Stadium here Friday night when the Washington Demons beat Keokuk 22-13. Henry goes for his 100th win this Friday in the season finale at Davis County.

40 Years Ago

Worried about having to face the task of removing soap from the windows of your home or office? Junior Y-Teens of Washington are offering 'soap insurance” for a $2 fee. The girls' organization doesn't promise to prevent the soaping, but they do insure that windows which get the attention of Halloween pranksters will be cleaned by Nov. 1.

The new Washington County 4-H Council members were elected at the annual convention on Saturday at the Washington Community Center. Members elected were Don Anderegg, Melinda Flander and Carla Hahn, Keota; Annette Reha and Dennis Lampe, Wellman; Craig McCoy and Alan Richardson, Crawfordsville; Robert Sandburg, Ainsworth; and Linda Leger, Duane Hammen and Curt Pacha, of Washington.

50 Years Ago

The Bureau of October Recreation and the Iowa State Conservation Commission have approved Wellman's application for matching funds to develop the new town park on the northeast Wellman site purchased earlier this year from Mr. and Mrs. Henry Berger.

Workmen have been applying the finishing touches on the gymnasium floor of the high school with an additional sealer coat. The floor was damaged last spring when a water pipe burst and caused most of the floor to warp. The floor will be ready when the Demons take to the hard court for competition in the Southeast Six basketball league.