50 years ago: Chandler boy suffers extensive burns from firecracker

Jul. 3--One year ago

The Grassroots Community Theater performed "The Cemetery Club" at the Minnesota West Community and Technical College's Fine Arts Theater. Mary Jane Mardesen directed the cast.

The 25th International Festival took place in downtown Worthington.

Staci Murphy and Renee Baerenwald opened an Edina Realty office in Worthington. The two experienced real estate professionals intended to serve Nobles County and much of southwest Minnesota.

Gov. Mark Dayton issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency for 36 Minnesota counties, including the six counties in the southwest corner of the state, due to damages caused by torrential rains and flooding in recent weeks. Dayton, along with U.S. Sen. Tina Smith and Minnesota Department of Agriculture Commissioner Dave Federickson, visited the area to hear from officials about the damage and its implications. Murray County was hit especially hard, with seven to 10 inches of rain recorded on Tuesday in parts of northern Murray County.

Neel Kashkari, president of the Minneapolis Federal Reserve, was in Worthington for two days to hear from residents, area business leaders and civic officials about the role immigration has played here.

Five years ago

Justin Shandor, an Elvis impersonator known as "The Ultimate Elvis," performed at Memorial Auditorium Performing Arts Center.

On a 4-1 vote, Nobles County commissioners authorized funding for up to $750,000 toward a $1.5 million damage estimate on the Buffalo Ridge Regional Rail Authority shortline railroad in Nobles and Rock counties.

JBS was awarding up to $135,000 in scholarships to students pursuing degrees in industrial technology at Minnesota West Community and Technical College's newly accredited one-year program in the field. The scholarships were in the form of either a $9,000, full-year scholarship or half scholarships of $4,500 for two years.

Farmers in the area continued to count their losses due to recent flooding. Federal Emergency Management Association officials had been in Nobles and Rock counties this week to assess damage from mid-June flood waters.

The 4-H Interstate Exchange students from Mercer County, Ohio, visited Spomer Classics, Worthington, with their local hosts. The group also toured livestock feedlots and JBS, and spent recreational time at Lake Okabena, during their week in the area.

10 years ago

The Jackson County Sheriff's Office found the body of a 39-year-old Lakefield man in the 79-acre Belmont Park seven miles north of Jackson. The cause of death was not immediately known. Dove Award-winning artist Mark Schultz performed a concert as part of programmed activities at Edgerton's Dutch Festival. For the 11th year, the Shrine Circus performed two shows in Worthington, this time in the Worthington Arena. Options for kids included rides on ponies and elephants. The Jackson County Central school board voted unanimously to reinstate the Jackson County Central assistant football coach and authorized the district administration to determine a "reasonable disciplinary action" for him and the JCC baseball coach. The two were involved in some sort of unsportsmanlike conduct at another sporting event. Five South Africans visited area farms as guests of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Showing this week at Worthington's Northland Cinema 5 were "The Proposal," "Public Enemies," "Year One," "The Hangover" and "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs."'

25 years ago

A 14-year-old girl, formerly of Worthington, drowned in the Big Sioux River when the inner tube on which she was riding capsized.

As part of the Old-Fashioned Fourth celebration at Worthington's Pioneer Village, Shari Nunes directed a melodrama entitled "Dora, the Beautiful Dishwasher: The Heroine Who Cleaned Up."

Three area teachers were among the 77 instructors nominated for the 1994 Minnesota Teacher of the Year honor. They included Elizabeth Postma, Worthington; Larry Garland, Slayton; and Barbara LaCanne, Windom.

The reigning Miss Colorado, Kimberly Veldhuizen, was in Leota to participate in the town's 4th of July parade. Veldhuizen, 25, was visiting her grandparents, Pete and Marie Van Essen of Edgerton and Arnold and Esther Veldhuizen of Pipestone. Her parents, Dale and Sylvia Veldhuizen, had relocated to Fort Collins, Colo., when their daughter was young. She had competed in the Miss USA pageant at South Padre Island in February.

Nobles County commissioners received the Minnesota DNR's Partnership Minnesota award for their efforts with the Heron Lake Area Restoration project.

The "Amazing" Worthington City Band's weekly concert featured the tunes "Stormy Weather," "In the Mood" and the "National Emblem March," with Chuck Moore serving as emcee and the Noble Chordsmen (directed by Ron Tabbert) singing as intermission entertainment.

Showing this week at Worthington's Northland Cinema 3 were "Little Big League," "The Lion King" and "Babies Day Out."

50 years ago

All around Worthington on Monday, backyards were filled with household goods salvaged from flooded basements. The best guess of losses to Worthington home owners in the wake of the destructive Saturday night storm was into the several hundred thousand dollar range. Flood damage, wall seepage, and backup of drains and sewer tiles were all "expressly excluded" from insurance policies covering homes. Meanwhile, the city street department and members of the Worthington Sportsmen's Club helped collect approximately 12,000 to 14,000 crappies (three to five inches in length), plus a few walleyes and northerns, that were dumped in the Eighth Avenue to Tenth Street area when the waters of Lake Okabena overflowed. Later in the week, the Worthington City Council estimated water damage to residential and commercial property at a staggering $4,225,000. A record- breaking storm caused the damage after dumping 6.7 inches of rain on the community in just a few hours.

The body of an 18-year-old Rushmore man was found by volunteer searchers in the main channel of Kanaranzi Creek, about three-fourths of a mile from where his automobile was found abandoned. The search for him took nearly three days, and his death occurred during the rainstorm on Sunday afternoon.

An eight-year-old boy from Chandler suffered extensive burns and was named the area's first serious Fourth of July accident victim. He was injured when one of the firecrackers he and his brother were soaking in gasoline before lighting exploded near him, spraying him with flaming gas. The boy was in the Slayton hospital.

75 years ago

Dr. G.C. Turner, chairman of the Nobles County branch of the American Red Cross for the past two and a half years, was re-elected to that post at the group's annual meeting on June 30.

Polly Sevighn Converse of Fulda celebrated her 90th birthday with a gathering of about 85 relatives and friends at the Presbyterian Church in Fulda. The Rev. E.J. Rose presided over a special program. The Converses moved to a place just outside Fulda in 1892. Mrs. Converse moved into Fulda when her husband died five years earlier.

Hog production in Nobles County was down approximately 30% this year, according to a survey of assessors' returns from nine townships for 1943 and 1944. The survey showed a reduction of 32% for hogs under three months of age and of 31% for hogs three months or older.

The Adrian village council warned that any minor caught using slingshots, air guns or rifles, breaking windows or street lights or destroying property by stone-throwing would be dealt with according to the law. Parents of youngsters picked up for such offenses were warned that they would be required to appear in court with their children. Several cases of malicious destruction of property by young boys with firearms had occurred in recent weeks, among other acts of violence and vandalism.

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