From Our Early Files

20 Years Ago (2001)

For the third time since April, police searched

the Medicine Shoppe in Eaton Township, this time with Michael Kerkowski facing likely charges of insurance fraud and borough patrolmen standing

guard so customers could not enter.

A Saddle Lake Road home belonging to the Kropas was destroyed by fire Thursday morning.

Tunkhannock Area School Board voted 5-4 to advertise for a new superintendent. Carol Blundell's contract expires June 30, and she is welcome to re-apply for the job.

Murray Fisk has been named honorary chair of the Tunkhannock Rotary Candy Cane Day.

St. Michael's School is marking its 85th anniversary since it opened as a Catholic School for orphaned boys.

Nicholas Mercurio, a long-time bartender at the Prince Hotel, who was also an avid bowler, died Wednesday. He was 65.

Neal and Linda Kintner Wintermute will mark their 30th anniversary Oct. 30.

Wyoming County Chorale will present 'Sprit of America' Nov. 3 with Karen Kruska of Scranton, accompanist.

Geordee P. Grable has announced the association of dentist Fred Bonacci to her Meshoppen dental practice.

David Brown of Tunkhannock has been promoted to Construction Manager at PennDOT where he has worked for 19 years.

40 Years Ago (1981)

Elk Lake School District has taken a quantum leap into the future by installing some 28 solar panels and making itself less dependent

on fossil fuels for its energy needs.

The Wyoming County Commissioners will meet with state Bureau of Corrections Chief Inspector Benjamin Faust on Wednesday to discuss the plight of the county jail.

The County Commissioners voted Wednesday to make Paul Weilage the new county planner, effective Nov. 4 at a salary of $8,000 a year.

Janice (Mahalik) McKennas has joined the Lackawanna Trail High School faculty in the business education area.

John Maloney, 85, of Nicholson, a World War I veteran, died Tuesday at Moses Taylor Hospital.

Tunkhannock Baptist Church is planning a series of special services Nov. 4-8 to mark its 140th anniversary.

Five new trustees were elected to serve Tyler Memorial Hospital for a 3-year term: Leslie Bullock, Paul Brown, Wesley Herron, Betty Monsey and John Saxton.

The U.S. Naval Academy honored 10 grads in the Class of 1961 – including Frank Brown of Tunkhannock – who were killed in action.

Florence Marcy of Tunkhannock has opened a new craft shop known as Marcy's Hobbies and located on Rt. 6, east of Tunkhannock.

60 Years Ago (1961)

The worst fire to hit Laceyville since 1941 destroyed the General Sullivan Hotel, Saturday afternoon.

Volunteers of Triton Hose Company are about to put in for overtime. In a one-week period, Oct. 23-29, the local fire company answered no less than five alarms, three for serious conflagrations.

Janet Hontz and Joseph Shoemaker were married Oct. 6 in St. Peter's Episcopal Church by Rev. Edward Townsend.

Lobster Tail for $1, this Friday and Saturday at Crandall's Restaurant.

Lewis Marabell, who was inducted into the Army on Sep. 28, is now stationed at Fort Dix, N.J.

Nationally known evangelist Lawrence Lacour will be at Tunkhannock Methodist Church for a special week of services, Nov. 4-12.

Jaclyn Clark recently graduated from Grace Downs from Air Career School in New York City. She is a 1961 THS graduate.

A group of THS boys were honored Oct. 26 with the Green-Hand degree from the regional Future Farmers of America in a program at Montrose High School: Richard Arnold, Walter Corby, Sherwood Crane, Arthur Hope, Jerry Kalinowski, Stanley Karp, Charles Klimas, George Mock, John Nonnemacher, Stanley Remington, John Rogers, Peter Stang, Herbert Traver, David Weiss, Thomas Wizavich, and Richard Witter.

80 Years Ago (1941)

A group of Factoryville High School students will for a period of two weeks, take over the borough offices and the citizens, including the burgess and councilmen, will be under control of the youth. Senior party nominees are Vincent Walker for burgess, and Eldon Smith, John Hayos, Doris Wademan, Stanley Baker, Helen Gnall and Byron Hollinshead for council.

Leroy Baker Jr. of Bardwell was recently elected president of the freshman class at Scranton-Keystone Junior College.

A number of students from Mehoopany High School motored Friday to Williamsport to attend the Future Farmers and Homemakers' Fair. J. Clyde Walter and Lewis Chambers provided transportation for the boys, and Miss Sara Brassington for the girls.

Attorney Oliver Smith Kinner, 79, a practicing attorney for 43 years, passed away at his Marion Street home Oct.

27. He was Wyoming County District Attorney for 17 years.

Mr. and Mrs. George Beebe of Tunnel Hill marked their 20th wedding anniversary on Oct. 24.

Commercial seniors at the high school took a trip to business places in Scranton Wednesday. The students were particularly impressed by the electric typewriter they saw.

Noxen High alumni will present a mystery play at Straley Theatre Thursday at 8 p.m.

100 Years Ago (1921)

Mrs. J.H. Fitch and Mrs. T.M. Kresge, of Falls, attended the state convention of the Women's Christian Temperance Union at Sunbury last week.

The town council ordered all property owners on North Bridge Street to lay sidewalks. Eugene Schlatter is the first of the residents in that section to comply with the order.

The funeral of the late Sam Harps, popular mail carrier took place Thursday from his residence.

E.N. Roberts is attending the reunion of the 18th Indiana Infantry at Anderson, Ind.

Fred Kehrli is working in the new bakery at Factoryville.

C.P. Shaw is having a large gasoline pump installed at his East Lemon store.

A fistic encounter proved fatal on the road beyond Demund's Corners. It is said that a man by the name of Cobleigh had words with George Culver. The quarrel soon led to blows and Cobleigh hit that man on the head knocking him down. A doctor found Culver dead. Cobleigh was arrested but later was let out on bail.

C. McKown's Garage has several second-hand Ford touring cars, also Chevrolets, for $75 up. We are making a sacrifice at these prices in order to make room for new cars.

Mr. and Mrs. Carl Coolbaugh, of Lockville, are rejoicing over an 11-pound baby girl.

120 Years Ago (1901)

Prof. Frank E. Chaffee has organized a class

in voice culture at East Lemon.

Rumors are again revived that the Pennsylvania Railroad is about to build a short line to Buffalo, passing through this county on the west side of the river.

A new tool house has been erected in Gravel Hill Cemetery.

Today the rabbit season opens, and it will be lawful to kill 'cottontails' until Dec. 15.

Tomorrow Princeton and Cornell University teams will play football at Ithaca. A few persons from this place will witness the game.

Frank Crandall of

Stevensville was instantly killed Friday. While returning to

his home from Wyalusing with a load of coal, his horses shied and

his head struck a tree. He was 60.

The stone arch bridge over the Meshoppen Creek at Meshoppen is now completed and ready for public use. M.V.

Wandall and son were the contractors.

Harry Potter of Harrison Street fell on the fairgrounds while attending the Montrose vs Tunkhannock football game last Saturday, receiving severe injuries to his back and kidneys. Tunkhannock won the game, 27-5.

The vote on the poorhouse question for this county will be postponed until the township election in February.