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Today is Thursday, March 20, the 79th day of the year. There are 286 days remaining in 2025. Below is a collection of news items found in the Creston News Advertiser for this week in history.
20 years ago (2005)
Unity Christian topped Nodaway Valley in Class 2A boys basketball final. Nodaway Valley, playing in their first appearance in a basketball state tournament, fell by eight in the 62-54 loss Friday night at Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Des Moines.
For sale, two school buildings in residential areas, contact Creston School District for more information. Creston School Board approved a process to sell the former Jefferson and Lincoln Elementary School buildings and the district’s portable building during their Monday meeting. Potential buyers will be informed Creston School District will still have rights to use a portion of each property for students bus stops.
Frances Myers and Grant Wood, students at St. Malachy Catholic School in Creston, were named semifinalists in the Iowa 2005 Letters About Literature contest. There were 1,166 Iowa students who submitted letters.
Greater Community Hospital recently received a new ambulance and is ready to put it into action. The new ambulance is state of the art with new features to help speed up the delivery of care by paramedics out in the field.
Pizza Ranch, a restaurant chain based in Hull, anticipates opening Monday in Creston. The restaurant is owned and operated by Doug and Sheryl Pearson.
30 years ago (1995)
The Food and Drug Administration approved the long-awaited chickenpox vaccine today, the nations first protection for the four million Americans who get the disease every year.
The Creston High School FFA Chapter and Barbara Fuller of the MATURA Action Corporation were recognized by Iowa Department of Public Safety Commission Paul H. Wieck II and the Iowa Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau. The Creston FFA Chapter received a certificate of appreciation. The chapter has made substantial contributions to improve traffic safety in Iowa.
Nathan Williams, an eighth grader at Burton R. Jones Middle School, has been selected to compete at the State Geography Bee April 7 in Des Moines.
Six Creston girls and boys basketball players have been selected to Hawkeye 10 all-conference teams released today. Senior Brian Gerleman was a unanimous selection to the eight-player boys first team. Sophomore Kyle McCann was also a first team selection. Senior Summer Hook was named to the girls first team. Senior teammate Dawn Woods was selected honorable mention. Two Panthers, senior Jamie Johnson and John David Weber, were selected to the boys second team.
Creston’s Southern Prairie YMCA board of directors has elected its first set of officers. Skip Kenyon, Creston city attorney and a member of the Community Betterment Foundation which spearheaded the fund raising campaign for the center, was elected YMCA board president.
40 years ago (1985)
Winners of the Area 14 Spelling Bee held Saturday at Southwestern Community College are Matt Reese of Central Decatur, first; Scott Crandell of Clarke of Osceola, second and Christy Courtney of East Union, third. The bee was sponsored by the Green Valley Area Education Agency.
Creston’s Old Timers Wrestling Tournament, held Saturday at the junior high, didn’t draw a lot of entries but it did draw some quality wrestlers. A handful of past state champions, a couple of high school coaches and a number of wrestlers with national and international freestyle experience made for some good matches in the tournament.
A program by Duane Ellet and Floppy of WHO-TV highlighted the Tri-County Association of Girl Scouts overnight Friday at Southwestern Community College. A total of 220 Girl Scouts and leaders from 27 troops in Creston, Afton, Cromwell, Greenfield, Ellston, Grand Valley and Mount Ayr attended the annual event.
To characterize local officials as just being mad about the pending closing of the jail in Union County would be an understatement. During a meeting held Monday of the Law Enforcement Commission, discussion was on how to meet and quickly bring the jail within fire safety standards, thus allowing it to reopen.
Bonnie Tighe of Creston has chosen her epitaph: “She read a lot.” It is fitting in an understated way. Tighe, a member of Elzevir Reading Circle, recieved the honor of reading the most books at the Union County Federated Women’s Club meeting Tuesday. For the fourth year in a row, she completed 250 books. These 250 books are just the ones she counts. If she rereads a good book or reads what she calls “garbage,” it isn’t included her list.