Pomeroy Pioneer Portraits

Ten Years Ago

January 8, 2014

Garfield County Sheriff Ben Keller believes that it's not a matter of if a mass-casualty incident could happen in Pomeroy, it's more a question of when. Ben's belief that the community should not ignore this possibility led him to apply for a U.S. Department of Justice grant in 2012. The Community Oriented Policing Services Hiring Program associated with the grant would provide the county with $75,000 annually to place a School Resource Officer in Pomeroy School District buildings. The sheriff now wants to hear from community members whether they feel that the $25,000 matching funding that the county must come up with annually is an effective use of the money.

Twenty-Five Years Ago

January 6, 1999

Angela Whittaker of Pomeroy won two races in the Washington State Snowmobile Racing Association's Snocross 1999 opener Sunday at Lake Wenatchee. Angela, who is in her first season of snocross racing, won $250 in addition to bringing home two trophies. She won both the 440cc and open (up to 800cc) class events, which ran four laps over the half-mile course. She was told she was only the second woman racer to clear the double jump.

Fifty Years Ago

January 10, 1974

Garfield County has been in pretty good shape for fuels thus far in the current fuel crisis, according to Phil Crawford, who spoke at the Kiwanis noon luncheon Monday. Crawford noted that with some exceptions for short periods, local dealers thus far have been able to take delivery of adequate supplies of fuel, and as of Dec. 31, most had storage tanks pretty well filled. He said that elsewhere in the Northwest the same was true. But he said he didn't know what was causing the Oregon problems.

Seventy-Five Years Ago

January 6, 1949

Garfield County inhabitants can relax-the two babies born last Sunday, January 2, did not come in on a photo finish. The first baby in 1949 and winner is baby Ronald Eugene Johnson, who crossed the finish line at 4:35 a.m., while baby Camelia Grace, did not arrive until 7 a.m. Baby Eugene is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Claude Johnson, and baby Camelia is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Gene McKinley.

One Hundred Years Ago

January 5, 1924

Fred A. DeVleming, county auditor, furnishes the following information of public interest: Personal checks through the mail will get your auto license for 1924. Enclose description of car, engine number, year built, make of car, factory number and month and year purchased. School districts giving dances without a permit are violating the dance license law that went into effect Jan. 7, 1923. Keep within the law by getting your license through this office.

One Hundred Twenty-Five Years Ago

January 7, 1899

P.E. Skoagland, son-in-law of E. Oliver and a recent arrival from Alaska, has bought the Kuhl place near Falling Springs, and will engage in farming. Mr. S. evidently thinks wheat raising in this region beats the Alaska gold fields, and we believe his head is level on that point.