25 years ago

NOV. 28, 1991

Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole on Wednesday secured $56.2 million to make U.S. 81 a four-lane expressway between Concordia and the Nebraska border. “This will help Salina a lot,” the Kansas Republican said. “It will create a lot of jobs in the area, there will be twice as many people coming through and there will be a lot more commerce.” Dole made a last-minute amendment to the nation’s six-year highway bill to get $73.6 million in reimbursements for the state’s construction of portions of interstate highways. Of that, $49.2 million goes to U.S. 81 along with $7 million he had previously secured.

NOV. 29, 1991

More than two years after a pigeon panel was convened to determine how to control pigeons in downtown Salina, the pigeon panel is no more. The pigeons? They’re still happy in downtown Salina, merrily making life interesting for downtown visitors who dare look up to the pigeons perched atop building roofs. Pigeons became a concern because of their droppings, which some found offensive and a possible health risk. The city is still on a waiting list to have some rare peregrine falcons relocated in Salina. The peregrine falcon is a raptor that preys solely on birds and has been used successfully in other cities to control pigeons.

DEC. 1, 1991

Three or four times a week by his estimate — through messages left with the court clerk, the defendant’s attorney, or on a hurriedly scribbled note — another domestic abuse case dissolves before City Prosecutor Gary Denning’s eyes. A new law that takes effect statewide Jan. 1 requires law officers arrest people suspected of abusing their mates. The law applies to any parties in a close relationship — be they married, unmarried, heterosexual or homosexual. The policy is at work in Salina and Saline County, where abusers are held in jail for up to six hours before being allowed to post bond. Most are charged with misdemeanors and referred to Salina Municipal Court for prosecution.

DEC. 3, 1991

The 1991 Smoky Hill River Festival turned a profit of $23,472, which is attributed mostly to the excellent weather for the three-day festival in June, festival organizers said. It was the first time since 1988 that the festival turned a profit. The biggest income producers continued to be button sales ($94,788) and vendor/exhibitor fees ($63,084). The festival generated income of $259,448. Expenses were $235,976.

50 years ago

NOV. 28, 1966

GOODLAND — Construction of a sugar beet factory near Goodland is expected to begin within one week. The new plant is an economic shot in the arm for the Goodland area. During construction, 300 workers will be employed. Construction will take around one and a half years to complete. The new plant will also provide stable year-round employment. About 50 persons will man the plant after its completion. During peak processing months, at least 200 persons will work in the various departments.

NOV. 29, 1966

A decision on ambulance service in Salina and for much of the rest of Saline county may be near.The two Salina funeral homes, Chapel and Rush Smith, which now provide ambulance service, want to discontinue it Dec. 23. The new plan calls for the director’s office to be set up in the sheriff’s department. One of the ambulances also would be housed near the sheriff’s office with the city providing places for two other ambulances and for personnel to sleep. The housing and telephone service available from the law enforcement agencies would save on the expenses of operation.

DEC. 2, 1966

COLBY — Cable TV will soon be at Colby. Construction of a reception tower will begin Jan. 2 and the system will be on the air shortly after this. The tower will be 350 to 400 feet tall and on land owned by Francis Dible, one and a half miles southeast of the Colby Community junior college. Services will be provided by Multi-Vue TV and besides the networks, there will also be a 24-hour weather scanner channel and 24-hour program of music.

DEC. 4, 1966

Appropriately, the information came in during the “graveyard” shift. The increase in traffic deaths is almost 10 percent. Through November, across the nation, 28,590 persons have died this year. In 1965, 26,379 persons had died. Saline County has also added to totals in the first half of the year. There have been no deaths in the county since June 24, but by then 30 persons had died in 12 accidents.

75 years ago

NOV. 28, 1941

BELLEVILLE — Whether it’s a two-penny or six-penny nail, a nail from Sweden, Arabia or Iceland, an 18-inch cotter key or an odd-sized screw that you want, you can probably find it at 2110 H. Street. For W.E. Muth of Belleville has assembled more than 2,000 nails, screws and fasteners during the first six months of effort in that direction … and he says that he’s barely started. Although handicapped by ill health, which doesn’t permit him to get away from home often, Mr. Muth has developed a “sixth sense” for nails. For seldom does he return from even a short jaunt without some new specimens and he has his friends organized and working for him too, 79 of them. Begun in May of this year, his collection of 2,000 items includes 729 different nails, 448 screws, 203 tacks, 72 set screws, 110 screw eyes and screw hooks, 66 staples, 128 rivets and 64 cotter keys.

NOV. 29, 1941

Officers of this county are sitting back at present and watching the fun at Abilene, where the state seeks to convict Emerson Nichols, of Harlan, on a charge of possessing the liquor that intoxicates. For Saline county has a “hold order” on Nichols. It was November 5 when Sheriff Paul Shanahan came up on a bootlegger’s car a short distance east of Salina on the North Street Road and would have succeeded in running it down had it not been for the mud. Two men in the car fought off the sheriff, who fell as the auto drew away, tearing his topcoat and burning a shoulder. The ‘leggers threw out six pints of alcohol as they left and later abandoned their car at Bennington.

DEC. 1, 1941

McPHERSON — Mrs. Chester Ribeau, slight, dark-haired 60-year-old housewife, was held without bond for trial in the current term of district court on a first degree murder charge in the slaying of her 34-year-old fourth husband early today. Mrs. Ribeau broke into sobs as county attorney Kenneth Hodge read the murder charge , filed a few hours after she appeared before dawn at the county jail and told officers her husband had beaten her most of the night. When Sheriff’s deputies went to the residence they found Ribeau seated in a rocking chair beside a radio that still was playing and a shotgun wound in the back of the head.

DEC. 2, 1941

HAYS — A Hays bachelor got up with the sun as usual Tuesday morning and went off to work in the oil fields north of Hays. Later that morning, as usual, his landlord showed up to clean his room and tidy things up a bit. The landlord opened the door to the bachelor’s room — gasped, and immediately closed it again. Determined he set out looking for his tenant. After all, he told himself, no renters of his were going to take advantage of him and have women in their rooms. Finding his bachelor tenant, he proceeded to discuss in pointed, emphatic language, exactly what he thought of his renter’s actions. “But,” the bachelor said, barely squeezing a word in edge-wise, “that’s my wife. We were married last night.” The landlord apologized profusely.

100 years ago

NOV. 28, 1916

The November term of district court opened this morning with the heaviest docket ever listed in the county. One hundred and seventy seven cases are listed on the docket prepared by District Clerk Hedquist. Eleven naturalization cases, the first work of the term, are under way this afternoon. The jury men have been summoned to report and it is not anticipated that court will get under way much before the beginning of next week.

NOV. 29, 1916

Boy Scouts will shine again. This time they will help the board of public welfare in distributing baskets of food to the poor Thursday. Two Boy Scouts to the car will be the arrangement and by this plan welfare officers says the food would be quickly distributed. The city will be divided into districts similar to those used during the clean up campaign.

DEC. 4, 1916

McPHERSON — Should a minister of the gospel use more moral discretion than a justice of the peace when performing a marriage ceremony, or should he consider himself performing an ordinary legal act and forget his technical moral obligation? This question is now under advisement in the divorce suit of Mrs. Sadie Rollings against Harry Rollings. Mrs. Rollings claimed she was intoxicated. She testified she would not have done so had she been sober. The Rev. Mr. Jacob Rader admitted to the court that he performed the ceremony while Mrs. Rollings was considerably under the influence of intoxicants, but said she appeared to know what she was doing, and, as it was a civil contract under the law, he merely performed a legal duty.

125 years ago

NOV. 28, 1891

The council met in special session to consider the matter of city lights. An ordinance was passed abrogating the gas lights and accepting a contract with the company by which the city is to take seven arc lights in the place of the gas street lights now used. In the 1st ward, one light will be on Third and Ash and one at Second and Elm. One will be located at Fourth and Walnut in the 4th ward and one at Oakdale and Iron between 1st and 4th wards. The light now located at Prescott and Eighth is to be removed to Santa Fe and Prescott. This will make 26 arc lights in all, and as they are to be raised several feet higher, the light will be greatly improved.

NOV. 29, 1891

TESCOTT — In this country town there lives a little old man who sells milk, carrying it from house to house morning and evening in a small handcart. There is nothing strange about that, but his companion on these daily trips is the very strangest you ever heard of — an old gray goose, who follows him about in the most dignified manner, and stands watch over the cart, letting no one go near it in his master’s absence. His name is Major, and his master says that he is just as useful as a dog would be.

DEC. 4, 1891

ABILENE — The sensational disappearance of the Simmons children, who have been missing the past four days, was settled today. They were found several miles out in the country, where they had wandered on a runaway tour. The parents’ theory of abduction by an alien was due to their excited imagination.

 

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