October 02, 2025
Local NewsState & National

Throwback Thursday

By Mandy McDowell
Charlie Anderson watches as Boy Scout volunteer Abbi Hood steadies a plastic bottle rocket on a launch pad made of PVC pipe as Henry Miller builds pressure for the launch using a bicycle pump Tuesday evening near Creston Community Middle School.

Charlie Anderson watches as Boy Scout volunteer Abbi Hood steadies a plastic bottle rocket on a launch pad made of PVC pipe as Henry Miller builds pressure for the launch using a bicycle pump Tuesday evening near Creston Community Middle School. (CNA 2020 Archived Photo )

Today is Thursday, Oct. 2, the 275th day of the year. There are 90 days remaining in 2025. Below is a collection of news items from the Creston News Advertiser for this week in history.

5 years ago (2020)

Mark Shepherd is the only candidate printed on the Union County ballot after he received the most delegate votes during the Union County Republican Convention in June. After his loss, Dan McNeill announced that he would continue a write-in campaign. Brian Burkhalter posted on Facebook that he is not running a write-in campaign, but he would accept the nomination, should he win the general election.

Creston and Nodaway Valley took to Atlantic Nishina Hills Golf Course Thursday night in cross country action against strong “state-level” competition. A loaded field had several ranked teams in Class 3A: No. 7 Glenwood girls, No. 8 Harlan girls, No. 10 ADM girls, No. 10 LeMars boys and the No. 15 Atlantic boys. In Class 1A, the No. 10 Nodaway Valley boys were present, adding another ranked team to the packed field.

The Christmas Basket will carry out its mission differently this year. With the continued concerns about COVID-19 and social gathering restrictions, a “first-come, first-serve” pick up will be from 9 to 11 a.m., Dec. 12, at the Creston Food Shelf, 301 N. Elm St. There will be no nomination requirements this year to receive a basket. The Christmas Basket will supply hams and/or turkeys and the Boy Scouts will round out the baskets with canned goods from their upcoming “Cruise Night” collection Oct. 10.

10 years ago (2015)

A local family is revitalizing a used bookstore in Uptown Creston with a new vision, some new products and a fictional dragon. Chris and Regina Smith and their two sons, Alex and Ian, are co-owners of “The Bookwyrm.” Located at 210 N. Maple St., the former location of “The Bookstore,” the store is currently under renovation and will open Oct. 16.

Creston had just hung on to win the second set, 25-23, to go up 2-0 on visiting Glenwood in the matchup of teams tied for fourth place in the Hawkeye 10 here Thursday night. It shaped up to be an even match, but a 2-0 lead wasn’t enough for a group of Creston players anxious to get the key conference victory. The Panthers finished off the victory in barely more than hour with a 25-19 triumph in the third set, sending Glenwood packing for the return trip west on Highway 34 before 9 o’clock. The Panthers won the opening set 25-20.

Thursday’s Trojan Invitational at Atlantic Golf and Country Club gave the Creston cross country teams one final tuneup before next Thursday’s Hawkeye 10 Conference Meet on the same course. The Creston girls team, running without one of its consistent top-five scorers Lexie Little, finished 11th overall out of 20 scoring teams with 341 points. The Panther boys team finished 13th overall out of 23 scoring teams with 371 points.

15 years ago (2010)

The Iowana Hotel will once again provide housing to the public.Vern Hanson, co-president of MetroPlains LLC, the Iowana restoration developer, appeared before Creston City Council Tuesday. “I see that we’re pretty much on track and on target for this thing to become a reality,” Hanson said, “after all the hard work that both the city, as well as the team that we’ve assembled to bring it to that point.” The plan for the Iowana Hotel restoration is to provide low-income senior housing.

One of the things Nick and Callista Wilkey enjoy about their new business in the former Rexall drug and pharmacy store in Afton is hearing the stories people tell about coming there as children. “When they bring their kids in, and just hearing their stories, their memories of the building, that’s what’s been the most fun to me so far, I guess,” said Callista Wilkey, co-owner of the Kansas Street Deli and Market and Purple Cow Antiques and Interiors. The Wilkeys opened their deli and antique store Sept. 1.

Creston