December 04, 2025
Local NewsState & National

Throwback Thursday

By Mandy McDowell
Restoring the 1895 New Hope Township School Number 3 was a dream shared by Bill and Patty Koob of rural Lorimor snd Koob’s father, who died in 1980. The school was also known as the “Williams School.”

Restoring the 1895 New Hope Township School Number 3 was a dream shared by Bill and Patty Koob of rural Lorimor snd Koob’s father, who died in 1980. The school was also known as the “Williams School.” (CNA Archived 1985 photo )

Today is Thursday, Dec. 4, the 338th day of the year. There are 27 days remaining in 2025. Below is a collection of news items found in the Creston News Advertiser for this week in history.

10 years ago (2015)

Emily Wuekber was presented the Union County Farm Bureau recognition award at the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation annual meeting Dec. 1-2 in Des Moines. Union County Farm Bureau received an outstanding designation for its 2015 programs, which help further the story of agriculture to new audiences through many areas including policy development, policy implementation, communications and strengthening the county farm bureau.

Open mic night has found a home with the Creston High School club “I Belong,” who will sponsor the event from now on. It will still take place from 8 to 9 p.m. on the first Friday of every month at Adams Street Espresso. The goals of open mic night fit with the club, which focuses on inclusiveness.

20 years ago (2005)

Talk about consistency. The Creston boys basketball team showed plenty of it Tuesday night, when for one quarter the team replicated its astounding Monday-night performance. The Panthers surged to a 21-3 first-quarter lead and toppled Red Oak 64-42. “We took a page from (Monday) against Corning and built on it; that was very apparent. We were ready to go from the start. Put those three quarters together and that is some fantastic basketball,” said Creston coach Jim Calkins.

The championship round at Saturday’s Coach Riley Invitational hosted by Nodaway Valley was simply a formality. With nine wrestlers appearing in the championship round, Creston/Orient-Macksburg had the title in hand by the end of the semifinals. The Panthers crowned five champions and tallied 230 1/2 points — 75 1/2 ahead of second-place Clarinda.

Being a newspaper carrier isn’t easy. Through wind, snow, rain and blistering sun, carriers must make sure the newspaper gets to every subscriber in a timely manner — all while lugging a heavy load on their shoulders. For Creston News Advertiser carrier Steve Hunt, 28, the job is even more of a challenge. That’s because Hunt is legally blind. “I really didn’t let the disability get in the way,” Hunt said. “Working makes me feel like I’m contributing to society, and I like the structure and the people. It keeps me from feeling like I’m some kind of bum.”

30 years ago (1995)

Greater Community Hospital statistics for October included 122 acute, 18 births, 15 skilled-care and one intermediate-care patient.

In Creston’s Elementary School, a combination of chicken pox and flu is making the rounds, causing absences from one day to one week. The middle school is just starting to be affected and the high school is seeing higher than normal absences.

TCI Cablevision raised $650 for the Creston Community School District during its recent fall education promotion.

Creston remained winless in dual wrestling Thursday, dropping a pair to Clarinda and Atlantic.

Union County Supervisor Mike King wants to know what the county sheriff, auditor, treasurer and recorder are up to when it comes to hiring new personnel. Tim Kenyon, Union County attorney, to put it bluntly, thinks it’s none of King’s business. The two sparred this morning at the supervisors’ weekly meeting about whether Sheriff John Coulter followed proper procedure when he hired Chad Briley last week.

A total of $3,941.40 was raised at the annual Union County CROP Walk held Oct. 22 in Creston.

40 years ago (1985)

The entire town of Creston had problems with its telephone service today, with some services having no dial tone and others getting cut off in the middle of conversations.

Myrtle Tillman, formerly of Creston, will celebrate her 103rd birthday Dec. 18. Tillman now lives in Portland, Oregon.

The East Union boys basketball team that opens in Bedford tonight is expected to be able to play with any team in the area on a given night, despite the loss of second-leading rebounder and third-leading scorer from last year, Rich Holtrey, due to a football injury. The team is above average in quickness and shooting but lacking in height, with the tallest player being 6-1.

Creston banker Niel Conover will appear on the Iowa Public Television “Crisis in Agriculture Call-in” show, slated for 8 p.m. Tuesday, a First National Bank representative said.

Creston