Nordman meteor landing shook area residents, homes

10 Years Ago — 2008

Voters OK bond,

turnout low

Priest River voters went to the polls Tuesday and said yes to a bond to improve the city’s water system. 168 to 101. Less than 7,000 of Bonner County’s 22,375 registered voters participated in the primary election, resulting in a turnout of 31 percent, according to Clerk Marie Scott.

20 Years Ago — 1998

Bring your brush to Keyser House

Diane Mercer, chairman of the Keyser House project for the Chamber of Commerce, says grab your paintbrushes and come running. She’s scheduled a painting party to start on Sunday, June 14, and would appreciate a good participation. The Model T car club is coming June 13, and the chamber wants to have the house finished and the downtown spruced up before our visitors get her.

30 Years Ago — 1988

Council, lawyer disagree

Although the Priest River Times is the official newspaper in the opinion of city attorney Roger Lette, the Oldtown City Council voted in its regular meeting to keep publishing its legal notices in the Gem State Miner, at least until the city franchise with Pacific Power and Light goes through, but Lette warned the ordinances may be void if legal notices are not published in the Priest River Times. According to an Idaho Supreme Court decision handed down on April 22, the criteria for deciding eligibility for an official newspaper for an Idaho municipality gives priority to a newspaper with main offices in the same county as the municipality.

40 Years Ago — 1978

New ranger named

Ralph A. Wheeler has been selected as the new district ranger at Priest Lake, the Forest Service announced last week. Wheeler, who is currently district ranger on the Wapiti Ranger District in Cody, Wyo., will report for duty at Priest Lake on June 19, according to Forest Supervisor Ralph Kizer. Wheeler, a graduate of Washington State University with a bachelor of science degree in forestry, has been with the Forest Service since 1959.

50 Years Ago — 1968

Airport to receive major improvement

Priest River is due for an extensive airport improvement project this summer, including the paving of the 3,200 foot runway just north of the city limits. This will make the landing strip’s runway the same length as Sandpoint’s lighted runway.

60 Years Ago — 1958

Lake Highway roadside to be reserved

Proposed withdrawal of 715 acres of public land in the Kaniksu National Forest from application of the mining laws was announced today by Supervisor K. A. Klehm at Sandpoint. The public lands involved are in use, or are proposed for use for public purposes, for present and potential recreation areas and other public purposes. The Priest Lake Highway withdrawal will be a strip of land 200 feet on each side of the road.

70 Years Ago — 1948

Water washing eaves in Cusick

The Pend Oreille River rose another four inches in Cusick, and water was washing the eaves of many buildings in that flooded town. Wm. Bohrnsen, superintended of schools in Cusick, reported “everything in town is under water. Average depth of water in town is eight feet.”

80 Years Ago — 1938

Where meteor landed

Nordman News: Everybody thinks they know where the meteor landed. But we people up here think we know. It looked like it was directly over Nickel Plate Mountain. But when it exploded, it was louder than any thunder I ever heard, and it gave the houses a good hard shake and the rumbling seemed to last for at least five minutes and the smoke from it could be seen for ten minutes.

90 Years Ago — 1928

Linton Hotel changes hands

The Linton Hotel, formerly conducted by Mrs. Nellie Linton, has been leased by Mr. and Mrs. Edward Quinn of this place.

100 Years Ago — 1918

Fire situation menacing

Numerus fires are raging in the Kaniksu National Forest and about 150 men are at work seeking to keep them under control. It is said that never before has the situation been so menacing at this time of year. The fire nearest town on the West Branch road confined itself mostly to slash timber, some of which had already been burned over several times, but in places it got into green timber and devastated small areas, notably back of White’s camp, as it swept over the hill.

—Compiled by MARYLYN CORK