10 Years Ago

  • Wounded soldier Timothy Hall received the keys to his new, specially built home just outside of Hawthorne on March 30 in a brief, crowded ceremony.
  • Schurz Elementary School closed the south wing of its campus on Thursday in an effort to cut operating costs.
  • Tyler Leggett, a 24 year old man from San Diego,Ca. area was arrested on Sunday by the Fallon Police Department. He faces a number of charges, the most serious of which is a felony eluding an officer, said Nevada Highway Patrol Sgt. David Cox.

20 Years Ago

  • Seven young men from Hawthorne signed up with the Armed Forces. A dinner was held March 29 to honor these young adults. Guests of honor were: Roman Andrada, Gave Andrada, Alan LaLonde, Ken Bostic, Justin Banfield and David Sellers.
  • In the first game of the Lady Serpents softball led by the 4-hit pitching of Meghan Bonnet and the hitting of Tana Gurule, the Serpents spanked Incline, 20-4.
  • DZHC employees: Candy Bonse, Sally Baker, Cory Rivero and Allen Nichols were recognized by their peers for safe driving behavior.
  • Bob Kimberlin was highlighted as an active boxing coach for the University of Nevada Reno.

30 Years Ago

  • United States Senator Harry Reid was in Hawthorne to visit residents and to confer with officials at the Hawthorne Army Ammunition Plant to discuss a possible increase in the workload assigned to the local plant as the result of other military facilities being closed as part of the general base closure program considered by the Congress.
  • The Hawthorne Army base was to receive $7 million for the construction of ammunition loading pad facilities.
  • Secretary of State Henry Launwas the principle speaker at the Mineral County Chamber of Commerce Awards Banquet held in Hawthorne,
  • Lieutenant Governor Sue Wagner was in Hawthorne to conduct a meeting of representatives from all counties in Nevada in the promotion of tourism. The 2-day awards meeting, referred to as the Rural Roundup, was held at the El Capitan.

40 Years Ago

  • The Chamber of Commerce awarded Citizens of the Year awards at their annual Banquet. Youth Year went to Jamie Jackson; Woman of the Year was given to Carolyn Massayko, and  Man of the Year was awarded to Mike Calember.
  • Robbie Richie was named “Player of the Year“ in the Northern AA baseball conference.
  • The Schurz Indians placed well in the state science fair. Students receiving awards were Lisa Hernandez, Melissa Trejo, Kim Lawson and Karrie Baxter.

50 Years Ago

  • The Serpents basketball team was pictured in the Independent-News at season’s end. The Serpents constant scorer was Ted Foster and rebound leader was Ken Jackson. The leader for the year was Joe Velasquez.
  • Cooperative Education students were pictured in the paper. Students pictured were Linda Gentry, Larry Jones, William Johnson Jr., Joan Driskill, Paul Yates, Susan West Denten, Larry Hampton, Gray Funk, David Hughes and Willie Prince.

60 Years Ago

  • Roberta Ann Wilson was awarded fourth place in a statewide essay contest on the subject of employing the handicapped, and the essay was printed in its entirety in the Independent-News.
  • A nineteen pound Cutthroat was caught by Mary LaVonne Hines of Hawthorne and took the lead in the local El Capitan Walker Lake Fishing Derby.
  • The Hawthorne Post Office was issued a new money order machine.
  • Uncle Vane Day reported in his “Every Day Vane Day” column about the blacksmith who had placed a horseshoe on an anvil and said to his helper “When I nod my head, you hit it.”  Judge Day said the funeral was to be held the next day at three o’clock.

70 Years Ago

  • Paul Nichols of Las Vegas lost his wife when his car plunged into Walker Lake. The late model automobile was resting on a ledge 20 feet below the surface of the water and witnesses who saw the car go over the Cliff said the diver either jumped or was thrown from the overturning vehicle just before it struck the water. Motorists reported that the car had passed them at speed estimated to be in excess of 70 mph.
  • The “Navy Beach” was reopened for boating and fishing following closure to conduct a general cleanup campaign. Those using the beach were warned it must be kept clean.

80 Years Ago

  • Lou Berrum announced his intention to resign as Justice of the Peace because he planned to move to Reno and take over management of the Moana Hot Springs.
  • Sam F. Kelso, oldest resident of Hawthorne died at age 94. He came to the area before Hawthorne was established and then served many years as Clerk and Treasurer when the county was established.

90 Years Ago

  • Governor Fred Balzar signed a bill annexing the “farm area” of Mineral County to Lyon County after being pressured to veto the bill by those who had originally proposed the county division as a retaliatory measure against Mineral County for eliminating the commissioner district. Representatives of both sides appeared in the governor’s office with petitions and it turned out that each petition carried 249 signatures, prompting the governor to say: “ So much for petitions.”
  • Residents of Mineral County protested an application of Southern Pacific Railroad to reduce train service between Reno and Mina to three days a week, and to abandon its narrow gauge line (the old Carson & Colorado) running from Mina to Keeler, California.
  • Building for a standby power plant at the Hawthorne Naval Depot was being completed, and landscaping of the depot was two-thirds completed F. H. Russell, gardener, reported.
  • Completion of the county budget was delayed until the boundaries of the county could be definitively determined.