Years Gone By

5 years ago:

     • Katie Harms recently received the 2012 AIA (American Institute of Architects) Young Architects Award. She’s the first woman in Iowa to receive the honor; the third Iowan overall. Harms traveled to Washington, D.C. to receive the award at the National AIA Convention.

     Harms graduated from MHS in 1998. She went to Iowa State University. She’s currently an architect with OPN Architects in Cedar Rapids.

     Harms is the daughter of John and Kathy Harms. (3/14/2012)

     • Nine students in MHS’ BPA program qualified for 11 events for the BPA National in Chicago in April. The students earned their trip to nationals during the State BPS Leadership Conference in February in Des Moines.

     Junior Ellyn Felton was selected secretary/treasurer of the State BPA. Senior Raquel Pejchl had first and second finishes at State. She was selected as one of the top four outstanding BPA members. (3/14/2012)

10 years ago:

     • The City of Monticello is the recipient of a $500,000 grant to fund a new daycare facility. The grant was awarded by the Iowa Department of Economic Development. Plans are to locate the new daycare building just north of the softball field at Shannon Elementary. It will be built on school property. It will accommodate about 106 children of all ages. The architects estimate the cost at $1.1 million. The city is also eligible for a USDA loan to help fund the project. (3/14/2007)

     • When Lee and Jacky Hein returned home from the girls basketball game in Des Moines, they discovered that their mailbox had been destroyed. Deputy Sheriff Greg Graver said the mailbox had been blown up. It was determined that an improvised explosive device was detonated in the Heins’ mailbox. No one was home at the time of the detonation. The Jones County and Delaware County Sheriff Offices have taken multiple reports of mailbox damage involving IEDs. The investigation is ongoing, assisted by the U.S. Postal Inspector and the State Fire Marshal. (3/14/2007)

25 years ago:

     • Jones County unemployment rate rose to 5.9 percent in January, up from 5 percent the month before. Statewide, the rate climbed to 5 percent, responding to a combination of seasonal and recessionary influences. Unemployment ranged from a low of 1.8 percent in Johnson County to 9 percent in Dubuque and Butler counties. The effects of the recession continued to be most evident in durable goods manufacturing. The U.S. unemployment rate remained at 7.1 percent in January. (3/11/1992)

50 years ago:

     • Some $1,000 worth of merchandise was taken from Long Drug in one of three break-ins early Tuesday morning. Also hit were the Jones County ASC office and Wears, Inc. Entrance to Long and ASC was gained by prying open the back door of the shared building. A pipe wrench was apparently used on the doorknob. In addition to merchandise, $50 in cash was taken from the register. Merchandise taken included: 30 Timex watches, four pocket watches, one M-2 instamatic movie camera, 11 Butane lighters, six Max Factor compacts, two transistor radios, four chargeable shavers, one billfold, and six Remington electric razors.

     ASC reported nothing missing.

     Entrance to Wears was gained by breaking a window on the east side. All of the offices were ransacked. An undetermined amount of cash was taken. (3/9/1967)

100 years ago:

     • A petition has been signed calling upon our legislative representatives, Sen. Hale and Rep. Flenniken, to vote against any bill with the objective to abolish the highway commission. The petition requests them to support legislation for good roads. (3/8/1917)

     • A.C. Foster sold his clothing store to A.O. Peterson from Wellman, Iowa. Mr. Peterson is a young man who has had experience in the clothing business and promises to give Monticello an up-to-date clothing store. Foster has been in business in Monticello for more than a year. (3/8/1917)