125 Years
Feb. 17, 1898
At 9:45 p.m. last night a terrible explosion took place aboard the United States battleship “Main” in the harbor of Havana, Cuba. The explosion, the cause of which remains unknown, shook the whole city. The latest report from Capt. Sigsbee indicates that 253 officers and men are lost or missing. The wildest consternation is reported prevailing in Havana.
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The Hall cash grocery store on the south side of the square has been sold to the Sullivan Brothers, of St. Marys, who will take possession sometime next week. Sullivan Brothers own a grocery in St. Marys. They will continue to run it in connection with the store in this city.
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The commissioners have ordered three iron gates for doors on the first story and three doors on the second floor and gratings to openings for the annex at the infirmary. The doors in use have been found insufficient and some of the insane inmates have been able to break through them.
100 Years
Feb. 17, 1923
At the meeting of city council last evening, the ordinance authorizing the director of public service to enter into a contract for the installation of a new white way system was given its first reading. Also, a resolution was passed authorizing the city solicitor to employ assistant counsel in the case of the city in the extension of Court street under the B.&O. railroad, which will come up in the next few weeks.
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The Peerless meat market, at 113 North Main avenue annexed to the Swisher Grocery company, is now open for business. It was recently purchased by E.H. Hawvermale from Bustetter and Weingartner who conducted the business at that place for over 40 years. Ed Bull will be in charge of the meat market.
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H.D. Shortz, the dog catcher, started his house-to-house canvas to find unrecorded dogs this morning, and by 3 o’clock this afternoon he had 16 dogs impounded at the fairgrounds.
75 Years
Feb. 17, 1948
Shelby county board of education members voted down a petition for transfer of two farms in the Russia community to the Versailles Village exempted school district, according to Dr. C.E. McCorkle. The petitioners had made the request because their trading district is Versailles and they attended church there. The two farms in question had been accepted by the county and Russia board in July 1936.
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A Gray Lady corps is to be formed in Shelby county under the sponsorship of the local Red Cross chapter. Mrs. Harry E. Scheiber and Mrs. Eleanor Ross are in charge of the local organizing arrangements, with a meeting scheduled on Feb. 19 for those interested.
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Detailed information, explaining phases of the Ohio teachers retirement system, was presented to some 100 city school teachers, officials, board members and guest at the 16th annual Washington banquette held last evening in the dining room of the First Presbyterian Church. The principal speaker was L.D. Shuter, executive secretary of the retirement system.
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President Truman today asked Congress for $570 million in economic aid to China as a vital contribution to world peace.
50 Years
Feb. 17, 1973
Doris Beers bowled a 253 single game to set a season high mark for the ladies in the Scratch Trio League at Sidney’s Holiday Lanes. She shot a four-game total of 753.
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Sidney’s next city manager has been selected and his name will be announced at Monday night’s City Council session, Mayor Anthony Antonopols announced this morning.
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Capt. K.M. Fitzgivens, section commander of communications and records of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Columbus, has been named commander of District 5 of the Ohio State Patrol with headquarters at Piqua.
The captain, a former Sidney resident, will take over his duties Tuesday morning at the Piqua post.
25 Years
Feb. 17, 1998
Robert Burns Announced today that he will be a candidate for state representative from the 85th District to the Ohio House of Representatives. This district includes Champaign and Shelby counties and the western part of Auglaize County.
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The Shelby County MayFest Committee has planned for this year’s 14th annual Shelby County MayFest celebration. Extended children’s activities, a larger parade, return of the Community Challenge, big name entertainment, food, games and crafts are part of this year’s activities. This year’s theme, “Fairy Tales Can Come True,” enhances the focus on children.
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PHILADELPHIA – The once neat and tidy picture of how people first migrated to the new world has been thrown into turmoil by discoveries that push back the time of the first arrivals by thousands of years.
Discoveries of ancient skeletons, dwelling sites, language histories and genetic evidence all suggest that Asians migrated across the Bering Straits in successive waves over thousands of years and then fanned out into North and South America.
