1949: Soldier’s body returns home

75 Years Ago - Aug. 11, 1949 RANDOLPH – The body of another Randolph man who gave his life in battle on foreign soil during World War II, arrived in the states last week.

The body of Corporal Eldon A. Fleming of the Air Force was returned from Europe, aboard the Carroll Victory. His next of kin is his mother, Mrs. Clara Fleming of Randolph.

Cpl. Fleming met death August 27, 1944 over Germany while on a bombing mission. He was first reported missing, later reported killed in action.

Services will be held in Randolph and interment will be in the Randolph cemetery by the grave of his father, Roy Fleming.

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LINCOLN – Many small high schools will be affected by the reclassification provided under LB 1 passed by the 1949 Legislature, State Superintendent Wayne Reed said last week. Most of these high schools have been operated under the old law by Article 3 district’s without legal foundation.

Under the new law, which is effective August 27, a district must have 20 resident high school students in order to operate a high school legally.

60 Years Ago - Aug. 6, 1964 RANDOLPH – The Randolph baseball team, with a 17 win, 6 loss record, still has a chance to win the top spot in the Tri-County League.

With a playoff spot clinched, the local team can possibly finish in one of the top three places in the league.

The top four teams in the league, Creighton, Randolph, Crofton and Wausa will start a playoff series on Thursday, August 13, however, the towns will not be paired off until after the league season ends Sunday. *** RANDOLPH – Larry Bermel, a member of the Allen Eastern Livestock club, showed the grand champion baby beeves at the Randolph Community Fair Monday.

Burney, son of Mr. and Mrs. Kip Burney, showed a 955 pound Angus, which was judged the grand champion steer.

In the heifer division, Larry Bermel’s 795 pound Shorthorn was selected as the grand champion. Larry is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Don Bermel.

Larry Haselhorst, son of Mr. And Mrs. Ervin Haselhorst, showed the reserve champion heifer, a 700 pound Angus. Larry is a member of the Allen Eastern club.

A total of 83 animals were shown in the baby beef and dairy division of the fair this year. The 71 beef animals were the highest number of entries in several years.

50 Years Ago Aug. 8, 1974

BELDEN – Ed Sauser of Belden escaped serious injury Wednesday afternoon, July 31 when a truck in which he was a passenger overturned on a county road three miles northwest of Belden during a rain storm.

The driver, Don Nettleton, was hauling 37 cows and calves when the weight in the trailer shifted as he turned a corner. He suffered bumps and bruises.

None of the livestock were injured. The truck, belonging to Kavanaugh Feed and Trucking of Carroll, sustained extensive damage.

In another accident, Mr. and Mrs. Paul Cochran and Lori Sauser were severely injured in an auto accident on Friday and are hospitalized at Carbon County Memorial Hospital In Rawlings, Wyo.

Mr. and Mrs. Cochran had been visiting there the past several weeks at the home of her son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Jim Sauser. They were enroute to their home in California and Lori was accompanying them for a short vacation. The van in which they were traveling went down an embankment and was totally demolished.

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NEBRASKA CITY – Miss Cheryl Burkhart, daughter of Mr and Mrs. Ralph Burkhart of Nebraska City, is the 1974 American Honey Queen.

Miss Burkhart will attend the Randolph Fall Festival and will be helping the beekeepers around the Randolph area in their booth at the Fall Festival.

40 Years Ago - Aug. 9, 1984 RANDOLPH – Steve Callahan of Sioux City, Ia., got his first haircut on Wednesday at Scotty’s Barber Shop in Randolph by Lavern Scott, owner of Scotty’s Barber Shop.

Chad’s haircut marks the fifth generation of the Lambing family to get haircuts at Scotty’s Barber Shop. Mrs. Callahan is the former Becky Lambing, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Allen Lambing of Sioux City. Allen’s father, the late Lester Lambing of Scottsbluff, formerly of Randolph and his father, the late George Lambkin were former members of the family making the five-generation.

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RANDOLPH – A watermelon feed for participating softball players on Sunday afternoon was a welcome break in the mixed softball tournament. With the temperatures reaching into the 90s, the players took a break midway through the afternoon games to cool off with portions of watermelon that were served in the park.

The tournament was won by the Kalin family team from Coleridge as they defeated the Lackas family team in the final game of the tournament.

30 Years Ago - Aug. 10, 1994 RANDOLPH – Capturing a slice of Nebraska life to present to the rest of the country, Benson Natural Meats Inc. in a joint effort with partner Korth Feed Lots Inc. spent two days during the early part of this week working on informative promotional clips for television.

The promotional footage will include shots of Osmond, Benson National Meats Inc. Osmond plant, Korth Feed Lots Inc., northeast of Randolph and the Nebraska area.

Thirty 60-second spots will be shown in September in target markets in New York and North Carolina and news clips for ABC affiliates in the east with background on what the company’s doing in Nebraska and the kind of cattle produced are planned, Benson said.

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RANDOLPH – The council voted to exercise the ability to increase the budget over last year’s total at their Tuesday, Aug. 2 meeting, however, the budget must not exceed a five percent increase without a vote of the people.

Gene Gubbels, Marge Van Slyke and Marianne Olberding appeared at the council meeting to request that the council limit budget spending.

The city’s proposed budget will allow for a 4.5 percent increase in budget over last year which would require $3,209 more taxes than last year.

20 Years Ago - Aug. 11, 2004 RANDOLPH – The Randolph Community Club presented the Randolph City Council Aug. 4 with plans and an estimate for a restroom/ concession/storage facility at the baseball field.

The city has applied in the past for funding to construct the facility at the baseball field. The funding was not granted.

Dennis Bazata, Randolph Community Club representative, presented blueprints and an estimate for the project requesting the city’s help to fund the construction.

The estimated cost of the project is $30,842 according to information Bazata presented. The community club would donate possibly $5,000 to the project if the city could fund the remainder. Council members agreed to apply for funding again this fall but could not commit to or give the go-ahead for construction to begin this fall. *** RANDOLPH – Work on the new sports box above the football field is nearing completion.

With the help of many volunteers, high school principal Steve Rinehart has gotten a big start to the improved press box.

Most of the money to fund the building is being supplied by the Wade Robinson Memorial. Donated labor from fellow Randolph residents also helped to address the cost of this much needed addition to the athletic program. Support from fellow businesses in Randolph has also been a major contribution, Rinehart said.

Patent Electric donated the electrical work that will need to be done. The city has been very cooperative with the project, Rinehart said.

10 Years Ago - Aug. 13, 2014 RANDOLPH – Randolph City Council members set a date for a budget workshop and talked bout passing a new ordinance for dangerous dogs during the Aug. 6 meeting.

The ordinance that is currently in place on dangerous animals may be too vague.

City Attorney Lance Carlson will be working on the correct wording for a new ordinance and present the information at the next city council meeting.

Several cities in Nebraska have passed ordinances specifically prohibiting possession of Pit Bulls, Rottweilers and Doberman Pinschers along with a few other breeds, or they have imposed strict requirements on the owners.

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RANDOLPH – While far from a 100-year flood event, the rain here Aug. 5 caused the north tributary of the Middle Logan Creek to overflow its banks. By mid-morning Aug. 6 the water had moved eastward along the north side of Highway 20 to Bridge Street. At that point the water forced its way over the Burlington Northern Santa Fe rail line for a time until it washed out three small section of the railhead. Randolph Police phoned BNSF to stop railway traffic until repairs could be made. Regular rail traffic resumed after waters receded and repairs made.