2014 (10 years ago): Midland University has hired a former college president to lead Dana College planning in response to high levels of donor interest. Former Hastings College president Dennis Trotter has been hired as senior adviser for campus expansion to "develop programmatic models and determine the best strategy for long-term growth," Midland University announced in a release. Nate Neufind, Midland director of communications, said Tuesday Trotter was hired to evaluate which careers will be in demand in the future. Trotter will tour campuses nationwide and visit with civic leaders in Blair to gather information.
2004 (20 years ago): The public is invited to an upcoming hearing regarding whether Washington County should continue its membership in the Three Rivers Public Health Department. At the hearing, the Washington County Board of Supervisors will meet to discuss the pros and cons of continuing the county's affiliation in the department. The county joined with Dodge and Saunders counties to create the department in April 2002. The department's creation was funded by tobacco settlement funding through LB 692.
1994 (30 years ago): Since October, Henrietta, a giant 5-foot-plus chicken, has occupied the southwest corner of Judy Ekeler's fourth grade classroom at Arbor Park. Henrietta is modeled after the main character in the Daniel Pinkwater book called "The Hoboken Chicken Emergency," was constructed by the class after they had read the book. Her frame is (of course) chicken wire, supported by two very large wooden feet, and her body is generously stuffed with tissue paper. She has been a good chicken and a welcome addition to the classroom, but she does take up a great deal of much-needed space.
1984 (40 years ago): Do you know where your car is parked? If you don't, then we recommend that you find out. With a change in a Blair ordinance, you could get fined. At the last Blair City Council meeting, it was moved that a parking ordinance should be changed that would allow the owner of a car to be fined if that owner's car was illegally parked, even if that owner had not been the driver. In the past, the driver of a car could be fined if they parked the car illegally. Now, the owner is the one that will pay the fine no matter who the driver is.
1974 (50 years ago): Checks totaling around $200 were found Tuesday afternoon along Highway 30 near the entrance to DeSoto Bend Wildlife Refuge. The checks, all intended for St. Francis Borgia Catholic Church of Blair, were part of a theft of the Saturday evening Mass collection which took place some time early Sunday. The theft was discovered following the Sunday morning worship service when church members counted the morning collection and prepared to put it with the money reserved Saturday evening. It was then discovered most of the cash was gone.
