Back in the Day: May 30, 2018
10 YEARS AGO
June 3, 2008
Assistant Attorney General Patrick Fitzgerald prosecuted Sonny and Natasha Halimi, owners of Sonny’s I-57 Sports bar, Amishland Buffet, and Four Seasons Family Restaurant. They were charged by the Department of Labor for violating the Minimum Wage Law.
Tuscola 1 baseball team went on the road for three straight games. They won all three games against St. Joe, Philo, and Sidney.
The Tuscola Warriors’ baseball team ended the season with the fourth place State trophy. The State tournament ended for them with losses to Marissa and Putnam County. Still, they ended the season on a high note of being the first TCHS baseball team to make it to State. Seniors on the team who finished up the season and their high school baseball careers with a record of 28-9 under coach Ryan Tabeling were Josh Nichols, Shaheen Shabrou, Tyler Sapp, John Wienke, Clayton Meyer and Dane Winn.
20 YEARS AGO
June 2, 1998
82 seniors celebrated their official graduation from TCHS. Valedictorians were Becky Wetzel, Dusty Burk, Stephanie Reinhart, and Bryan Lake.
The annual beautification project along Main Street consisted of the planting of Petunias. Volunteers for the project were Mary Kay Kalmar, Eugene Randolph, Mary Bissey, Sarah Lawrence, Sarah Holmes, Barb Kleiss, Noel Shoemaker, and Cindy Little.
Children’s book author Jim Aylesworth visited students at North Ward. Aylesworth presented excerpts from his 25 books and 25-year teaching career.
East Prairie students competed in the regional and state Illinois History Competition in Springfield. They earned 10 superior and two excellent ratings in the regional contest. In the state contest, they received two superior and eight excellent ratings.
Tuscola boys’ track team place 13th in the Illinois High School State Track & Field meet. They walked away with 5 All American State performers and 13 points. Robert Hanners placed highest with a fourth-place finish in the 1600-meter run.
30 YEARS AGO
May 31, 1988
Phil Beachy received the Tuscola Rotary Paul Harris Fellow Award. A 1987 recipient William McCarty presented Beachy with the award.
Africanized bees known as “killer bees” were moving north from South America at a rate of 300 miles per year. The bees were on a path toward Mexico and North American, killing thousands of people and animals in their path. Scientists set out thousands of traps in attempt to stop the migration. It was estimated that if they were not eliminated, they would reach North America as early as 1989.
Four Tuscola students showed their projects at a national history competition in Washington, D.C. Competitors were Dean Mann, Darren Stenger, John Mann, and Rob Hardwick.
The East Prairie Hornets track team broke school records at state. Jeff Hettinger broke the school record in discus with a throw of 126 feet 6 inches. Tina Rogers set a new school record with her time of 1:06.04 in the 400. Rogers, Shelby Best, Kendra Blaudow, and Jamey Russell finished the 4×200 relay with a new school record of 1:54.20.
40 YEARS AGO
June 1, 1978
Emma Rahn received the National School Choral Award for being the most outstanding vocalist at TCHS. Rahn was a very active soloist in the community.
The TCHS Class of ’78 reported the highest percentage of college bound students in the area. Of the 75 seniors who completed their surveys, 55 were planning to attend college.
TCHS seniors who finished their high school career as honor students were Betsy Beltz, Chris Hance, Kathy Ring, Anita Wilhelm, Cindy Boerngen, Warren Gillenwater, Roger Gallion, Cathy Murray, Jim Gallagher, and Dick Gallagher.
The Warriors baseball team beat Atwood-Hammond 15-3. The victory squared the Warriors record 1-1.
Randy Hastings placed at the Annual Area Best track meet held at Millikin. Hastings ran the 440 with a personal best time of 51.7 and took sixth place in the event.
50 YEARS AGO
May 30, 1968
The “Pie in the Eye” fundraiser was held for the Tuscola Youth Center. Glen Smith got a pie in the face from Pat Galey, and spectators paid $1 to watch. Mrs. Galey offered Smith $10 to not retaliate. Darrell Ford was also the victim of the gooey cream pie at the hand of Orville Frye.
A wage strike delayed the progress on East Prairie, and it appeared it would not be open for the 1968-69 school year. The wage strike by all crafts lasted seven business days.
Flooding was near record in Tuscola. The high-water mark was only 3 inches shy of reaching the record set in 1950.
Tuscola High School seniors John Cox and Jack Holden were honored at a Rotary Club meeting for being straight “A” students. They also received merit certificates acknowledging their records.
Forty-one athletes received track letters at TCHS. The graduating seniors who earned records were Tim Hoel, Bill Leonard, Tim McGuire, Mat Morey, and Alex Tingley.