Back in the Day 5-13-20
10 years ago
May 19, 2010
The top 10 seniors in the 2010 graduating class included Chris Adams, Taylor Turner, Caleb Wakefield, Liz Bosch, Brooke Harris, and valedictorians Jessica Bosch, Matt Pflum, Miriam Romine, Dylan Walker, and Cassie Grimm.
The TCHS Drama Club celebrated the end of the year with pizza and awards. Cassie Grimm, Katie Haake, Becky Hemmer, Anthony Morrison, and Rachael Sapp were honored as Thespians; Cassie Grimm and Rachael Sapp were presented with Leadership Awards; Dylan Walker won the award for Breakout Performance; and Brett Clifton was awarded Most Improved.
East Prairie declared May 14 as “Wear Purple for Jessica Kittle Day” and East Prairie students wore their finest purple to show support to fifth grader Jessica Kittle, who was suffering from a brain aneurysm.
The Warrior baseball team traveled to Busch Stadium on May 13 to battle against the Unity Rockets following a Cardinals-Astros game. The tribe fell to the Rockets 8-3, but deemed it “an experience that will last a lifetime.”
20 years ago
May 16, 2000
Pamida opened the doors to its new Tuscola location at 700 Progress Boulevard on May 12.
Villa Grove native Marjorie McCown, a costume designer by profession, recently published her first book–a murder myster entitled “Death By Design.”
The Prairielands Council of Boy Scouts of America recently announced it would be naming its new council service center after Tuscola attorney and longtime Scouting volunteer Raymond Lee, who passed away last June.
Senior Warrior ball players taking part in the final home game of their careers were baseball team members Doug Opperman, Dan Bridge, and Brad Hornaday; and softball players Ashley Rahn, Amy Hettinger, and Crystal Obrecht.
Tuscola High School would be represented at the state track meet by six Lady Warrior track and field athletes. Jenna Wienke would be competing in the shot put and discus; Kacey O’Brien in the discus; Aja Kohlbecker in the 400, long jump, and 4×4 relay; and Brittany Alexander, Janeen Sutherland, and Cara Chaplin in the 4×4 relay.
30 years ago
May 15, 1990
A proposed golf course west of Tuscola’s new sewer treatment plant drew criticism at a recent council meeting. Tuscola residents expressed concern over the $2.7 million cost of the course and if or how much city money would be used to pay for it.
During recent ceremonies in Springfield, Sgt. Phil Fancher was promoted to the rank of master sergeant with the Illinois State Police.
The Tuscola Lady Warriors finished eighth out of 17 teams at the Tuscola Sectional May 11 but won the 1600-meter relay in dramatic fashion with a season best 4:17.9 clocking. That foursome of Marcy McCartney, Kendra Blaudow, Shelby Best, and Chris Rogers would be state bound, as would Emily Smith in the discus.
Tuscola student Brian Hatfield was making Parkland College his choice for continuing his academic and basketball career.
40 years ago
May 13, 1980
An Amtrak passenger train carrying 216 passengers jumped the track at Galton while slowing down to make a switch onto another set of tracks. Two passengers were taken to Jarman Hospital with minor injuries. A facility junction “frog” was thought to have caused the derailment.
Bill Rogers was the speaker for Memorial Day ceremonies being held in Tuscola Township Cemetery on May 26, 1980.
Colby Decker set a TCHS record in the discus to highlight the Warriors’ performance Friday night at the Unity Invitational track meet. Decker’s throw of 167-4.5 broke the old mark set in 1969 by George Leonard. Greg Campbell was second in the shot put with a distance of 49-4.
A pair of TCHS juniors, Jill Scott and Kathy Dukeman, qualified from the girls track team for state meet competition. Scott equaled her best effort of 5-2 in the high jump to place second in the district meet, while Dukeman also came in second in the 3200 run with a time of 13:17.6.
50 years ago
May 21, 1970
Tuscola city council deliberated for approximately two hours for approximately two hours in a special session before approving $271,347 for the next fiscal year.
Nineteen-year-old Army staff sergeant Billy R. Smart of Atwood recently received the Purple Heart for wounds received while in action near Lon Binh, Vietnam.
Betty Grable was starring in “Born Yesterday” at the Little Theater on the Square in Sullivan.
Members of the Hornet seventh-grade relay team that won at the county meet included Dan Kleiss, Craig Hastings, Mike Bowles, and Danny Borries.