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Loading...The Tooele Transcript Bulletin has published Tooele County news since 1894. Here is a flashback of local front-page news from 25, 50, 75 and 100 years ago that occurred during the first week of January.
Dec. 31,1996-Jan. 2 1997
High-level radioactive nuclear waste could be on its way to Tooele County’s Skull Valley if the Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved the Goshute Tribe’s plan to construct a storage complex for spent fuel rods.
Leon Bear, Tribal Council Chairman for the Skull Valley Goshutes, said the tribe had signed a resolution to go forward with the application process to construct the storage facility.
“There will be about 20 to 30 permanent jobs, as well as contracting jobs, when they start building the facility,” Bear said.
Later in the week, Tooele County officials were worried about the effects of a scandal involving the owner of a low-level radioactive nuclear waste disposal facility at Clive and a former state employee.
The controversy centered around Koshrow Semnani, owner of Envirocare — a low-level nuclear hazardous waste disposal facility in the West Desert near Clive — and Larry F. Anderson, former director of the Bureau of Radiation.
The controversy centered around payments mad eby Semnani to Anderson, while he was still employed by the state.
Jan. 4-7, 1972
Rail traffic resumed at noon on Dec. 31, 1971 on the Western Pacific Rail Line through Tooele County after a 25-car derailment on Dec. 29 tore up nearly a mile of track near Timpie Point, about seven miles west of Burmester.
Fifteen of the cars were empty, but four others were loaded with 200 tons of defused bombs. An Army spokesman emphasized that the bombs, 500 pound “blockbusters” posed no threat. The danger of their detonating, even under the force of derailment, was negligible.
Later in the week, Tooele High School was set to begin league play in basketball. The school grappled with the question: How can the atmosphere that follows athletic events, particularly basketball games, be improved.
Concern for the safety of both players and spectators had led school officials to schedule Tooele’s first league basketball game for Friday at 3 p.m.
Officials at the school also issued a plea for community support to improve a situation which had deteriorated over several seasons.
Dec. 31, 1946- Jan. 3, 1947
Drilling had been completed on Tooele City’s new well with bedrock struck at 452 feet. The first water was encountered at 358 feet, and the well was sunk almost another 100 feet through water-bearing gravel.
Every indication pointed to a capacity flow coming from the 10-inch pipe. Once the pumps were installed, which the city was in the process of purchasing.
April 1 should see the well ready for test and operation, said City Manager Dale James.
Later in the week, new faces would be sworn in on the Tooele County roster of officials as they administer the oath of office at the County Courthouse, on Monday, Jan. 6.
Merlin M. Johnson, of Clover, would be sworn in as a four-year commissioner. James Williams of Grantsville would be sworn in as a two-year commissioner. Charles Hymas would be sworn in as sheriff.
Frank Frailey would receive the oath of office as Justice of the Peace.
Dec. 30, 1921
Tooele City’s departing mayor and some department members of the city council made monumental achievements during their recent terms in office. Achievements included a new fire department, opening a swimming pool and introducing a new accounting system.
The fire department, the swimming pool and the new business system of books introduced into the city’s accounting department, will all live as monuments to the present mayor and city council, whose term of office expires next Tuesday.
As time goes on each citizen who occupied any or all of these three improvements will have to acknowledge the wisdom and conservative progressive spirit that moved our city fathers to push these necessary improvements to a successful installment.
