Editor’s note — We’re continuing our tradition of taking a look back each Saturday at some of the important, interesting or even odd events as they were reported during the same week throughout the years, along with interesting advertising features from years gone by.
This week in 1964, The News-Herald reported that a forage institute was planned to be held at the 4-H Building at the county fairgrounds, where programs with a dairy specialist, an agronomist, an agricultural engineer and a farm management specialist were scheduled.
Everett Rheinscheld, park manager, revealed that more than one million people had visited Rocky Fork Lake during the 1963 season, specifically 1,117,392 people, which was a “substantial” increase compared to the prior year when it was “900,000-plus.”
The Hillsboro Post Office and postmaster Lyman Wise reported that the volume of mail was comparatively similar to the prior year’s volume of mail, with the peak of the three-week Christmas mail season being about one week before the holiday and then falling off after.
A John Deere Day was scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 7 at Hillsboro High School where the new models of the 1964 suite of John Deere farm equipment would be shown off, including the new tractors, combines, pickers, Gyramors, spreaders and other miscellaneous equipment.
The Highland County Board of Education announced that it planned to merge three existing county school districts into one which was to be called Highland Local School District. Those three merged districts were Brushcreek, High Ridge and Lynchburg-Clay.
Jack Kerns, 37, and then chief of police in Leesburg for seven years, announced his candidacy to be nominated for the office of Highland County sheriff in the primary on May 5, with Kerns being a Democrat.
John Henry Brown and William Carlus Barrett, both from Hillsboro, were given the designation of Knight of the York Cross of Honour, which was reported to be the highest in the York Rite of Freemasonry and only given to people that have held the highest office in each of the four bodies of the rite.
In sports, the Hillsboro High School varsity basketball squad was preparing to take on the Washington Court House Blue Lions, with the Hillsboro team holding a poor record on the season despite guard Tom Townsend averaging 22.5 points per game.
Chakere’s Colony Theatre in Hillsboro advertised “Fun in Acapulco,” directed by Richard Thorpe and starring Elvis Presley, Ursula Andress and Elsa Cardenas.
The Hillsboro Dry Goods Store, located on East Main Street in Hillsboro, advertised multiple products including solid corduroys for 88 cents, “higher-priced” purses for $2.50 and six 15-inch by 17-inch Herringbone absorbent dish towels for 90 cents.
This week in 1998, The Times-Gazette reported that Jana Hess, then Highland County Beef Queen from Sardinia, was scheduled to travel to the OCA Convention to compete against the other 29 county beef queens for the 1998 Ohio Beef Queen title.
Susan Rinehart, extension agent for 4-H youth development for Hocking County and originally a Hillsboro native, was awarded the 1997 Chalers Life Award by David Andrews, Ohio’s State 4-H leader.
Tyler Barker, 11, won $890 in prizes thanks to succeeding in the Pizza Hut Halfcourt Shootout at a basketball game at Hillsboro High School, winning him one free pizza from Pizza Hut every week for a whole year and 10 movie passes to Star Cinemas.
The Hillsboro City Schools Board of Education unanimously voted down a motion for split sessions, with Darrell Wilson, a new board member, saying that canceling the sessions told the public that the move meant the board had faith a new school would be built.
The New York Mets announced the release of pitcher Joe Crawford, a former Hillsboro High School star, to allow him to pursue his want to sign with the Chiba Lotte Marines in the Japanese Baseball League.
Southern State Community College announced that it is rethinking its daycare center, with the college reporting a net loss of $25,000 in the 1996-97 school year for the childcare center with two quarters still remaining.
In sports, the Hillsboro High School varsity girls’ basketball team lost to Loveland by a score of 58-39 thanks to an overwhelming disappointing final quarter where Hillsboro was outscored 22-7.
Star Cinemas, located at 211 Harry Sauner Rd. in Hillsboro, advertised multiple films including “Titanic,” directed by James Cameron and starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, and “Tomorrow Never Dies,” starring Pierce Brosnan and Michelle Yeoh.
Reach Jacob Clary at 937-402-2570.
