100 YEARS AGO
Opening bids for the construction of the city sewage disposal plant, by city council Tuesday night developed the fact that Thomas & Ratliff , well-known contractor of Rogers, were the lowest bidders. Their bid was $22,860 and they will no doubt be awarded the contract, but the matter was held in abeyance for a few days, when it developed that the proposed site of the plant had not been deeded to the city.
Beginning last Friday afternoon Rockdale and surrounding country was visited by a slow drizzling rain which continued throughout Saturday. Farmers interviewed since report plenty of rain to make farming operations possible, although no stock water yet put out. Plowing will now proceed with a rush as farmers generally were all behind with their breaking and listing.
O.C. Haworth, farm agent of the S.A.&A.P. Railway, was in Rockdale last Friday and presented to our people a proposition looking to the growing of cucumber by Rockdale farmers on a commercial scale. County Agent Banzhaf was over from Cameron at the same time and endorsed the plan. Mr. Haworth stated that a Houston pickle factory had agreed to buy all the cucumbers grown and that they would sign contracts with the farmers to that effect. the “cukes” are to be in three grades and will being as high as $3 per bushel.
As appreciation of the splendid service rendered the Rockdale State Bank during the past year by T.B. Ryan, that young man was on Tuesday elected to the position of assistant cashier by the directors in their annual election of officers. Mr. Ryan has been with the bank only one year but has demonstrated unusual ability and is recognized as one of the fastest and most accurate bookkeepers any bank has ever had in Rockdale. All old officers were re-elected.
40 YEARS AGO
A 33-year-old Rockdale man is dead and a fellow employee of Alcoa’s Rockdale Works has been charged with murder after a shooting incident Tuesday in the parking lot outside of the Alcoa potrooms. Luther Ray Alexander was shot twice in the chest with a .38-caliber pistol during the 4 p.m. shift change according to Deputy Sheriff Thomas Harris. Charged with murder is Billy Bob Farr, 58, also of Rockdale. “It looks like a dispute over money was probably the cause,” Harris said.
20 YEARS AGO
Milam County players of the Texas Lottery placed bets to the tune of over $7 million in 2004, according to figures released by the Texas Lottery Commission requested by The Reporter. This year’s spending marked an increase of over 13.3%, or more than $800,000, over the 2023 lottery sum. That could be because of more choice of games, including Texas entering the Mega Millions super lottery.
10 YEARS AGO
Seemed like it took a long time to happen, but during the past week Rockdale dipped below the $2 level for a gallon of regular gas, joining much of the rest of Texas. On Jan. 7 the first local station began selling below the $2 plateau and by the start of last weekend all eight gas sellers who offer self service along US 79 were “in the ones.” Texas gas stations are selling at an average of $1.22 per gallon below last January. Remember summer, 2008? Gas was $3.98 and $3.99 here.
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