10-20-40-100 YEARS AGO
100 YEARS AGO....
A resident of the Liberty community was shot to death of the streets of Lexington. A deputy sheriff turned himself in to the town constable as a result of the shooting. Both men were in town for a hearing in which the victim had been accused of disturbing public worship.
The State of Texas issued a warning to Rockdale that its water supply was contaminated with sewage and was unfit to drink without boiling. City Public Health Officer Dr. R. W. Wallis warned residents to “keep their privies clean” and promised inspections.
Assistant Postmaster Joe Shapard returned to his job from service in France. The Reporter reported: “He has settled down to licking postage stamps instead of Germans.”
Street Sprinkler T. E. Wilson said he would not sprinkle past Aug. 13 unless he received more money. “What I am getting will not feed my team,” he said.
FORTY YEARS AGO....
The “buzz” in Rockdale about Milam County’s bid to become the site for a billion dollar synthetic fuel plant. The Department of Energy issued a statement saying it had not targeted any counties as possible locations.
A 17-year-old Rockdale High School senior drowned in a stock tank near his home off US 79.
A 50-year-old Lexington man was killed when the mobile home he was leveling slipped off its blocks and crushed him to death.
Milam County Commissioners tabled a request to endorse a proposed US 79 bypass of Rockdale after noting several calls had been received expressing concern over the idea.
TWENTY YEARS AGO....
Rockdale water rates were headed up as the city faced having to relocate water lines in advance of a major state project to widen and renovate US 79.
Rockdale Police Chief Tim Smith said his department was going to crack down on student driving during lunch hour at Rockdale High School with two to four officers instructed to patrol the area and “write tickets.”
County commissioners promised more funding for cities dealing with rural ambulance runs after the mayors of Rockdale and Cameron met with them to request assistance.
A “bumper crop” of 44 freshmen pushed the number of Tiger football hopefuls to 113 and Head Coach Casey Creghan said several “late arrivals” were anticipated.
TEN YEARS AGO....
It was a once-in-a-lifetime back to school for the Rockdale ISD which was opening a brand new campus. Rockdale’s first ever intermediate school was to open on a new site west of town.
The Rockdale City Council appointed four members to the brand new Rockdale Municipal Development District (MDD) board. The first directors were chosen from a field of 17 candidates. Voters had recently approved creation of the MDD.
Alcoa recalled 40 workers for potroom maintenance at the shut-down smelter but said all would return to layoff status once the project was complete.
Police were warning renters of local storage facilities to check the locks on their buildings after someone snipped off a lock and took contents from the facility. Similar incidents were happening in Cameron.
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