100 YEARS AGO, 1918

♦ The worst blizzard in years hit the state and blanketed it with up to eight inches of sleet and snow. Prof. E.E. Cordrey, local government observer, said thls braved the elements and appeared at the public school. Many Conway families were short of fuel. The snowfall in Conway measured a full eight inches. Only about one-fourth of the average number of pupiBusiness streets were almost deserted, and in most cases salespeople had nothing to do but stand around the stoves to try to stay warm.

♦ While trying to “spot” a car of coal on the side track at the municipal light and water plant, the car derailed and crashed into the northeast corner of the brick building, knocking a large hole in the wall. The damage, according to Superintendent E.V. Leverett, was $100. The large dynamo inside the building was not damaged.

75 YEARS AGO, 1943

♦ Riley Thompson “Uncle Tobe” Hankins, Faulkner County’s last surviving veteran of the Confederate army, passed away at the age of 94. In 1938, Mr. Hankins, along with two other veterans, J.S.L. Wright and G.W. Dalton, was a guest of the U.S. government at a blue/gray reunion at Gettysburg where an “eternal fire” was lighted.

♦ Dr. Nolen Irby, president of ASTC, announced the appointment of Jeff D. Farris, 42, one of the nation’s leading football officials, as director of physical education and coach at the college.

♦ Approximately 2,500 automobile and truck stickers had been issued in Faulkner County but there are several hundred that are still operating without 1943 licenses. The revenue office would be open again on Saturday to issue tags.

50 YEARS AGO, 1968

♦ Bob Green, who recently opened Bob’s Grill at 828 Chestnut, said he had sold 64-65 Restaurant to Mrs. Dorothy O’Bar. Green operated 64-65 for more than nine years. O’Bar owned the restaurant before–about 11 years ago. She was also a former owner/operator of the Southern Grill and Burks’ Steak House.

♦ Ernest Ruple of Conway, 245-pound tri-captain and all-Southwest Conference tackle with the University of Arkansas Razorbacks, was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers on the second round of the NFL-AFL draft. Ruple played with the West in the Shrine charity game, and in Mobile, Alabama, where he played with the South in the annual Senior Bowl.

♦ More than 6,000 automobile license tags had been issued for the year. The deadline for obtaining the 1968 tags without penalty was January 31 so the revenue office would be open on Saturday for those who had not purchased them yet.

25 YEARS AGO, 1993

♦ The top story for 1992 was the fire which destroyed the historic First Baptist Church sanctuary January 4, 1992. The building, on the National Register of Historic Places, had beautiful stained glass on each side of the sanctuary. The church’s cornerstone, found in the rubble, contained items from 1910, including a letter by Pastor Rev. John Hurt. The church planned to rebuild in 1993 and was holding services at Central Baptist Church in the interim. The new two-story 37,260 square-foot facility, which would include a worship center, educational space and fellowship and recreational space, was scheduled to open in September 1993.

♦ Bessie McFarland, Dorothy Mattison, Rose Woods and Dorthuelia Woods were pictured singing the school song of the former Pine Street School during the second annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Day. The celebration honored teachers of the former school and also included a display of memorabilia from the school which closed in 1970. The guest speaker was Joe Hill, director of the Arkansas Office on Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention, who attended the school.

10 YEARS AGO, 2008

♦ The top story for 2007 was the plane crash at the Conway Airport. The small Cessna Citation 500 jet crashed into the Brady home on Ingram Street on June 30 after it was unable to stop. The crash drew attention to the need to relocate the airport.

♦ Rep. Robbie Wills of Conway was elected to be speaker of Arkansas’ House for next year’s legislative session.

♦ The Conway City Council named the gazebo in Laurel Park’s Liberty Garden for Charlotte Nabholz in recognition for her work with Keep Faulkner County Beautiful.

♦ Nabholz Construction Company was named as construction manager/general contractor for the girls’ softball/boys’ baseball complex.

♦ A city council ordinance appropriated $40,000 and entered into a contract with the Downtown Partnership for streetscaping in downtown Conway.