May 2, 1974
The Oregon State Health Division may likely force the annexation of Foster-Midway into Sweet Home due to existing conditions that are dangerous to public health from failing septic systems. While Sweet Home voters in 1972 approved the annexation, F-M voters did not.
Junior high students are growing a dye garden to color fabrics and textiles. Zinnias, onions, marigolds, snapdragons, blackberry leaves and a mixture of wildflowers will be used in the project. Art teacher Penny Nix wants to use the plants to learn to dye fabric like the Native Americans did.
Pauline Darling found a little Scotty dog named “Teddy” running in and out of Thriftway. She was upset to find the police department and city hall unwilling to call the county clerk’s office to help identify the owner of the dog. The librarian, however, made the call for Darling, and Teddy was returned to his owner on River Road.
City Manager David Crutcher was afraid standards and goals proposed by the Oregon Law Enforcement Council would make local police a thing of the past. The standards and goals, he said, impose an extreme hardship on small cities because it would be too costly to administer.
May 5, 1999
High School students were evacuated after officials took precautions to search for explosive devices. Walter Forsberg, 82, of Foster, was taken into protective custody after warning school officials that explosives were hidden at the east and west entrances of the building. He said he had psychic abilities and could search out the devices using a divining rod-like process. Forsberg led authorities to a locker and a backpack where he believed there were bombs, but none were found. In the past he offered to help police find bodies and narcotics within a person’s body.
Engineers estimate the cost to restore Sankey Pond will be $307,723 after finding Sankey Dam would need to be expanded with eight sluice gates with hydraulic controls. The dam, originally using pressure-treated boards, caused water to back up and flow over the high school fields onto Long Street and 15th Avenue, so the boards were removed.