Nov. 22, 1973
The Sweet Home Junior Women’s Club is sponsoring a “Community Conservation of Energy Awareness Program” that will include a contest between area businesses and industries for conservation of electrical energy and a series of coffee hours to teach residents how to conserve energy in the home. The two firms that reduce the most electrical consumption in December will be awarded advertising spots by The New Era and KFIR.
With the rapid advancement of space-age technology, TOMCO recently began operation of a computerized small log mill. As logs enter the mill on a conveyor system, the diameter will be measured by a scanner and a computer will determine the optimal passage of the log through the battery of saws and chippers. The system allows TOMCO to produce a maximum amount of finished lumber for a minimum amount of wastage. David Horner of TOMCO said the new process will be 20-25% more efficient, but efficiency rates may even range as high as 70%.
Plans to convert a portion of Sunnyside School (owned by the Army Corps of Engineers) into a museum appear possible after the East Linn Museum Society received word the Corps is “enthused” with the idea.
A petition with 1,353 signatures from the Foster-Midway area was submitted to the County requesting a county service district be formed for sewage and drainage in the alleged health hazard area of Foster-Midway. Members of Foster-Midway Independent Association oppose the state legislation that would force the city into annexation of the area after a public hearing declared the zone a health hazard due to failing septic tanks and inadequate drainage.
Nov. 25, 1998
Smurfit Newsprint Corp. pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Water Act when more than 1,500 gallons of “whitewater” was discharged into Cotton Creek at the Sweet Home plant in 1995. The Smurfit president said the plant was changing its paper-making process at the time and the plant got into the position of spilling about two gallons a minute through a drain in the floor. The nontoxic discharge contained fiber, resin, glue and wax.
Vapor levels from a petroleum product in the Main Street sewer system spiked sharply over the weekend after they had settled to zero earlier in the week. The fire department saw levels spike and drop throughout the day, going from as low as 6% to as high as 30% and sometimes even 108%. City staff ventilated the system through manholes. A gas station was found to be a likely source, and it is investigating the direct cause.
Huskian Reporter Shane Emmert explained there should be no cause for concern about Y2K because “the computer world figured out their mistake” in 1995 and have already fixed the problem. Those who are afraid computers will think ’00 means 1900 expect 85% of the population to be affected because the concern lies also with VCRs, pacemakers and cars. NASA is considering changing defense satellites’ dates back a few thousand weeks to fool the computers until a solution can be found, and airlines may stay grounded at the turn of the new year. “And Macs are all safe too, or so they say.”