The Tooele Transcript Bulletin has published Tooele County news since 1894. Here is a flashback of local front-page news from 25, 50, 75 and 100 years ago that occurred during the second week of May.
May 12-14, 1992
An Oregon woman was sentenced to serve two 1-15 year terms in prison and pay two fines of $10,000 each for causing seven deaths on Memorial Day 1991 in a drunken driving episode on Interstate 80 in Tooele County.
She pleaded guilty to two counts of automobile homicide. In exchange for the guilty pleas, five identical counts were dismissed by the state.
The charges stemmed from a crash on I-80 when the woman’s eastbound car struck another vehicle going westbound.
Five Japanese natives and two of the defendant’s own children died in the crash. Police reports indicated the defendant’s blood-alcohol content at the time was .23 percent — nearly three times the legal limit of .08 percent.
Later in the week, the front page included a story about the start of radon testing in Tooele County schools.
Myron Bateman and Jeff Coombs of the local health department started hanging radon detectors in classrooms at Harris Elementary. Other detectors were planned for Tooele and Grantsville high schools and the county’s elementary schools.
It was not known how much radon was emitted in Tooele County or where precautions should be taken to prevent health problems.
“Radon comes from radioactive decay of radium 226. It’s found in all soils,” Bateman said. “As the radium breaks down into daughter cells, it releases energy that can cause damage to the lungs.”
May 9-11, 1967
Three new coaches were selected to lead teams at Tooele High School.
Newell J. Sorenson was named head football coach to replace Dean Stringham.
Gary Gardner from Box Elder High School would replace Gary Hale as the head basketball coach and Dave Faddis became the new baseball coach.
Sorenson was a native of Bancroft, Idaho and played football at Utah State University.
Gardner graduated from Davis High School. He received a master’s degree from Brigham Young University, and helped as an assistant basketball coach the school.
Faddis had coached championship boys baseball teams in the Tooele Babe Ruth program, and had been an assistant with the THS football program.
Later in the week, the front page announced that children could get measle shots in Tooele and Wendover.
County health nurse Leoa Long stated that the shots would be given only one day and one time, and she urged all parents to bring their children in to be immunized.
A charge of 50 cents would be made for each child immunized.
The Tooele County campaign was part of a 60-clinic statewide effort in which approximately 56,000 youngsters would be vaccinated. The Utah Department of Health sponsored the vaccinations.
May 12-15, 1942
A letter from a doctor appeared on the front page.
He said an appeal had been ignored for the people of Tooele to loan their camp cots and old blankets to the City Emergency Relieve, which was set up for the duration of World War II.
“Although there is, on conservative estimate, 500 of these cots available based on the number of deer hunters, the only one willing to comply was a little boy who wanted to donate his camping outfit to the cause,” the doctor wrote.
“Now, if the people of Tooele are this indifferent, they will have to expect the same indifference in time of disaster if they are injured.”
Later in the week, the front page announced that bids on the Tooele Valley U.S. Army Ordinance Depot would be opened on May 25.
It was anticipated that construction would start on June 1, and the number of people working on the project would increase to nearly 6,000 during the building period.
Temporary headquarters for construction had been completed during the week. The headquarters would be occupied as soon as furnishings arrived.
Also, about 24,000 acres of land in Rush Valley would be used to build a chemical warfare depot, according to reports.
May 11, 1917
The front page announced that schools are speeding up work to supply fliers for the new army.
Uncle Sam’s new army must have the best aviators in the world, a story said. That was the order from Washington, D.C. and schools from throughout the country were trying to carry it out.
New planes were also needed. There were many obstacles and discouragements, with fast planes almost non-existent on this side of the Atlantic, the report said. A high standard of construction had already been reached, however. It showed vast improvements on the quality of planes.
Staff Writer Mark Watson compiled this report.