12/18/1968 – The bridge in Ford City on Route 128 was temporarily closed today after a vehicle struck the bridge and caused slight damage. The shut down was expected to be lifted tomorrow.
12/18/1968 – The influenza virus caused IUP to give Christmas holiday two days earlier. IUP President Dr. Willis E. Pratt announced the holiday would begin at noon today instead of close of classes on Friday. Also, Mrs. Cora Silvis, supervisor of Armsdale County Home in Rayburn Township announced today that because of the flu contagion, visitors at the home will be restricted to members of the families only. It was a precautionary measure upon the recommendation of Dr. C. B. Slease. Armstrong County Memorial Hospital also announced restrictions to visitation during this time.
12/18/1963 - Mrs. John P. Leech, 603 Ferne Dr., Kittanning, is the new president of the Mental Health Clinic of Armstrong Co.
12/18/1963 - Ford City- The highest rank in scouting was awarded to Donald Pepler at a Court of Honor held by Appleby Manor Troop 676, Boy Scouts of America, at Appleby Manor Memorial Presbyterian Church.
12/18/1958 - A Kittanning businessman said that shoppers never had it so good, and predicted a spurt of Christmas gift buying in the 5 days remaining before the holiday.
12/18/1958 - Ford City- Members of the Tri-Hi-Y of Ford City HS are conducting an annual clothing and toy collection. They will distribute the items to needy ones of the community.
12/18/1958 - New licenses for dogs are on sale at Armstrong Co. treasurer’s office according to the county treasurer, Fred A. McIlhinney.
12/18/1953 - Jefferson City, MO- Carl Austin Hall and Bonnie Brown Heady died in MO’s gas chamber for the kidnap-murder of 6 year old Bobby Greenlease, one of the most monstrous crimes in a generation.
12/18/1953 - Post office employees here were struggling thru stacks of letters and packages as the Christmas mailing season neared its peak.
12/18/1953 - Kittanning borough acquired 20,000 pounds of salt after a frantic search for cinders stacked up against a wall of progress. Cinders, for use in covering ice glazed streets, are not to be had since the complete dieselization of both PA and Pittsburgh and Shawmut Railways.
12/18/1948 - A 12 foot Christmas tree stands in the main corridor of Armstrong Co. courthouse.
12/18/1948 - A deer hunter was committed to Armstrong County Jail on a charge of killing a person.
12/18/1943 - Volume one, #1 of “Kittanning Hi Spots”, printed school paper, was distributed to Kittanning students before classes were dismissed for the Christmas holidays.
12/18/1943 - The Camp and Hospital Committee of Armstrong Co. Chapter American Red Cross, is in need of 4 phonographs in good playing condition for use at Camp Reynolds, Greenville.
12/18/1943 - Approximately 7.5 tons of old newspapers, magazine ones, and other waste paper were obtained during a paper collection drive held in Kittanning this week.
12/18/1940 – The first set of triplets born to a Ford City family took place today to Hubert and Vera (Best) Brandstetter. The proud parents named the triplets: Rosa Lee, Patricia Lee, and Sandra Lee. They were born at the Kittanning hospital.
12/18/1933 - Freeport- The first transatlantic telephone call to be put thru from this section of the Allegheny Valley was completed when an official one of Joseph S. Finch distillery at Schenley called a friend at a London hotel. The conversation, lasting for 22 minutes, is reported to have cost about $200.
12/18/1933 - An option to locate one of Armstrong Co.’s 4 liquor stores in the Keystone Building, N McKean St., has been approved by Harrisburg.
12/18/1933 - Funeral services for S.J. McMains, Leechburg postmaster, will be held at United Presbyterian Church in Leechburg.
12/18/1928 - Six hundred seventy-five students were absent from Kittanning schools today because of illness.
12/18/1928 - An epidemic of mild influenza is spreading here.
12/18/1928 - Mrs. J. Campbell McNutt, 40, died at her home near Centre Hill.