12/28/1968 – The doors opened today at the Burger House, Kittanning’s newest restaurant at 107 Market Street. It is owned and operated by Beryl Calhoun, former Dayton dairyman who describes his business as a quick, short-order restaurant. Customers will be given a copy of the menu and they will mark what they want. It only has stools and seats 15.
12/28/1968 – A laborer for Ford City Borough will receive a $2.64-an-hour increase effective Jan. 1. Patrolmen with their $650-a-year salary hike through arbitration will receive $578.47-a-month. For overtime work, they will receive time-and-a-half and their hourly wage comes to $3.34-an-hour.
12/28/1968 – Kittanning High’s basketball team, trailing most of the way, rallied to outscore Dayton 20-11 in the fourth quarter in Dayton last night to edge the Lions 68-67.
12/28/1968 – Freeport merchant and civic leader Charles William Burford, 58, of Fourth Street, died at 5:30 ASM today at the Allegheny Valley Hospital, Natrona Heights, where he had been a patient since December 20. He owned the Ben Franklin Store in Freeport. He was a member of the Freeport United Methodist Church, Masonic Lodge, Coudersport Consistory, Syria Shrine of Pittsburgh. He served as a member of the interim board of the Freeport School District, serving as president for several terms over his 18 year tenure.
12/28/1963 – A confessed arsonist-murderer broke his back in a 12-foot leap from a catwalk in Clarion County Jail at 4PM yesterday while the sheriff and 14 inmates watched. Robert Kenneth Matson, 26, of Fisher, was in Clarion Jail awaiting preliminary hearing on charges of arson and murder.
12/28/1953 – Dr. W. Sherman Skinner of East Liberty Presbyterian Church will preach the sermon tomorrow night at ceremonies installing the Rev. Thomas Luce as pastor of Kittanning First Presbyterian Church.
12/28/1953 – Kittanning High School Alumni cagers came through with a 49-58 victory in the annual holiday game with Ford City High School Alumni. Sponsored by the Armstrong county Independent Basketball League, yesterday’s game was the eighth in a series of battles between graduates of the two schools.
12/28/1948 – Four district young men were killed at 4:30 PM in a head-on collision on Route 66, a mile south of Distant. The dead are William Colwell, 26, of New Bethlehem RD2; Ralph Shick, 23, of Hawthorn; Clyde Smith, 23, of Oak Ridge; and Wallace Miller, 26, of Oak Ridge.
12/28/1948 – At a reunion in Kittanning High School auditorium, former high school band members voiced their approval of a proposal to organize a community band of high school band alumni and other area musicians.
12/28/1943 – An aerial gunner, S-Sgt. Donald G. Toy, son of Mr. & Mrs. Raymond Toy of Walk Chalk is reported missing in action over Italy since November 26, it was disclosed in a War Department telegram received by family members.
12/28/1943 – The volume of mail handled at Kittanning Post Office during the current month has exceeded that of any other similar period in history. Cancellations exceeded the 300,000 mark shortly before Christmas. Before the end of the month, the total is expected to pass the 325,000 mark.
12/28/1938 – Signal honor was to be given Ford City High’s defending WPIAL champs when they show as the attraction in Farrell High’s dedication of its new gymnasium – one of the finest in Western Pennsylvania.
12/28/1933 – George W. Kepple, acting game protector of Armstrong County for more than a year, left Kittanning for Harrisburg, where he will take up new duties with the Game Commission.
12/28/1933 – Mrs. Carolyn Pence, 94, eldest resident of Madison Township and widow of John Pence, died at her Kellersburg home.
12/28/1928 – It was learned that the A&P Company has taken a five-year lease on a three-story brick building on Market Street, formerly occupied by the H. G. Luker Company.
12/28/1928 – William Schmitz, one of the best known residents of Ford City, died at his home on Seventh Street.