12/18/1969 – If it’s not one thing, it’s another. Today the James Arthur Ashe (Kittanning) post of Veterans of Foreign Wars reported the theft of the American flag which has been flying day and night from a staff in front of the post home, S. Water St. near Market, here.
12/18/1969 – Kittanning council voted to not increase taxes. It approved keeping the millage rate at 21 mills due to decreasing expenditures from $451,213 to $432,068.
12/18/1969 – Armstrong county Redevelopment Authority was awarded a $1,258,801 federal grant to proceed with urban renewal in the area of the Armstrong County memorial Hospital. Local and state governments will pick up the remaining amount to finance the $1.5 million project.
12/18/1969 – Photo: Sorry, Mister, but you can’t eat at this table, says cook-waitress Mary Rumbarger at Alexander Hotel, Market St., here, as she guards Christmas greetings left at hotel’s Red Carpet Room by student diners from Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s Armstrong County Center here on eve of their departure for winter holidays. Students used pennies to spell out table-top greetings, complete with not-pictured Christmas tree, to their favorite waitress. “When I saw it, the tears came,” said Mary.
12/18/1969 – State Police are investigating the theft of two strings of Christmas lights taken from trees in the Michael LaFisca yard at Worthington RD2.
12/18/1969 – Hunters making headlines for bagging their doe included: John Luketich, 13, of Cowansville RD1; David Ferraino, 12, (son for former residents of Kittanning Mr. & Mrs. Pete Ferraino); and David Brumbaugh, 12, from Ford City.
12/18/1964 – Freeport: first Sgt. Elizabeth J. Burns has completed 16 years service with the Air Force. She is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Clair Burns, 6th St. here and stationed at Fort McCellan, Ala.
12/18/1964 – A mortgage burning service will be conducted Sunday at Sagamore Wesleyan Methodist church.
12/18/1959 – United fund leaders have appealed to volunteer workers to complete their solicitations and make their final reports to the UF office. At present the total pledges are $84,662.
12/18/1959 – Ford City High School students enjoyed a Christmas dinner at the school cafeteria as 1,009 serving of turkey and trimmings were consumed.
12/18/1959 – Forty-five girls received certificates for completing a Baby sitting Course given at Armstrong County YMCA here.
12/18/1954 – Glassers Impressive in 51-50 Victory over a Tough New Castle Five Forders Have Little Difficulty With Previously Unbeaten Section III Powerhouse.
12/18/1954 – Nearly 200 Kittanning High School students will participate in the 10th annual candlelight Christmas program at the school.
12/18/1954 – A Rayburn Township school official said today classes probably will resume next week in Spaces School on Anderson Creek Road. The school was closed when a water pump failed.
12/18/1940 – The first set of triplets born to a Ford City family took place today to Hubert & Vera (Best) Brandstetter. The proud parents named the triplets: Rosa Lee, Patricia Lee, and Sandra Lee. They were born at the Kittanning hospital.
12/18/1944 – according to a telegram received from the War Department by Mr. and Mrs. Charles Huth of Freeport, their son, Pfc. Charles Huth Jr., 20, has been missing in action since Nov. 19. He had been serving with Gen. Patton’s Army on the German front.
12/18/1944 – the jingle of sleigh bells attracted much attention as a caravan of five horse-drawn sleighs traversed streets of Kittanning, causing many older residents to reminisce of the old days.
12/18/1939 – Ford City: Here’s a hint as to what it costs those European nations to maintain large armored forces for a war of nerves. Members of Company C here receive $758.38 pay for their seven days of special winter training completed recently.
12/18/1939 – Six persons suffered lacerations and bruises and two cars were heavily damaged in the second major traffic accident to occur on the Kittanning-Ford City road within a 24-hour period. Police have preferred drunken driving charges against two drivers as a result of the crashes.
12/18/1934 - Crushed while at work in No. 6 plant at the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Co. factory at Ford City, Mike Varholla, 39 year old glass worker, died at Armstrong County Memorial Hospital.
12/18/1934 - The Rev. Alfric J. R. Goldsmith, Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh missionary in Armstrong County for the past 16 years, has been retired from active service. Fr. Goldsmith had charge of St. Mary’s Church, Red Bank; St. Andrew’s Mission, Cadogan’ St. Thomas Mission, Upper Furnace Run and an unorganized mission at Chickasaw.
12/18/1929 - Downtown Kittanning received a thrill this morning as word ran along the streets that Jack Dempsey and Estelle Taylor, his wife, were in town. The report had it that a large car bearing a Michigan license and occupied by Dempsey and his motion picture star wife had stopped in town to ask directions to Cleveland.
BIBLE MEDITATION – And this is His commandment, That we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another. – I John 3:23. This is a commandment that should not be hard to obey, and it pays big dividends.