E-mail from Cheryl

Facts from the past gleaned from the Moses Lake Herald, Columbia Basin Herald and The Neppel Record by Cheryl (Driggs) Elkins:

Citizen’s band radios were used by many Columbia Basin citizens, and people around the world, in 1976. Thefts of the radios were on the rise. Note the ad to the left about securing the radios, to prevent them from disappearing. Read on.

From the CBH on Sept. 24, 1976:

CB thefts on increase

The FBI believes thefts of citizen band radios may have been largely responsible for the overall increase in serious crime shown in its latest report.

The report released Thursday showed decreases in all types of serious crime during the first half of 1976, as compared with the first half of 1975, except for an 11 percent increase in larcenies and thefts.

A spokesman said the FBI has not conducted a survey to pinpoint the cause of the larceny-theft increase, but believes CB thefts are a significant problem for law enforcement. In the east, west, north and south, everywhere the crime problem involves the CB radios.

The FBI cannot measure the impact to CB thefts until it completes a year-end report giving a breakdown on the types of larcenies and thefts involved.

No ’77 crops set-aside plan

Secretary of Agriculture Earl L. Butz Monday announced there will be no cropland set-aside in 1977. This decision followed the conclusion of a two-day meeting on Friday, Sept. 17 of the National Advisory Committees on grains and cotton.

Secretary Butz said the decision for continued unrestricted production is based on the continuing strong export demand for grain particularly for livestock feeding, soybeans and cotton.

Races slated

The Foreign Stock Association of the Northwest has chosen the Ephrata Speedway as the location of its Northwest Season Championship Race to be run Saturday.

Time trails will begin at 7 p.m. and racing will start at 8 with a full schedule of racing in each class.

From the Columbia Basin Herald on July 10, 1952:

Lunsford wins A-Main event in stock races

Les Lunsford (98) of Ephrata took the A-main event in Sunday’s stock car races on the Legion Speedway, before a fair sized crowd that stayed in their own cars to get out of the dust.

Digger O’Dell (88) came in second followed by Histon Robinson (19) of Quincy, Roy Fuller (8) of Moses Lake and Louie Vitolo (77) of Soap Lake.

A Soap Lake man, Chuck Frazer, took the B-main, with only four cars running, following by Jack Sitton of Wilbur.

Best time was Curt Elshire’s, followed by Buzz Reed and Wayne Gardner. Eishire took the trophy dash to add to his points. Heat winners were Harold Chapman, Vitolo and O’Dell. The track was fast, smoother than before, with more work promised before the July 20 race. The Columbia Basin Stock Car Racing Association plans races here every other Sunday for the rest of the summer.