90 Years Ago
Selma Youth Passes Away
Gurney Enos Akers, son of Mr. and Mrs. N.B. Akers of Selma, died Tuesday evening in the C&O Hospital, where he had been a patient for a week.
He was 17 years old.
When he was taken sick it was thought that he had influenza.
Later in the hospital, his disease was pronounced as typhoid fever.
Hemorrhages hastened his death, which came as a shock to his many friends and cast a gloom over the entire community.
Due to a nervous breakdown several years ago of the mother of this young man, his father had acted as both mother and father to the family, and he was ably assisted by the deceased.
The funeral services will be held in the Methodist church, of which he was a member, Thursday evening, being conducted by the Rev. W.B. Reynolds.
Interment will be in the Sharon Church Cemetery.
75 Years Ago
Courtney Cook Catches Snake In Rabbit Trap
A bright-eyed young man, age 11, came into The Virginian front office this morning and asked, “Can you take a picture of this?”
“This” was in a paper bag and was pretty heavy.
He held it up for somebody to take, but something warned everybody and he finally dumped his paper bag out on the floor of the entrance.
“This” turned out to be a huge snake, thoroughly dead, as the youngster assured the squealing girls, but a fearsome sight just the same.
The boy was Courtney Wayne Cook, son of Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Cook of Beech Street.
Courtney said he had found the snake, which he said was a pine snake, in his rabbit trap in their garden near the circus grounds early this morning.
Dan Ailstock was with him at the time.
“When I opened the trap, this thing came out after me just a-flyin’,” said Courtney.
He killed the snake with a brick and a stick he was carrying.
The snake measured 54½ inches.
Incidentally, Courtney doesn’t have any rabbit traps anymore.
His daddy decided rabbit-trapping was a dangerous business.
50 Years Ago
CFPD Raid Nets Drugs
A police raid and search at the Stonewall Theatre in Clifton Forge last Saturday resulted in confiscation of a “significant quantity” of “highly dangerous” drugs and the arrest of the theatre’s assistant manager on two felony drug charges, it was disclosed today.
Christopher Terrell, commonwealth’s attorney of Clifton Forge, explained that information on the raid was held back by authorities until now pending preliminary analysis of the substances seized.
Terrell said that he prepared the necessary search warrant and affidavit on the basis of information received by the Clifton Forge Police Department.
Later he prepared the arrest warrants.
The raid itself was led by Sgt. Dorsey Huffman and Sgt. Bill McDaniel of the Clifton Forge police at about 5 p.m. Saturday.
The drugs were found concealed under a carpet in the upper part of the theatre in an area closed to the public.
25 Years Ago
Covington BPW Holds Regular Monthly Meeting
The Covington Business and Professional Women’s Club met during National Business Women’s Week for their regular October meeting.
The membership committee was in charge and potential new members were invited to the dinner meeting.
Carolyn Earehart was presented the Community Woman of the Year Award.
10 Years Ago
Structure Fire Quickly Contained
A Thursday evening fire inflicted minor damage to a Clifton Forge residence.
The fire, reported at approximately 4 p.m., occurred at the residence of Joe Wood on Forest Hill.
Damage was confined to one room of the home, according to the Clifton Forge Fire Department.
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