120 years ago   

On a recent trip down the river, Henry Cain caught 32 bullheads large enough to count and some that weren’t. Cain is the champion.   

Register Dixon and Walter Smith went out to Indian Creek and caught a big lot of trout. Dixon said he caught so many he got tired of counting. Sounds like an awfully old story for such a young fisherman!

Two San Francisco restaurant owners were in town to inspect their recent purchase of the old George Wingfield Ranch, a showplace on Richmond Road nine miles southeast of Susanville.   

The two businessmen were making a survey for recommendation for improvement and beautification of the 13-room mansion sitting on a terraced lawn overlooking the Honey Lake Valley in the sweep of the mountains surrounding it. It was the hope of the partners to turn the Wingfield Ranch into one of the most attractive properties in the west.
    
45 years ago   

An area consisting of the Susanville business district from Pine Street, Cottage Street, Inspiration, Inspiration Point and Mill Street was plunged in to darkness when an oil circuit breaker switch at the Susan substation of the California Pacific Utilities Company blew up and caught fire, destroying the switch, fuse and fuse holders on the 60,000 volt incoming transmission lines and several other fuses relating electric controls of the oil circuit breakers in the substation. Service was restored to two of the areas in about two hours.

30 years ago   

Fiscal restraint and cutting of services were the elements that came out of Susanville and Lassen County budget sessions as each moved into the final planning stages for the 1980-81 year. The city deleted about $59,000 from its proposed budget while the county goal was between $80,000 and $1.5 million.

25 years ago   

The combined efforts of 20 firefighters, five airplanes, two helicopters, 27 fire trucks and six bulldozers contained a 2,440-acre fire in eight hours in the Bass Hill region. The fire originated near Highway 395 eight miles south of Susanville. A California Department of Forestry spokesman said the major problem in fighting the fire was high winds. He said containment could not have been achieved so quickly without the “joint efforts of all crews working together.”

20 years ago   

Searing temperatures which caused massive thunderheads to form late each afternoon created a nightmare situation for firefighters in Lassen County last week. Lightning strikes began Aug. 6 and firefighters were dispatched to approximately 170 fires or reported fires. Officials considered evacuating Ravendale twice, Highway 395 was closed for a time and high winds Aug. 7 knocked out power in Susanville. That same night, Susanville firefighters battled two blazes which destroyed houses.

10 years ago   

The Eagle Lake Interagency Board of Directors found out more than they probably wanted to know regarding the famed Eagle Lake trout at the board’s first and last meeting of the year, Wednesday, Aug. 3.   

Department of Fish and Game biologist Paul Chappell reported that an unknown problem has continued to plague the rainbow trout in recent years.

Five years ago   

The 12-member Lassen County Grand Jury released its final report for 2003-2004 giving up 13 of its 70 pages to the complaints and allegations made in regards to the Lassen County Child and Protective Services.   

Generally, the report is favorable to most agencies it investigated. However, it did recommend a Federal Grand Jury be convened to investigate all allegations of wrongdoing by CPS.   

It also said now that the new director and new deputy director “have knowledge of what is wrong and how to fix it, the Grand Jury feels this is the best and last chance Lassen County has to fix the problem.”

Last year   

Due to continuous contamination of the green waste piles, the Lassen Regional Solid Waste Management Authority has suspended the collection of green waste items at the Herlong and Westwood transfer stations.    

According to authority manager Tom Valentino, staff is trying to figure out ways to accommodate green waste disposal in Herlong. But in the meantime, customers are asked to take their green waste to the Bass Hill Landfill. Westwood residents have been asked to take their green waste to Mt. Lassen Power.    

The decision was made after a July 8 inspection of the stockpiles at both the Westwood and Herlong transfer stations.    

Valentino said it was a difficult decision to discontinue services, but the decision was made due to the expense and staff time required to manage the piles and the fact that contamination of the piles wouldn’t allow for them to be burned or ground.    

The authority has offered green waste collection at no charge at four authority facilities including the Bass Hill Landfill and the Herlong, Spalding and Westwood transfer stations.