120 years ago   

The shearers have finished their work at McCoy Flat, and some 8,000 to 10,000 sheep have yielded up their fleece.   

From Sept. 6 through Sept. 22 roundtrip tickets from Reno to Sacramento will be sold in Reno for $9.40, to encourage residents to attend the Sacramento Fair. The tickets will be void after Sept. 23.

70 years ago   

In a spirited but friendly contest, Tro Emerson, recently appointed supervisor to succeed James Leavitt, who resigned, was elected at the primary to represent the second supervisorial district to succeed himself. In like manner, Bill Tunison, of Westwood, was re-elected by another large vote. Tunison and Gerig ran unopposed.

45 years ago   

A U.S. District Court judge dismissed a murder charge against a Susanville man who admitted killing another man at Sierra Ordinance Depot in 1961 because the victim, a foreman at the time, had put a “hex on him.”   

Following the murder, the suspect told the police that he kept hearing voodoo drums that told him to kill the foreman. In Nov. 1961 the suspect was ruled insane at the time of slaying.

30 years ago   

The Lassen County Board of Supervisors heard several proposals for obtaining funds to support the development of a countywide house number system. It was reported to the board that the lack of a system created problems for emergency services and the post office. Some suggestions included a 25-cent per household fee to be approved by the voters, taking money for the county’s general fund or using part of the county subsidy normally given to schools.

25 years ago   

The Department of Fish and Game was to begin examination of management options for a major Lassen County deer herd in the wake of the Aug. 7, fire in the Bass Hill Wildfire Area. Coming on the heels of high plains fires earlier in the summer and several major burns the year before, the Bass Hill fire may have set the stage for serious damage to the remaining habitat by foraging deer that use the area as a critical winter feeding ground.

10 years ago   

After five long days of testimony from 26 witnesses, it took a Lassen County Special Grand Jury only 25 minutes Friday morning to unanimously decide there was no reason to file criminal charges against law enforcement officers involved in a Jan. 14 raid on a Main Street residence in Susanville.   

According to a prepared statement, the Special Grand Jury of 19 men and women wrote, “It is the opinion of the Special Grand Jury that all law enforcement personnel involved in the incident at 1409 Main St. on Jan. 14, 2000, acted in full compliance with the law and with a high degree of professionalism.”

Five years ago  

A Lassen County resident has tested positive for West Nile Virus, the county health department confirmed on Friday, Aug. 20.   

A news release issued on Friday said the Health Department received on Thursday, Aug. 19 a report from the state laboratory in Richmond of the positive test result.   

“This is the first identified case of human infection in our local area,” the news release said. “Also a report was received on Aug. 20 that a house finch collected in Herlong and a red-tail hawk picked up in Wendel have tested positive for WNV.”

Last year   

The Hat Creek Complex of fires caused by lightning on Saturday, Aug. 1 is now completely contained, thanks to the efforts of numerous firefighters and fire suppression personnel.   

While a portion of the Pacific Crest Trail in the Lassen National Forest was still closed as of Friday, Aug. 14, all other evacuations have been lifted and the roads are back open.    

Information provided by the U.S. Forest Service has given final tallies on the damage and cost caused by the lightning-based complex.    

The complex totaled 37 fires, three of them large multi-acre fires and 34 of them smaller acre fires.