70 years ago
A 70-year-old Susanville city treasurer, a resident of the Honey Lake Valley for the past 48 years, was found dead in his city hall office as mill whistles sounded the noon hour, apparently the victim of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. A .38 caliber Colt revolver belonging to the Susanville Police Department, which had been kept in the office’s vault for emergency purposes, was found next to the body.

The treasurer, apparently distraught over his failing health, had spent the morning checking, balancing and closing his books for March and preparing them for his successor only he knew was to be named.

45 years ago
Students of Richmond School attended classes for the last time in the historic old school building. When students returned from Easter Break, they were to meet in the modern, new school which had just been completed northeast of the old site.

30 years ago
In its final report issued to the Lassen County Board of Supervisors, Rothrock International, a San Francisco consulting company, recommended that Lassen Memorial Hospital be sold to a non-profit or for-profit organization and suggested $8.8 million in renovations and a new skilled nursing facility. The final report said the county should not provide hospital care “because of the commitment necessary for its successful operation during the coming decade.”

25 years ago
A large sign pointing the way to Doyle was approved by the Lassen County Planning Commission. A use permit for the sign had been submitted by a Standish area resident who said the sign would advertise Doyle businesses on one side and a Herlong Junction on the other.

The sign was to be eight by 20 feet and located at the southern intersection on Riverview Drive and U.S. Highway 395 in Doyle.
One resident in the area who protested the sign said the sign would be “unsightly” and was afraid it would devalue property in the area.

20 years ago
Final plans are being wrapped up for the community-wide troop support and welcoming home parade and picnic at Memorial Park.

The focus of the event is demonstrating continued support for the troops who remain in the Middle East and honoring returned veterans, not only of conflict in the Persian Gulf, but also from other wars, such as Korea and Vietnam.

15 years ago
Susanville’s new mayor is an automobile service manager serving his second term on the city council. The other council members unanimously elected Doug Sayers as mayor and Vern Templeton as Mayor Pro tem.

10 years ago
Plans for a power-generating turbine in the new water pipeline from Cady Springs caught the interest of the federal official who gave Susanville’s mayor a $1.7 million check for the project last week.

Five years ago
At the end of February, the family of Steven W. Robinson filed a $10 million claim against the city of Susanville its police department and Officer Matt Wood.

The City Council rejected the claim in its entirety at its Wednesday, April 6 meeting without discussion and as part of the consent agenda.

Last year
A fire in the laundry room of the Lassen County Jail forced evacuations across the complex around noon on Tuesday, March 23.
According to Lassen County Undersheriff Jon Mineau, the fire originated in the laundry room of the jail. The build up of smoke caused a mandatory evacuation of most of the building, from employees and sheriff’s officers to county inmates. A primary evacuation funneled many of the inmates out into the exercise yard in the back of the building, while a partial evacuation of the county inmates flushed them out into a separate outdoor area as well.

Mineau said it was Lt. Mike Bollinger stepped up and took action to knock the fire out. Using only a fire extinguisher, Mineau said Bollinger inhaled a lot of smoke as he made his way into the laundry room and contained the fire to the interior of one dryer. Mineau said Bollinger was OK after the incident. Sheriff Steve Warren said no one was injured during the fire, and it was a pile of clothes in the dryer that had caught fire.