Remember When

In an 1892 article about a local swindler who was tricking people into buying expensive picture frames with their enlarged prints, it was stated most of the victims were women, “their being, as a rule, more gullible than a man.”

An explosion occurred in a local mine when a shot was fired while gas was in the shaft.

The explosion sent a huge puff of smoke in the air as survivors clambered for the surface. Of the 350 men in the mine, no estimates were available on the number of survivors.

70 years ago

A well-attended meeting of the Law and Order Division, Lassen County Civilian Court of Defense, formulated plans in the event of power blackout or other war-related emergency.

The plan called for Susanville to be divided into eight districts, each with a captain and police to guard the section.

30 years ago

Two Susanville residents were sentenced and another was awaiting trial on charges of smuggling cocaine into Hawaii, according to the U.S. Attorney.

The pair was convicted as being part of an organized effort to smuggle the largest amount of cocaine ever seized in Hawaii.

25 years ago

The California Department of Transportation announced a “lights on” daytime stretch of Highway 395 would go into effect next week, following a request by the city of Susanville and Lassen County.

15 years ago

At the height of last week’s flood on Thursday, Jan. 2, roads were blocked and stores were closed as Piute Creek and Susan River roared.

Homes in the 1300 block of North Street were under three feet of water and Susanville Supermarket closed until water in the parking lot was pumped out.

10 years ago

At the evening session of the Jan. 3 public meeting, Lassen Municipal Utility District President Marino “Buzz” Giannotti announced the LMUD directors would not vote to raise the rates more than one-and-one-half times as expected at the conclusion of the hearing.

Instead, Giannotti told the standing-room-only crowd that the public hearing will reconvene after the state legislature has an opportunity to respond to the statewide crisis in electrical states.

Five years ago

With flood damage already pegged at more than $10 million, the Lassen County Board of Supervisors ratified the local disaster emergency Assistant Director of Emergency Services Chip Jackson declared Saturday, Dec. 31.

At a special meeting Thursday, Jan. 5, the board voted unanimously to forward a copy of the declaration to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

On Jan. 3, Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in 16 counties, including Lassen and Plumas.

Jackson told the board the city of Susanville suffered more than $7 million in flood damages.

County roads suffered almost $2 million in damages.

Jackson said County Agriculture Commissioner Ken Smith’s conservative estimate pegs crop damage at $500,000.

Last year

A Thursday evening crash of a private plane near Chester, Calif. has claimed two lives.

The crashed plane was identified as a Beach Craft Twin V owned by Ronald Gilmore, of Chester. Gilmore, 76, has been positively identified as one of the victims in the crash. The second victim has been tentatively identified as his wife, Janet Gilmore.

At approximately 6:49 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 6, the Plumas County Sheriff’s Office received several 911 calls reporting a possible airplane in distress near or at the Chester Airport. Plumas County Sheriff’s deputies, the Chester Fire Department and the California Highway Patrol were dispatched to the area.

At approximately 7:25 p.m., units from the Chester Fire Department located the downed plane approximately one-quarter mile southwest of the airport. Upon further investigation, the two bodies were discovered in the plane, and Plumas County Sheriff’s deputies and Chester Fire Department personnel removed the bodies.

Frank B. Dursoe, secretary of the Chico Chamber of Commerce, has been in Susanville in the interest of building a road connecting with the Susanville-Red Bluff lateral of the state highway system to Chester.

The proposed road will be built through Deer Creek pass. The usual claim that it will be open year ‘round was made. Butte County proposed to finance the building of the road and the Forestry Department will be asked to appropriate funds as well.

E.J. Beebe, who was sent to state prison for life for a murder in Modoc County and was pardoned by Gov. Markham, was passing through Bieber on his way home. Beebe, 77, convinced the governor that his brother was the only one guilty of the crime.