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Editor’s Note: In honor of its 140th anniversary, The SNAP will offer a glimpse at events of 40 years ago and beyond.

Friday, Aug. 1, 1980

Bills Reflect New Rates

Albemarle’s water and sewer rates went up July 31 for all levels of users.

The rate schedule meant approximately 30 percent increases for most users, but some were said to go as high as 40 percent.

An average home owner using 800 cubic feet of water per month would see his bill rise from $9.49 to $12.60, according to City Manager Jack Neel.

Unemployment Falls

The unemployment rate for June was 6.6 percent, according to Curtis Mitchell, office manager of the North Carolina Employment Security Commission.

While this was much higher than the usual Stanly rate, it was still below the 7.4 percent rate reported for the state in June.

The impact of the recession was felt in textiles and furniture, Mitchell said. This area had both industries and there were layoffs and plants operating on short time.

Population Goes Up

Chris Crawley, son of Mr. and Mrs. William P. Crawley Jr. of New London, and his mare named Cricket, both 12 years old, won first place honors during the North Carolina 4-H Horse Show cutting horse class competition July 27 in Latimore.

This was their first state championship in the competition. Chris had previously shown 4-H calves at the State Fair.

Friday, July 30, 1965

New Sanctuary

The new sanctuary of Friendship Methodist Church at Plyler was to be dedicated during morning worship on Aug. 1.

Bishop Earl G. Hunt Jr., of Charlotte, who presided over the Western North Carolina Conference, The Methodist Church, would deliver the dedicatory sermon.

Playground

Wiscassett Mills Company had agreed to lease to the City of Albemarle for $1 per year a tract containing 2.83 acres, fronting on North Fourth Street, for use as a neighborhood playground.

The tract was located in the block between Cannon Avenue and Webb Street and was well-shaded by a number of large oaks.

Groceries

Grocery prices had skyrocketed during the past five months.

A check on the News and Press “Market Basket” showed that a representative grocery basket which cost $12.44 last March would cost $14.26 this week.

The July 1965 market basket price was by far the highest since the paper had been keeping a record. It had started in 1956 at just a little over $10 and as recently as 1961 could still be bought for less than $11.

Aug. 1, 1950

Draft

The Stanly County draft call for August had suddenly tripled in 1950. The original call had indicated some 38 men would be called for examination. The Korean situation had brought about the dramatic increase with some 108 asked for by Selective Service.

It had been thought that the call for 38 men would constitute a heavy drain on unmarried men aged 19-26. The new call gave local people good insight as to the urgency of the Korean situation.

Tuesday, Aug. 5, 1980

Heat

July was the hottest month Stanly experienced since July 1977, and only four months in the last 27 years had averaged higher temperatures.

The mercury averaged a tropical 79.9 degrees in July.

The July 1977 average, highest recorded since the newspaper has been keeping records, was 81.5. Other high temperatures were: July 1966, 80.4; August 1968, 80.1; and July 1955, 80.5.

Game

Endy Luncheonette defeated Building Mart 16 to 8 in the City Softball League Tournament finals.

Tuesday, Aug. 3, 1965

Training

An Industrial Cooperative Training Program was to be instituted at Albemarle Senior High School. It would be coordinated by E.L. Freeman, who was moving to Albemarle after four years as industrial arts teacher at Mocksville.

The program would afford industrial training for students on a basis similar to the work of the distributive education program which had been operating connection with businesses in the community for several years.

The students enrolled in this program would spend the morning each school day in classroom work at the school. In the afternoon they would do actual work in local industrial plants, working about 20-25 hours per week.

Miss Stanly

Eleven ladies, including a set of twins, would compete for the title of Miss Stanly County on Aug. 28.

They were Rita Karen Almond, Donna Jeannine Austin, twins Brenda Kay and Linda Fay Austin, Jane Anita Cashion, Lana Sharon Drake, Jean Bradford Hathcock, Pamera Denise Hudson, Linda Diane Morton, DiAnn Osborne and Grace Teresa Stiller.

Cool

The month of July 1965 had gone into the records as one of the coolest and wettest ever experienced in Albemarle for the time of year.

July was cooler, on average, than May or June. The average temperature for the month was 70.83 degrees, with the temperature only hitting 90 degrees once.

The official weather station record 9.57 inches of rain, which brought the total for the year to 35.68. Of this amount, 21.28 inches had fallen in the last two months, making the summer one of the wettest on record.