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Remember When for Oct. 5, 2017

10 years ago (2007)
•After three days of hearing testimony for the 2001 Carrie Nelson murder case, a grand jury on Friday indicted Randy Lee Royal Swaney for seven counts of murder.
Rock County grand jurors found probable cause to indict 36-year-old Swaney on murder in the first degree involving kidnapping, murder in the first degree involving premeditation, murder in the first degree involving aggravated robbery, and four counts of murder in the second degree for Nelson’s death.
Nelson, a 1999 Luverne High School graduate, was murdered at age 20 while working in the Blue Mounds State Park office on May 20, 2001.
 
25 years ago (1992)
•Charlotte M. Hirsch, Mitchell, S.D., was charged Sept. 21 with 25 counts of check forgery, totaling at least $114,000 over a four-year period.
The charges carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in jail, $20,000 or both.
According to the complaint filed by the County Attorney’s Office, Hirsch is accused of forging checks from an account belonging to Hub Voss, Magnolia.
On July 29, Voss and his son Lloyd Voss reported that a “great many” of Voss’s checks had been forged by his housekeeper, Hirsch, according to the complaint. They reported Hirsch has stolen checks from Voss, written them to herself and forged his name.
 
50 years ago (1967)
•The mock disturbance staged by Company A National Guardsmen and a platoon of Guardsmen from Fairmont was a “riot” Sunday.
The exercise went according to plan — at least the rioters’ plan — but the disturbance was quelled by Company A with the aid of the police and firemen.
A simulated disturbance broke out near Herman Motor Co. which was quieted quickly by Guardsmen. The Fairmont “insurgents” then regrouped near the Chicago & North Western depot. Police were harassed with balloon water bombs and firecrackers.
Police “arrested” two men, one for throwing firecrackers and another for disturbing the peace. Both later removed the pins on the door of the room they were confined in and escaped. 
 
75 years ago (1942)
•Postmaster Jacob Ohlsen urges all who intend to mail Christmas cards or parcels to the armed forces abroad to begin mailing by the first of October as the deadline for this mail is November 1st. Patrons are advised to endorse each parcel, “Christmas Parcel.”
In view of the urgent need for shipping space Christmas parcels must not exceed 11 pounds in weight or 18 inches in length or 42 inches in length and girth combined. Nevertheless the public is advised by the War and Navy Departments to cooperate by voluntarily restricting the size of parcels to that of an ordinary shoe box and the weight up to six pounds. These departments have pointed out that members of the armed forces are amply provided with food  and clothing. Not more than one parcel should be mailed in any one week by the same person or concern to or for the same addresses.
 
100 years ago (1917)
•The Rock County Chapter of the American Red Cross this week shipped to northwestern headquarters at Minneapolis five boxes of articles made by the members of the Chapter for relief work. The boxes contained 57 bed shirts, 43 pairs of pajamas, 144 slings, 48 shoulder wraps, 16 pairs of bed socks, 23 wash cloths, 25 sheets, 65 pillow cases, 52 sweaters, 65 scarfs, 45 pairs of wristlets, 15 pairs of woolen socks, 34 dozen single compresses, 20 dozen double compresses, 5 dozen gauze rolls, 2 dozen small rolls, 10 dozen small sponges, and 4 dozen large sponges.
The chapter has been experiencing considerable trouble in securing material, especially yarns for knitting work, but according to word received Wednesday a part of this trouble is to be eliminated. A report from headquarters stated that a large supply of yarn had been secured and would immediately be apportioned among the chapters. It is not probable that a sufficient supply will be sent for all articles requested of the local Chapter, but a further shipment is promised. This will be the welcome news to the hundreds of willing workers in the county who have anxiously been waiting for materials.

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