5 YEARS AGO (2018)

Two exciting weekend of horse racing ended on Sunday, August 12, with the final two races being the much-anticipated Oneida County Mixed Breed Derby and the Oneida County Futurity.

There was a lot of excitement in the stands on Sunday afternoon as the horses went to the paddock for Race 6. Without question the favorite for Malad fans for the Derby was a local horse, HR Captain Jack, owned by Mary Sue Thomas, ridden by Todd Thomas and trained by Jenifer Burleigh. It was not to be. Problems arose at the gate, with Captain Jack having to be loaded twice, and Todd said it all went downhill from there. Bettors are not the only ones gambling on the races – the owners, trainers and jockeys are also gambling that everything will go just right and their horse will come out on top. With a bad start, HR Captain Jack didn't come out on top in this race.

Despite his horse not taking the win, Todd Thomas, who was the Director of Racing for the Malad meet, said the two-weekend meet was a really great meet.

Daniels Classic Jackpot held for 2nd year. We had a great turnout for the second year. We had 25 beef participants, double from last year, and 45 sheep participants from all over Idaho and Utah. The jackpot provides youths and opportunity to have a practice show before their county and state fairs. With the PeeWee category, future showmen get a head start with livestock showing. All of the participants learn to work with their animals, other showmen, and the judge in an arena. Congratulations to all of the winners.

Local winners are the following:

• Sheep - Reserve Showman Cutler Sweeten; 2nd Place Senior Showman, Jaycee Sweeten; 1st place Quality Class One, Mesa Paskett.

• Beef - Grand Showman, Jack Trejo; Reserve Showman, Tayson Davis; 1st Place Intermediate Showman, Abby Rosenquist; PeeWee Showman Winner, Abbie Trejo; Grand Quality, Tayson Davis; 2nd Place Quality Class Three - Carter Smith.

10 YEARS AGO (2013)

Oneida County residents have watched with dismay as the fire that started on Thursday in Pocatello Valley moved north and east, coming over the West Mountains south of Malad and the Samaria mountains. The fire has been dubbed the “State Fire” and started Thursday evening by a lightning strike and has destroyed 10,500 acres in Pocatello Valley. 

The final Malad Area Chamber of Commerce Concert in the Park series will end on August 24, when Sam Payne, a talented folk singer and storyteller will perform at the Malad City Park. 

The children of Heber and Bonnie Bott are pleased to honor their parents on their 50th wedding anniversary at an open house. Heber and Bonnie were married on August 21, 1963. 

At a recent special meeting of the board, the Oneida School Trustees had the difficult task of choosing a new trustee for Zone 4 from among four very qualified candidates, Tim Willie, Colleen Montgomery, Christie Quirl and Irene Alder. After meeting with all candidates, Irene Alder was chosen unanimously by the board.

Pictured in The Idaho Enterprise are participants in the 2013 Style Review as they show off their sewing and crochet projects, and their ribbons for participation, at the conclusion of the Style Review at Malad Middle School on Monday night. Those modeling were Sheridan Brown, Meaghan Brown, Kristie Jensen, Marian Smith, Zylia Curry and Madilyn Smith. 

15 YEARS AGO (2008)

The Oneida County Library spent the summer working to “Catch the Reading Bug” this summer as they participated in one of two reading programs this year.  There were over 191 readers participating in the reading program. 

The last day of July saw Benjamin L. Thomas, flying high! That is, over the Malad Valley! For his 80th birthday, this former Malad resident was given a plane ride from his daughter, Diane Naylor, over the place that he still calls his ‘home town.’ Pilot and Malad resident, Scott Gunter, who graciously agreed to meet them at the Malad Airport, flew over the Valley, Devil’s Creek, the Malad Divide area, the Pumice mine and Samaria. The plane made a couple of passes over the 5-Points area, where Ben grew up and he got a bird’s eye view of his old homestead. 

The Oneida School District has three new faces greeting students as they return back to school next year. Jessi Larsen Bingham will be joining the staff at Malad high School as a math teacher. Angie Ihler will be teaching fourth grade this year at Malad Elementary and Lindsay Waldron will be joining the faculty at Malad Elementary as a second-grade teacher.

Robbie Dorius and Meagen Lish represented Malad High School at the Annual Hugh O’Brien Youth Leadership Convention (HOBY). The convention was held during the summer at Boise State University.

25 YEARS AGO (1998)

Local law enforcement is becoming increasingly concerned by an increase in domestic violence, now listed as the most frequent call for help at the Oneida Sheriff’s Office.

The Idaho Junior Rodeo Association wrapped up its season with an awards banquet. Those in the top ten who received honors were Alex Panting, John Flinders, Beau Smith, Lex Smith, Paige Yore, Sylvia Larkin, Meisha Weeks and Brody Weeks. Recipients received belt buckles and gift certificates good at any participating western store. 

The “Drive-In Movie” to be held at LeGrande Aqua Plunge is being planned for August 21. The movie, “Jaws” will be played and those attending can float on tubes in the pool, which can be rented from the pool. This will be the first time the LeGrande Aqua Plunge has held this event.

A real battle of horsepower will occur when the Malad High Football Team challenges the Big Horses to a tug-of-war at the Oneida County fairgrounds August 13. Teams of draft horses from the Utah Horse Pulling Association will challenge the local High School team showing which can pull the most weight.

35 YEARS AGO (1988)

With a heavy haze of smoke hanging over it, Malad Valley could easily have been mistaken for an embattled zone last week. Last week, local residents watched in disbelief as thick black clouds of smoke - the sure sign of a fire - came bellowing from the mountains, both west and north. The smoke was the result of two separate wildfires, the Metcalf and the Red Rock fires both started by lightning. That evening flames of the fires were clearly visible throughout the night. The fires burned 11,600 acres in a week’s time. 

Due to a strained 1988 budget, county commissioners have put a freeze on all unnecessary county spending from now until the end of the current fiscal year, which will end September 30. According to the outline, the freeze will not affect employees’ salaries or any current contracts or agreements that the county has entered into, but is aimed mainly at getting department heads to use wise judgments in miscellaneous office spending.

The Malad Americans captured the 1st place Trophy in the Malad Little League Tournament completed last weekend. Pictured in The Idaho Enterprise are Tyler Smith, Bryson Vaughan, Chad Blaisdell, Clint Bastian, Josh Atkinson, Jason Kimberling, Assistant Coach Mark Evans, Greg Elliott, Derk Williams, Heath Barber, Brandon Vaughan, Tyler Jones, Jason Peterson and Coach Craig Daniels.

Brandon Vaughan received a plaque of recognition for Most Valuable Player in the 12-year-old bracket.

45 YEARS AGO (1978)

Local grain elevator operators report that the winter wheat harvest is less than pleasing in Oneida this year. One operator said that yield is above average in parts of the county with 30-40 bushels per acre while some areas are only harvesting about 10.

Malad High School Counselor Bill Mikesell report that a high percentage of the graduating class of 1978 is college bound this fall. Most of the students chose an avenue of further education before the end of the past school year.

Malad was fourth over-all in the Jim Bridger competition and had individual championships in wood chopping and spoon relay.

The home run fence is again erected in anticipation of the sixteen Little League teams that arrived for the 20th Annual Malad Little League Tournament. Pictured in The Idaho Enterprise is Coach Clyde Ahlquist while Earl Hess, chairman of the grounds committee, looks on and Craig Daniels, tournament director; doing what he does best – giving orders. Others helping out with various projects at the field were Todd Forbush, Sheldon Jensen, Gary Woodmancy and Albert Ekstrom.

Members of the Bronco Busters 4-H horse club participated in the Franklin County invitational horse show on August 10th. Tracey Davis, Heidi Broadhead, Ann Marie and Cherie Weeks attended. Heidi finished 7th in the fitting and showing; Ann 2nd and Cherie 5th in the trail class competition and Cherie received 7th place in western equitation division.

55 YEARS AGO (1968)

Fifty-nine members of the Malad High School graduating class of 1968 are planning to enroll in schools of higher learning this fall, according to Mrs. Elvene Haws, school secretary.

Sp/4 Duwyane B. John recently received the Purple Heart and Bronze Star for bravery in action while serving with the U.S. Army in Vietnam. 

William W. Luedtke, Jr. reported to Lackland Air Force Base, Texas for duty after enlisting in the Air Force. He is a 1968 graduate of Malad High School.

The American Legion Auxiliary, Department of Idaho has awarded honorable mention to Judy Benson, Malad Junior High School student, for her entry in the annual Americanism Essay contest. 

Threatening skies failed to dampen the enthusiasm of Little Leaguers nor limit the crowd of parents and fans attending the opening games in the 10th annual Malad Invitational Tournament.

60 YEARS AGO (1963)

Calling all single women, statistics show that the number of single men in Oneida County far exceeds the number of unmarried gals. The findings are based on the latest marital figures gathered from all parts of the country by the Department of Commerce. The reports indicate that the male-female ratio varies considerably from region to region. They show that the number of single men and boys in Oneida County over the age of 14 amounts to 326 while the number of single women and girls in that age bracket is only 209.

Randy Isaacson, David Hill, Roger Williams and Don Buehler, officers from the Malad Chapter of Future Farmers of America, were in attendance at a district organization meeting held at the Montpelier High School. Chapter advisor Lloyd Sorenson accompanied them.

Pictured in The Idaho Enterprise are crushing, screening and sizing equipment at the Oneida Pumice pit where an average of 35 train cars per month are shipped to Utah markets for use in manufacture of building-blocks. The pumice deposit is leased by Marion J. Hess of the South Idaho Construction Co. from Guy Thomas of Brigham City. Six to eight men are employed in ripping out the pumice with D8 Cats, readying it for shipment and trucking it to the Union Pacific depot at Malad. In addition to the shipped by rail from the Salt Lake City and Ogden areas, a large quantity of the pumice is also being moved by trucks to Utah points south of SLC, Mr. Hess reports.

70 YEARS AGO (1953)

Joseph W. Lindsay and Robert Lee Jones left last week for U.S. Army camps to receive basic training after being inducted at Fort Douglas. The two filled Oneida County’s selective service quota for August.

The Federal Communications Commission has announced its proposal to authorize a new “compatible” color system, which can be received in black and white on existing TV sets. 

We’re going to have a neighbor visit us for two or three months this summer and fall. He isn’t a very close neighbor, but he is here on a good-will mission. Rauf Haseski of Silivri, Istanbul, Turkey is an International Farm Youth Exchangee. He will live with us pretty much as a member of the family. Rauf will make his home with Robert James at St. John for the first few weeks. 

75 YEARS AGO (1948)

The Malad boxers, managed by Cleon Williams, will compete against fighters of the Salt Lake City Rotary Club Friday night at Garland. The one-minute, three round bouts will begin at 8:30 in the city park and are a feature of the Garland Wheat-Beet Days celebration. Malad mittmen who will participate on Friday are Freddy Reynolds, Lynn Stayner, Dean Clark, Dean Harrison, DeForest Tovey, Don Williams, Monte Thomas, Earl Kern, Stanley Price and Robert Smith.

Miss Norma Hilma Johnson of Pocatello became the bride of George A. Palmer, in a double ring ceremony at the Logan L.D.S. Temple with Elder Archie D. Egbert officiating.

Recent Births – Buehler – Mr. and Mrs. Charles, a son, August 5; Williams – Mr. and Mrs. Jack, a son, August 6; Price – Mr. and Mrs. William, a son, August 8.

85 YEARS AGO (1938)

L.M. Camp of St. John has been informed that his son, Marne, 20, has won appointment from the ranks of the Army to the Cadet Corps in the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y.

A recent letter from Larry Owens received by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. William Owens, tells of his trip aboard the vacation ship of President Roosevelt. Larry reports that they recently crossed the equator, and as this was his first trip across he had to undergo the initiation given all sailors on this event Larry also reports that the President recently landed a 140 lb. shark.

90 YEARS AGO (1933)

Miss Emogene Rose of Malad, who is now employed at Tremonton, was selected “Miss Tremonton of 1933” at a dance held there last week. 

Roland W. Williams of Malad was selected as “Best All-Around Athlete” at the Citizens Military Training Camp at Salt Lake City.

A unique record in vital statistics was made in Oneida County in July. There were 11 births in the county in that month and all were boys, according to Dr. J. M. Kerns, county registrar. There were four deaths in the county in July, all males.

95 YEARS AGO (1928)

A deal was closed Wednesday whereby Fred Murray becomes the owner of the cigar and confectionery store of A. W. Jensen.