Lee Geissel, postmaster of the Umatilla Post Office, looks over a history book that was the inspiration for a new mural for the post office in 1995.

25 YEARS AGO

April 11, 1995

A Savannah, Tenn., truck driver was robbed at gunpoint Sunday afternoon west of downtown Hermiston.

Three juvenile males, one armed with a semiautomatic handgun, took $193 from Michael Earl King, 40.

The unidentified suspects are still at large, said Hermiston Police Sgt. Michael Marcum.

King, hauling electrical transformers, told police he stopped near the railroad crossing on West Main Street to ask for directions to Pacific Power when the three juveniles accosted him.

Marcum said one pointed what may have been an Olympic Arms .223 caliber semiautomatic pistol — “a little bigger than an Uzi,” he said — between King’s eyes and demanded money.

King surrendered all the cash he had on his person, he said. The suspects demanded more, but King told them that was all he had. The suspects then fled.

50 YEARS AGO

April 9, 1970

The Port of Umatilla Commission was told at its regular meeting Monday that an Idaho food processing firm was interested in an industrial site, possibly at the McNary Industrial Park.

Port Manager Walt Peters said the Idaho food processing firm, which he would not name, was interested in establishing a $1-5 million dehydrated potato processing plant.

Peters said the plant would require about 70 acres of land with rail and storage facilities. Operating about 11 months of the year, the plant would employ mostly women. The number of employees was not revealed.

2) The new president of the Hermiston Chamber of Commerce is Harmon Springer of the radio station KOHU. He and other officers were elected at Monday night’s meeting of the organization.

Others elected for the coming year were Roger Bounds, vice president; and Chuck Rohrman and F.K. “Woody” Starrett, directors.

75 YEARS AGO

April 12, 1945

Frank P. Sargent has received an official “go ahead” signal for a new post office in Hermiston and expects to begin construction as soon as the building lots can be cleared.

The new structure will be located just east of the Oasis Theater and west from the city property on Main Street. Mr. Sargent states that he has received priorities for building material as well as a signed lease from the U.S. government.

2) Plans for the collection of clothing for victims of war torn countries have been completed with definite arrangements to be announced next week.

Members of the local American Legion post, under the leadership of Commander F.B. Belt, have pledged their support and are making plans for a concentrated drive.

It is urged that residents begin collecting all usable clothing which is not needed.

Whenever possible, all necessary sewing should be done at home but where mothers are at war work or for some others this work can not be done, members of the Red Cross sewing unit have offered their services. This type of clothing may be left at the USO club where members of the sewer group will repair as much of the clothing as possible.

100 YEARS AGO

April 10, 1920

Ole Jacobson, who was recently tried on a statutory crime against his own sister-in-law, after pleading guilty received a sentence of eight years in the state prison. Shortly after sentence was passed a petition was circulated in this city, where Jacobson lived with his family, praying for his release on parole.

While this received many signatures, there were numerous who refused to sign it on the grounds that the man should receive punishment for his crime and for the further reason that were he paroled now it would establish a bad precedent.

As a result of this sentiment, a petition of remonstrance against granting a parole to Jacobson was circulated this week, and this also received a large number of signers. Both petitions have been sent to Judge G.W. Phelps at Pendleton.