Other days

100 YEARS AGO Sept. 25, 1920

TEXARKANA — George M. White and Adelaide White of Shreveport have filed suit in the Miller County Circuit Court against the Farmers’ Producing Oil Company for $27,000 for damages alleged to have been sustained by plaintiffs by reason of a breach of contract by defendant. The plaintiffs say they had a contract to build an oil refinery in Texarkana for the defendant, and had about half completed it when the defendants decided to call the contract off and not complete the refinery. Plaintiffs claim they were paid only $16,000 by defendants while they had paid out a total of about $24,000 for work and material.

50 YEARS AGO Sept. 25, 1970

■ Enactment of a tax on soft drinks “for the purpose of education” was recommended Thursday by a subcommittee of the Legislative Advisory Committee on Tax Reform. The miscellaneous tax subcommittee — with only seven of its 20 members present — also recommended four other tax proposals. However, since 11 members are required for subcommittee approval of “major recommendations,” James McClain, a Legislative Council staff assistant, said that the proposals would probably not “carry the weight” that they might if more committee members had been present.

25 YEARS AGO Sept. 25, 1995

HOT SPRINGS — During a tax auction last month, Mark Spitzer realized he could own the top floor of one of the most beautiful buildings in town for comparatively little money. Nobody else bid and “I thought, what the heck?” Spitzer said Friday. He raised his hand and won the bid for the minimum price of $3,305.66. A spokesman for the state land commissioner’s office confirmed that Spitzer bought the property for that amount, which included $1,950 owed in back taxes. The sale was Aug. 29. The owner of record, entrepreneur Melvyn Bell of Little Rock, has 30 days after the sale to keep the deed by paying his back taxes.

10 YEARS AGO Sept. 25, 2010

■ The state Pollution Control and Ecology Commission on Friday granted Umetco Minerals Corp. more time to respond to public comments on its proposal to remove the drinking-water designation from Wilson Creek, a tributary of Lake Catherine that feeds the Ouachita River. In mid-August, the commission extended the public-comment period by 20 days after hearing pleas from residents who feared they wouldn’t have enough time to prepare their arguments. The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality and Umetco have to respond to each comment.