STORIES FROM THE PAST

50 years ago

The Justice Court judges of Imperial County are unhappy over recent actions on the part of one of their number — Judge William H. Tullos of Imperial.

District Attorney James Hamilton also is unhappy. He says that if reports about the judge can be substantiated he is guilty of unethical and possibly illegal behavior.

Judge Court judges are meeting this evening. The Tullos matter is bound to be discussed, although the meeting is being officially called to discuss a new bail schedule.

The Tullos difficulty is based on a complaint by a county employee who wishes to remain nameless because she fears for her job. She claims that some time back Blanche Tullos, the Judge’s wife, gave her a kitchen stove. Sometime later, according to the complainant, Blanche Tullos apparently changed her mind and sent her a bill for the stove. The complainant says that she sent Mrs. Tullos a money order three times and each time was returned accompanied with a demand that more money was wanted.

The woman said she finally received a letter from Blanche Tullos telling her that she was going to be sued in Judge Tullos small claims court. The letter was on court stationery.

If the existence of this letter can be substantiated, according to the District Attorney, then a law was violated. It is up to the State Judicial Council to act on the matter.

40 years ago

Brawley cattleman Ed Rutherford has been appointed by President Carter to the 12-member Federal Farm Board, the governing body for federal land banks and other farm lending institutions.

Rutherford said today the senate confirmed the appointment Thursday.

The board meets several times a year to set policy on lending and to advise the president.

Rutherford will represent the 12th District, which includes California, Nevada, Arizona, Oregon and Hawaii. The president made the appointment after Rutherford was recommended for the post by Assistant secretary of Agriculture Robert Meyer, also of Brawley.

While campaigning for the presidency, Carter toured Rutherford’s cattle operations on a stopover in the Valley.

30 years ago

CALEXICO — Lightning this morning wiped out the Imperial Irrigation District electrical substation here, forcing most businesses to shut down for the entire day.

The substation, just west of Imperial Avenue, seemed to explode when it was hit by lightning at about 4:30 a.m., according to several eyewitnesses.

The lightning caused three transformers at the substation to ignite and burn “like torches” for about an hour, before firefighters, themselves hampered by the power outage, extinguished the fire.

The downtown area was expected to be without power until sometime Thursday, an IID official working at the substation said this morning.