STORIES FROM THE PAST

50 years ago

The House Subcommittee on Public Works Appropriation has approved the $103,000 appropriation for a study of the problems of the Salton Sea, Congressman John V. Tunney, has announced.

“We are extremely fortunate to have this legislation approved, as over 200 new proposals were considered and only 35 were finally passed by the subcommittee,” Tunney added. He continued, “During my testimony before the subcommittee a month ago, I stressed the vital importance of this study to the entire population and economy of the 38th District. This was also brought out fully at the hearings, which were held at El Centro and Coachella during March.

“This $103,000 appropriation will provide for a reconnaissance study to find the most effective means of controlling the sea level, the salinity contents, and the nutrient loads. It will take one year to complete and be conducted by the Bureau of Reclamation with the cooperation of other appropriate bureaus in the Department of the Interior and the California State Resources Agency.”

40 years ago

An estimated 25 armed police officers carried out a pre-dawn roundup of suspected narcotic dealers early today ending more than two months of undercover investigations into El Centro area heroin sales. Armed with search and arrest warrants signed by El Centro Municipal Court Judge Harold Chaille, the task force of El Centro, Calexico and Imperial County sheriff’s officers arrested 21 persons, most of them named in criminal complaints alleging sales of heroin.

Task force commander Capt. Ralph Cordova said today there are still a number of outstanding warrants for the arrests of suspected dealers, which should number close to 30 by the end of the week. In addition to the arrests, police confiscated a small amount of heroin, narcotic paraphernalia and stolen property. The largest amount of stolen goods was allegedly found inside an auto clinic business at Brighton, El Centro.