Verbatim for Jan. 1, 2025

But in between was a week during which a two inch fall of rain reported at 8 a.m. Tuesday triggered a series of catastrophic floods which ripped out city water mains, deposited rocks and mud and other rubble in towns with Rufus the worst hit — left slides and ripped out bridges which isolated nearly every city and town in a wide area of eastern Oregon. All during the week the rains came, interrupted by four inches of snow on Wednesday and a return on Christmas day to snow and sleet.

During the week until Saturday morning, total precipitation was 6.86 inches, bringing total for the month of December to 8.22. By days, at 8 a.m.:

Monday, .96; Tuesday, 2.00; Wednesday, 1.41; Thursday, 1.42; Friday, .48, and Saturday, .39.

While people in the normally arid eastern Oregon country were battling gully washers that sent tons of dirty water cascading down upon them in dry runs and braced themselves for the rapid rise of creeks, those in the normally wet Willamette valley south of Portland were piling sand bags onto sand bags as the western Oregon rivers passed flood stage.

But weeks and even months will elapse before this area will return to normal with complete rebuilding required for many public facilities, such as highways.

— The Dalles Daily Chronicle, Dec. 26, 1964

Rufus cowboy’s hard work pays off with world title 

 World Champion. Sounds good.

Sounds even better to Mike Beers.

Beers, a genuine rodeo cowboy raised right here in the Mid-Columbia, earned the tag World Champion in early December by capturing the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association team roping title along with partner Dee Pickett.

Beers, pride of the small town of Rufus, snared the championship along with Pickett at the 26th annual National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City, Okla., held Dec. 1-9. For the 26-year-old cowboy, it was a storybook ending to a cowboy fairytale.

“It’s been something I’ve spent 17 years of my life working for,” said Beers, who was in Rufus Dec. 26 at the home of his parents Jack and Melva. “I really feel that I’ve found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow ... It’s something I’ve dreamed about since I was a little kid.”

—The Dalles Daily Chronicle, Jan. 2, 1985

Council nixes parking near WS post office

Drivers stopping by the White Salmon Post office my no longer leave their vehicles beside the yellow traffic lines, following action by the city council Dec. 19.

The city has registered several recent complaints over drivers who temporarily park their cars in the restricted zones. The ordinance adopted last week prohibits a vehicle from stopping or standing beside the yellow lines, with a penalty of not more than $25. Violation of the ordinance will be traffic infraction.

— White Salmon Enterprise, Dec. 27, 1984