Power Plant Coal Purchase Agreement Signed
Oct. 25-29, 1974
A contract valued at nearly $1 billion with Decker Coal Company of Omaha, Neb., to supply fuel for the joint Austin-Lower Colorado River Authority coal-fired power plant near Fayetteville was approved. The price of the coal was estimated at $7 per ton at the mine, plus a projected $12.72 per ton transportation charge to ship the 50 million tons of Montana coal over a 25-year period by rail to the power plant. Austin electric utility director R.L. Hancock said the contract called for the plant to consume 2 million tons of coal per year at a cost of $14 million annually. That cost did not include transportation charges. The coal would fuel the first generating unit scheduled to begin operation in 1978.
La Grange’s city council took another step forward in realizing the proposed bicentennial library-museum complex when representatives of four architectural firms appeared to discuss plans for the project at the city park in the southeastern part of La Grange. The firms included: Wyatt C. Hedrick Architects & Engineers, Inc. of Houston; Clovis Heimsath Associates, of Fayetteville and Houston; and Edward Mattingly Associates of La Grange and Houston. Company representatives spent three hours detailing their ideas, basic costs, fees and methods of financing. All said they could start planning and engineering at once if given the job.
Two Fayette County men were apprehended by Constable F.C. Knippel of Fayetteville in connection with the early Sunday morning breakin at the Little Oaks Drive-In between Fayetteville and Rek Hill. The pair were charged with burglary in Judge A.V. Smith’s Justice of the Peace court and then held in the Fayette County Jail in lieu of $3,000 bond each. Fayette County Sheriff’s officers said cigarettes, beer, a radio and the money box from an electric dart machine were taken in the robbery. Sheriff T.J. Flournoy said the arrests also solved two recent break-ins at Ellinger, Orsak’s Shell and Hoelscher’s Texaco stations.
Mr. and Mrs. V.A. Hrbacek and family announced the opening of the Cottonwood Inn Cocktail Club. According to Mrs. Hrbacek, it was the only one between Houston and San Antonio. The interior was decorated in a plush red and black motif featuring an Old Mexico atmosphere. Great pains were taken to provide black wrought iron tables and chairs in keeping with the theme. Between the patio and the bar was a large window area, which allowed patrons to see the lighted 30foot waterfall cascading down a rock wall to a pool at the foot of the patio. Beams out of the old building next to La Grange State Bank were also used in the decor.
A relentless aerial barrage, coupled with a doomsday type of defense, was effectively deployed by the La Grange Leopards to subdue Bastrop’s Bears in a whopping 48-7 scoring marathon. The fireworks started in the first stanza when fleet Robert Poole skipped 96 yards to post the first six-pointer. A 41-yard scamper by wingback Johnnie Johnson set up the next; a 24-yard Neal Miller-to-Kenny Hatfield bomb posted the third and so it went throughout the game.
On Monday, Oct. 28, the ‘new’ Veterans Day would be observed by local government offices and businesses. Post office staffers would be depositing mail in boxes, but there would be no window, city or rural delivery service.
Deposits in Fayette County’s eight banks exceeded $69 million for the first time, according to figures from the Oct. 10 bank call. While inflationary pressures may have slowed the deposit growth rate in the county to some degree, the ‘investment squeeze’ had not greatly affected the local area to date.
Round Top State Bank announced the election of local farmer Miles Eckermann as a new director at the financial institution’s annual meeting. He succeeded veteran board member George H. Fricke, who was named an honorary director of the bank.
Funeral services were held for Mrs. Elizabeth Adamcik, 69, of Smithville and Adolph Christ, 81, of High Hill.
Charles Koether was elected second vice president of the Junior College Agriculture Association at Blinn in Brenham. Koether, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Glenn C. Koether of La Grange, was a sophomore animal science major and a 1973 La Grange High School graduate.
Mr. and Mrs. Milton Koenning observed their 25th wedding anniversary at a barbecue supper at their home on Saturday, Oct. 20. Miss Audrey Bittner and Milton Koenning were married on Oct. 30, 1949, at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Warda. They had one daughter, Mrs. Douglas Teinert of Nederland.
Mr. and Mrs. Clinton Huebel of Columbus celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary on Saturday, Oct. 5, with a reception at the Ellinger Chamber of Commerce Hall. Miss Dolores Wessels and Clinton Huebel were married on Oct. 8, 1949, in La Grange.
Mr. and Mrs. Joe Hrachovy’s children honored their parents on their 50th wedding anniversary on Oct. 19 with a party at the Ellinger Chamber of Commerce Hall. Mr. and Mrs. Hrachovy were married on Oct. 21, 1924, in Ammannsville.
La Grange elementary school German teacher Mrs. Leola K. Tiedt was elected secretary-treasurer of the American Association of the Teachers of German at the Texas Foreign Language Association annual meeting at San Angelo.
Blinn College freshman Cindy Petras, the daughter of Mrs. Ike Petras of La Grange, was named sweetheart of the junior college agriculture association.
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