Out of the Past September 9 2026

80 Years Ago

Walt King, town marshall and water superintendent of Deer Park the last several years, has resigned and has been appointed a deputy sheriff by Sheriff Geo. Harber. Elmer Roll, ex-sailor and employee of the Deer Park Pine Industry, Inc., has been appointed by Mayor Earl Mix to succeed King. 

A special meeting of all Spokane county football coaches will be held Friday evening to discuss changes in playing schedules for this fall. The meeting was necessitated by the withdrawal of Newport and Cusick from the previously arranged schedule. 

Senator Hugh Mitchell will be in Deer Park, Tuesday, Sept. 10. He will make a brief talk on the street. 

40 Years Ago 

The Washington Trust Fitness Festival launches its second outing at the Deer Park South Shopping Center Saturday morning. The bike and running competition, which starts and finishes at the shopping center, is again the mainstay of the event. But there also will be booths at the mall and a townwide sale in conjunction with the fest. 

Having found seven to be an unlucky number, the Deer Park Fire Department hopes that its eighth location for an airport training center will be the magic spot. Deer Park Fire Chief Ed Lewis asked the city council to approve a move from the fire department’s present location at the northeast corner of the airport to an eight-acre parcel adjacent to Cedar Road. 

A Deer Park homeowner, who interrupted two suspects in the process of burglarizing his home Saturday, identified the auto they were driving, which resulted in arrests a short time later. Arrested were two Spokane men, Michael W. Tarbert, 23, and William P. Belton, 21. 

20 Years Ago

Despite the growing number of cougar sightings in the Deer Park area, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) warns residents that there is no need to panic. They, however, do offer steps that anyone can take in case they come in close contact with the animal. WDFW’s John McCollim, who investigated what appeared to be the killing of a pony and goat in that area, said unarmed residents should be aggressive if they come in contact with the cougar. 

In a familiar scene, thieves broke into a home under construction in Deer Park on Sept. 5 and stole more than $1,000 in copper wiring. Roughed-in copper wiring throughout the main floor and basement, as well as wiring outdoors for the sprinkler system, had been cut and pulled out of the home on south Reiper Avenue. 

Sunshine Recycling may have the final say in any change in the city of Deer Park’s utility billing procedures. Some city council members want to include the garbage bill with the city’s water and wastewater bill. Currently, garbage billing is handled by city refuse collector, Sunshine Recycling, separate from the city’s other utility services. Under the proposal, which is still in the development stage, failure to have garbage service would mean the cutoff of water and wastewater services.