50 Years Ago
September 1969
Future plans for the Iola Molded Plastics boat company of Iola, a subsidiary of American Photocopy Equipment Co., include expansion of its market to include all areas of the U.S. and to make it an international company. A company official told a group of Iolans last night that APECO had made a commitment to Iola in merging with IMP and there is nothing it foresees to change plans originally made. Joseph Neumann, vice president in charge of the APECO Marine Division, said plans have been drawn and contracts let for three new buildings that will provide an additional 50,000 square feet of factory space.
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Motorists using U.S. 54 east of Iola now have access to all four lanes beginning this afternoon. The five-mile project completes 11.5 miles of new U.S. 54 highway in the county. The newest section connects to 6.5 miles of new two-lane highway east of LaHarpe to Moran which was completed two years ago.
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Vernon E. Walker of St. John has been employed by the board of trustees of Allen County Hospital as administrator. He assumed his duties this week. Walker has been administrator of the St. John Hospital for the past two years and associated with the medical care profession since 1950. He and his wife have three teenage sons. He replaced Larry Patterson, who became administrator last spring and resigned this summer.
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Alvin Lassman of Humboldt was named today to fill the unexpired first district term of James R. Nelson on the county commission. Nelson resigned effective the first of this month to accept a position with the state department of revenue. Lassman owns and operates the A. C. Electric store in Humboldt.
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Capt. John David Conderman, son of Mr. and Mrs. David Conderman of Iola, was an honor graduate of a 10-week basic course in military legal affairs at Charlottesville, Va. recently. Capt. Conderman is a newly commissioned officer in the Judge Advocate Generals Corps.
