20 years ago

A bust made by Homer Police of a woman selling prescription medicines was the first one seen in more than 10 years of OxyContin, Homer Police Chief Mark Robl said. Police arrested a 41-year-old woman for second-degree misconduct involving a controlled substance. She also was charged with selling Vicodin, the trade name of Hydrocodone. OxyContin is a time-release version of Hydrocodone. OxyContin became a popular abused drug because of its potency. Users grind up the pill, which negates the time-release coating.

Homer then had not seen many cases involving the abuse of OxyContin, but central Kenai Peninsula medics had responded to about 70 calls involving OxyContin overdoses, including the death of a Kenai surgeon’s daughter.

— From the issue of Jan. 23, 2002

30 years ago

Homer City Manager C.E. Swackhammer blew up at the Homer City Council meeting over criticism of the city for its construction of the wooden grid at the Homer Harbor that had to be torn down because of shoddy construction.

“I’ve had enough. I’ve had enough,” he said. “Does it look like I’m mad? Damn right, I’m mad.”

Swackhammer said he was tired of being the town’s punching bag and didn’t know how much more of it he could take. Swackhammer blamed “the media” for writing about the project week after week following the failure of a retaining wall. He said he wished people would pay more attention to all the good things he had done since taking the job in 1990.

— From the issue of Feb. 6, 1992

50 years ago

The Feb. 3, 1972 issue is missing from the Homer News archives.