This day in history: The biggest story of the year would end up coming full circle today

From 1975: The Associated Press listed the top stories in Washington for 1975, and the No. 1 story was also a top story 50 years later: Flooding in Western Washington.

The 1975 floods drove 2,000 people from their homes, caused the death of thousands of farm animals and cost an estimated $37 million in damage.

The No. 2 story was a scandal that caused State Sen. August Mardesich to resign as majority leader.

No. 3 was the arrest of Ted Bundy in Salt Lake City, and the possibility that he was a suspect in a string of murders and disappearances in Washington.

The No. 8 story had made headlines locally: Ricky Anthony Young’s conviction in Spokane for the pipe-bomb murder of a Pasco judge.

From 1925: Four of the five Spokane city commissioners showed no intention to “throw themselves into the breach to save” Charles Hedger, the fifth commissioner.

Hedger was facing a recall petition, based on charges that he was allowing liquor, prostitution and gambling to flourish in Spokane.

Hedger was the city’s commissioner of public safety, and was in charge of law enforcement.

The other commissioners “take the position that they have warned Hedger of impending trouble at more than one conference and that if his department has failed to get results, he should assume full responsibility.”

Also on this day

(From onthisday.com)

1934: Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi declares that Persia is now Iran.

1978: Spain becomes a democracy after 40 years of dictatorship as King Juan Carlos ratifies the country’s first democratic constitution.