This day in history: Local chapter of National Organization for Women protest city over firefighter application; Montana woman accused of running smuggling ring

From 1975: The Spokane Chapter of the National Organization for Women charged the city of Spokane with failing to meet federal guidelines in accepting firefighter trainee applications.

Earlier in the week, six women “failed a firefighters’ physical fitness and agility entrance exam given by the city at the fire drill tower.” It appeared that men would fill all of the 10 funded positions.

NOW was not protesting the fitness exams. It was alleging that the city refused to give applications to two women who requested them, and in a third case, mailed her an application only one day before the fitness test, giving her no time to train.

“How many other women in Spokane weren’t aware they could apply or were given misinformation that prevented their applications from being submitted for consideration?” a NOW spokesperson asked.

From 1925: Police believed that the 31-year-old wife of a Eureka, Montana, physician was running a dope-peddling ring in Spokane.

She and a man posing as a local banker were arrested and jailed after police found $400 of cocaine and other narcotics in her possession.

Police believed that the woman’s physician husband periodically sent her shipments of narcotics from Montana, and that the “banker” was financing the operation.

The Montana woman told police the narcotics were for her own use. The two were being held on vagrancy charges pending further investigation.

Also on this day

(From onthisday.com)

2016: American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan is named as recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature.