Looking back 40, 30 and 20 years ago, the following are excerpts from the Artesia Daily Press.

40 years ago June 23-29, 1984

The Supreme Court today reinstated a key Reagan administration policy that eases air pollution rules. The ruling upheld the Environmental Protection Agency’s use of the so-called “bubble concept” to determine whether companies are doing enough to reduce pollution. The concept permits state officials to view an existing factory as a whole in deciding whether a company is meeting federal pollution control standards. That means, for example, that a company may build a new smokestack that increases air pollution if the added pollution is offset by improvements elsewhere in the plant.

———-A leak in the unleaded gas system at Navajo Refinery caused a blaze early this morning but did little damage, city fire records show. City firefighters assisted the refinery fire department at 12:01 a.m. in containing flames at the north plant. Vice president of refining Dewie Stevenson said a flange leaked on an exchanger, releasing hydrocarbon vapor which ignited.

———— First National Bank racked up a 16-2 record in winning the major division title in Artesia Little League Baseball this season. Making up the squad are, sitting from left, Gino Wilcox, Bratcher Runyan, Estevan Chavarria, Ernie Thurman, Gabriel Hall; kneeling from left, Paul Runyan, Josh Vermillion, Ray Callaway, Luigi Bratcher, Jared Alam and Armand Marquez. Standing are coaches Ron Runyan and Tony Hall.

———-The Supreme Court, in a decision that could change the television viewing habits of millions of Americans, today broke the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s exclusive grip on televised college football games. By a 7-2 vote, the court freed individual colleges to make their own television deals. It ruled that the NCAA’s contracts with ABC, CBS and Turner Broadcasting, worth hundreds of millions of dollars, violate federal antitrust law.

———-Student religious meetings in public high schools have won overwhelming Senate approval, prompting a leading supporter to forecast a change of heart in the House, where the concept failed once amid concern about church-state separation. The Senate voted 88-11 Wednesday in favor of the measure, which is designed to permit voluntary religious student groups to meet in school facilities on the same basis as other extracurricular student groups. Sen. Jeremiah Denton, R-Ala., told reporters he expects the Senate version of the religious meeting proposal “to be much more acceptable to the House” than the one defeated there last May when it fell 11 votes short of the two-thirds needed under a special procedure.

———-High yield-high value crops, an alfalfa digestion trial and plant pests were some of the topics covered during the Field Day featured Wednesday at the Agricultural Science Center south of Artesia. About 150 persons toured research plots, viewed commercial exhibits, heard speakers and attended an alfalfa demonstration during the day-long event at the test farm operated here by New Mexico State University.

30 years ago June 23-29, 1994

New Mexico is among the 10 costliest states for gasoline prices, tied with Illinois for ninth, the American Automobile Association reported Wednesday. The average price of self-service regular unleaded gasoline in New Mexico was $1.191 this month, down 4.4 cents from June 1993. The national average for self-service unleaded regular is $1.115, down 0.8 of a cent from a year ago but a penny more than last month.

———-Students can no longer light up a cigarette on public school campuses in New Mexico. The state Board of Education on Friday unanimously banned smoking on the campuses and at school-sponsored activities. About half of New Mexico’s 89 school districts already have no-smoking regulations, but advocates of tobacco- free schools say not all of them enforce it.

———-The Artesia FFA Chapter’s newly elected officers, Rachael Hendricks, Jeremy Sallee, Kevin Klein, Jole Bell and Rachel Craddock attended the 66th Annual New Mexico State FFA Convention. The convention was held in Las Cruces June 6 through 9. Awards were also given out at the convention. The Artesia Chapter received the following awards: BOAC (Building Our Agricultural Community), Safety and 10 Percent Growth.

———-In an effort to help Americans avoid skin cancer, the government today added a solar-hazard rating to the daily weather report. The National Weather Service will issue ultraviolet ratings on a 1-to-10 scale in most areas, rising to 1-to-15 in communities with more sun exposure. The higher the rating, the more dangerous.

———-Another federal judge has struck down part of the Brady law, saying it is unconstitutional for the government to require local police to check the background of potential handgun buyers. U.S. District Judge John Roll also issued a permanent injunction against that requirement Tuesday. A constitutional law professor at the University of Arizona said Roll’s ruling has a limited effect. “The ruling of a federal district judge is binding only in that judge’s territory,” said Robert J. Glennon Jr. “It does not bind other district judges, even within the same district.”

20 years ago June 23-29, 2004

Silver City officials are asking Gov. Bill Richardson to leave Billy the Kid alone. Lincoln County Sherrif Tom Sullivan launched an investigation last year with DeBaca County Sheriff Gary Graves into the Kid’s 1881 death. They want to exhume his remains from a Fort Sumner grave and compare the DNA with that of his mother, Catherine Antrim, who is buried in Silver City. Both Fort Sumner and Silver City have fought the exhumation efforts, and on Monday, Silver City officials asked Richardson to disassociate himself from the investigation.

———-Mike Mordecki of Farmington’s Ram Studios applies finishing touches to one of the trophies displayed on the Bulldog Water Tank west of Artesia Thursday. The repainting of the tank is expected to be completed today. ———-The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has rejected a request by some southern New Mexico residents to stop construction on a four-lane highway in the Hondo Valley. Residents, united as the Valley Community Preservation Commission, argued that the expansion would ruin the valley’s pastoral character. Work to widen U.S. 70 in the Hondo Valley from two lanes to four started in September 2002. ———-The walls went up, the trusses went on and the first Habitat for Humanity home in Artesia was given a major push from dream to reality on Saturday. “It’s rewarding,” said Byron Bartley, President of the Artesia HFH affiliate. With a strong turn out of volunteers, the project was ahead of schedule all day. The Lions Club provided the much-appreciated noontime sustenance of burgers and watermelon. Today, the roof will be put on and the doors and windows installed.

———-Former Bulldog football player Jimmy Hamilton notched the first touchdown of his professional career June 13 during the Wichita Stealth Arena Football League team’s game against Oklahoma City. Hamilton, a 1998 graduate of Artesia High School, a two-time All-District first team selection and a former South All-Star, plays both linebacker and fullback for the Stealth and was 2-3 rushing June 13 with a one-yard touchdown run. ———-The Artesia Daily Press was established on June 2, 1954 and celebrates its 50th anniversary this month as volume No. 51 begins. The first issue rolled off the old flatbed press on June 2, 1954, just 17 days after the decision to start a daily newspaper in Artesia was made. Since then the town has changed, yet remained the same. Perhaps the biggest change in Artesia has been the rebuilding and redesign of Main Street and the construction of the Yates Petroleum Building in the 400 block of West Main Street. Artesia’s schools have moved ahead of the technology curve, with computer Internet access in all schools. And the Bulldogs have won 23 state football titles.

———- (EDITOR’S NOTE: Looking Back was compiled By Daily Press Staff)