Yesterday in La Crosse
Yesterday 12/23/16
Yesterday 12/23/16
Simon says, only 10 gallons for you. Yesterday in La Crosse.
Just before Christmas of 1973, America’s new ‘energy czar,’ William Simon, asked for drivers to voluntarily limit their gasoline purchases to 10 gallons a week. He also wanted gas stations to only sell up to 10 gallons at a time to any one customer. The U-S was in the middle of an ‘energy crisis,’ with trouble in the Mideast helping to increase gas prices and lead to shortages. Within a few months, Simon would give up the job of energy czar to become Secretary of the Treasury.
In Wisconsin, Governor Pat Lucey declared an energy emergency, forcing the state to lower its highway speed limit to 55 miles an hour. La Crosse State Senator Milo Knutson said a special session about energy ordered by Lucey was actually a ‘power grab’ by the governor.
When he wasn’t in Madison for legislative business, Knutson was busy in La Crosse at his day job as news director for WKTY Radio. The station celebrated its 25th anniversary in ’73, broadcasting local programs such as the ‘Lead Balloon Show’ with Charlie Kearns, weekdays from 8 to 9 a-m. Charlie’s 21-year-old son Mike Kearns began working on KTY that year, and he eventually became the Lead Balloon host. On December 23rd this year, Mike retired from morning radio…a run that began 43 years ago, in 1973, Yesterday in La Crosse.
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