Today begins a new weekly online feature on GulfCoastNewsToday.com, "Throwback Thursday".  We'll feature news events in our community from the same week in years gone by, as published by Gulf Coast Newspapers' historical editions.

We begin with the winter weather event of 1978, which dumped localized amounts of over 11 inches of rain on Baldwin County.  This was the same weather system which brought blizzard conditions to the midwest and northeast.  The record-breaking rainfall here closed schools, washed out roads and bridges, flooded homes and businesses, and stranded many motorists and vehicles. 

In the same Jan. edition of the Foley Onlooker, new Goodyear tires were advertised for $35, a lube & oil change cost $5.88, a five-pound bag of flour cost 28 cents, half-gallons of ice cream cost 38 cents, a twelve-pack of Lykes hot dogs cost 79 cents, 25-pound bags of dog food sold for $2.68, and three acres of Magnolia River waterfront property was listed for $11,500.