25 years ago: The number of calls to Middletown Fire Department received and answered in the fiscal year ending June 30, rose to 30 percent over 1985, according to the annual report. The dramatic increase from 1,406 to 1,819 calls showed that the department was being called to more emergencies than it used to be.

25 years ago: A Middlesex County Superior judge postponed a trial on the city’s foreclosure of land postponing the city’s effort to recover what an official said was $77,200 in back taxes and other charges due the city and the Westfield Fire District at the time.