The page 1 headline in the daily paper the day we left, June 18, was "Attack on school kills 41 in Uganda."  more

July 4, 1973: The Eldridge Lions Club was gearing up to host a summer festival in town. World champion horseshoe pitcher Glenn “Red” Henton of Maquoketa was set to host an exhibition and said he would take on all challengers. In addition to the horseshoes, activities included a white elephant sale, the Scott County Cookout King contest, children’s Olympics, and a dance. more

You see the big signs every time you drive into town – “Eldridge: Hometown With a Vision.” more

June 27, 1973: An attempt by cattle rustlers to steal cows from the Harold Kearney farm northwest of Donahue was thwarted thanks for 17-year-old Richard Rank of Bettendorf. Rank spotted the cattle rustlers and attempted to chase them down, but one of the thieves struck him in the head with a rifle as they attempted to escape. Cattle theft had been plaguing Iowa throughout the spring, and it was thought these thieves had planned to kill and butcher a cow and carry the meat away by helicopter. Rank said a similar incident had taken place at his father’s farm near DeWitt.  more

It’s rarely ever truly quiet in the North Scott Fine Arts Auditorium, even in the summertime. And I have got loads to tell you about the theatrical productions you can expect to see there in the next year or so, starting with Countryside Community Theatre. more

Like good reputations which take a lifetime to build but can be destroyed with one senseless act, structures which take years to build can come down in no time at all. Four such structures are coming down in the Quad Cities: more

June 20, 1973: Dixon experienced its worst flooding in 138 years after the banks of Walnut Creek and Mud Creed overflowed due to flash flooding. Wave depths of 16-30 feet swept over the road from Dixon to Big Rock, leaving debris scattered. Fire chief Clarence “Butch” Richeln Jr. and assistant fire chief Leon Moeller narrowly escaped drowning after their boat capsized during an attempt to evacuate Mrs. Perry Doss from her flooded home. They were rescued by sheriff’s deputies and posse members, patrolmen with the Iowa Highway Patrol, Dixon residents and members of the fire department. more

When I say we here at The NSP love telling your stories, I really mean it. more

Today, June 14, is Flag Day, designated by Congress and signed by President Harry Truman in 1949 to commemorate the flag resolution adopted by the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia on June 14, 1777. more

June 13, 1973: The Iowa Highway Commission announced the path for the proposed Highway 561, which would link Interstate 80 to Highway 30 south of DeWitt. The commission said the highway would bypass Mt. Joy to the east and then go directly north, halfway between Eldridge and Eldridge Corners. The project was expected to cost approximately $13 million. Thirteen homes, six farmsteads and one business between the interstate and DeWitt would be displaced, and the commission expected to begin purchasing the right-of-way land in the fall of 1974. more

The stunning Eldridge police department fundraising drive put a dollar figure on community support: $111,964. more

In 1987, she was our pride and joy: a straight and sturdy ash tree to replace the 10-year-old sycamore in our front yard that was struck by lightning. Kurt Schneckloth, the owner of Twin Farms Landscaping at Walcott, picked a dandy. She grew straight and tall and our children and their children enjoyed her shade and beauty. more

June 6, 1973: Three rattlesnakes were found in the Allens Grove woods after flooding from the Wapsipinicon River. Parents in the Dixon area were advised not to allow their children to wander the area. more

For seven years, I’ve reported almost every time Eldridge council members reviewed and voted to pay city bills. more

"The more Petersons we can have, the better we'll be." That's a direct quote from Iowa State football coach Matt Campbell at last Wednesday's (May 24) Cyclone Tailgate Tour at the Isle of Capri, Bettendorf. more

Graduates filled all of our Eastern Iowa Publications newspapers this month, thanks to supportive sponsors and schools, and busy NSP ad creator Belle Kern. more

May 30, 1973: The North Scott golf team finished its inaugural season with a 4-5 record. Opponents included Lost Nation, Pleasant Valley, Calamus, Lowden, and the Davenport Assumption and Davenport Central junior varsity teams. Team members were Steve Campana, Roger Anderson, Jed Nagle, Mike Wallace, Tom Dittmer, Chuck Allaman, Bruce Swanson, Mike Claussen, Allen Wiese, Steve Peters, Larry Keller and Dick Erps. more

In my soon-to-be 52 years writing for The North Scott Press, I can count on one hand the times I've felt threatened, but those times were mild compared with what Bruce Willingham, the editor of the McCurtain County Gazette in Idabel, in southeastern Oklahoma, experienced on March 6. more

May 23, 1973: A Scott County grand jury was convened to hear the case against Scott County Sheriff William “Blackie” Strout on charges of possession of stolen property. A U-Haul trailer and a garden tractor were found on property owned by Strout in Arkansas. Meanwhile, Strout had filed a $500,000 lawsuit against the owner of the rental agency from which the trailer was taken, and continued to maintain the charges were a political smear. more

The older you get, the more it seems like life moves faster. more