Following are summaries of local news stories from the pages of the Intelligencer Journal and New Era. This column appears on page B1 of the printed newspaper each Monday. The items are researched and compiled by staff member Tim Buckwalter. Full versions are available on microfilm at the Lancaster County Library, 125 N. Duke St.

25 years ago

DEAD DUCKS: City officials were looking at intentional poisoning as a likely cause for the deaths of 25 docile mallard ducks at Long’s Park. The ducks showed “no physical injuries,” the city’s park superintendent said, but further tests were planned. (Aug. 20, 1984)

GOP CONVENTION: Local delegates to the Republican National Convention in Dallas praised United Nations Ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick’s opening-night speech on foreign policy, calling it a “real stemwinder” and “very effective.” Kirkpatrick, a tough-talking Democrat who had become a heroine to conservatives, lashed the Democrats who had nominated Walter Mondale as the “blame America first crowd” on foreign policy. She urged mainstream Democrats to cross party lines and support the reelection of Republican President Ronald Reagan. (Aug. 21, 1984)

JACKSON TICKETS: Crowds of Michael Jackson fans camped out overnight at the Ticketron office at Gimbels in Park City in hopes of getting tickets to one or more of the pop singer’s three Philadelphia concerts. Jackson’s “Victory Tour” shows were to be held at John F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium. Clair Brothers Audio Enterprises, a small Lititz-based company, was hired to design the sound system for the shows. It was putting together its biggest and most technically advanced sound system ever, said Roy Clair. (Aug. 22, 1984)

50 years ago

BRIDGE PLAN: The Pennsylvania Railroad announced plans to tear down the 62-year-old steel railroad bridge across the Susquehanna River at Columbia. The bridge, a landmark since 1897, carried both train and automobile traffic until the concrete inter-county bridge was built just south of it in 1930. The older bridge continued to carry freight trains until 1958. (Aug. 18, 1959)

EARTHQUAKE: Nine local residents were reported to be uninjured after an earthquake struck near Yellowstone National Park, in the area of the Montana-Idaho border. Eight others were reported to have been killed, and 27 hospitalized. (Aug. 19, 1959)

LITTER LAW: City officials were delaying enforcement of a new litter law until more trash receptacles could be installed on city streets, Mayor Thomas Monaghan said. The law had been adopted five weeks earlier, and the grace period for prosecutions was being extended another four weeks. (Aug. 21, 1959)

INADEQUATE: The Lancaster County Prison and much of the county home, hospital and juvenile-detention facility were inadequate for those purposes and should be replaced, a citizens’ advisory committee reported to the county commissioners. The panel said the county should give “careful study and consideration” to building a joint prison with Adams and York counties. (Aug. 21, 1959)

75 years ago

SALE DELAYED: Three Lancaster County farmers petitioned for relief under a new farm-protection provision in federal bankruptcy law. A judge granted them temporary delays on planned sheriff’s sales. (Aug. 17, 1934)

JAIL THREAT: The owner of a high-priced automobile and a $900 motorboat  was threatened with a jail sentence when he claimed to a judge that he was unable to pay $1.50 a week toward the support of his crippled father. The man admitted that he and his wife earned a total of $216 a month, but said he had purchased the car and boat before his salary had been cut in half. He said he needed the car for work and was unable to sell the boat. (Aug. 18, 1934)

100 years ago

FIRE ESCAPE: Roaring flames forced the Rev. Dr. C.G. Twombley, rector of St. James Episcopal Church in Lancaster, to flee with his family from their summer home in Plymouth, N.H. The fire broke out while the minister and his family were eating breakfast. The flames completely enveloped the barn and spread to the house before the family became aware of the danger. (Aug. 18, 1909)

VISITING ROCKY: White and black inhabitants of Coatesville were making good use of a new trolley line and enjoying the opportunity it offered to see Lancaster and its big summer resort, Rocky Springs. But not on the same day. A large group of white residents visited the park on a Wednesday, and a large group of black residents, under the auspices of two African Methodist Episcopal churches, visited Rocky Springs the following day. On the way home, one of 10 trolley cars carrying the excursionists struck and killed a bull. None of the passengers was hurt, but the accident delayed all traffic on the line for 90 minutes. (Aug. 20, 1909)

SPEED LIMIT: Citing the sharp increase in the number of automobiles locally and nationwide, Lancaster Mayor J.P. McCaskey announced that the city had erected a dozen speed-limit signs at entrances to the city. The signs alerted drivers that the speed limit in the city was 12 mph, which was exactly half the limit on country roads. (Aug. 21, 1909)

SCHOOL FUNDING: State appropriations to the 61 local school districts ranged from $219 in Lincoln to $40,037 in Lancaster city. Total appropriations countywide were $162,149. There were 819 teachers in the local districts. (Aug. 21, 1909)