Chronicle chief reporter Jack Tolson checks out what was in the news in March 1999.
PLAYFUL PUP SENDS THE KITCHEN UP IN SMOKE
MONTY, the cheeky seven-month-old mongrel, nearly had his chips on Tuesday - he set the house on fire.
The playful pup jumped up at the cooker in the kitchen, his paw turned on one of the rings and the chip pan caught fire.
Monty and his frightened pal, Zeb, 14, also a mongrel, had to be rescued by firefighters from the burning house on Agnes Road.
The two are now recovering at home with their owners, Vincent and Maureen Cronk, who were both at work when the drama unfolded.
Barnsley’s sub officer Brian Robinson said Monty must have switched on the cooker with his paw.
When they arrived at the house, which was empty at the time, neighbours told them the dogs were inside.
They broke down the front door and four men with breathing apparatus went through the house to find the animals.
“The younger one made a run for it as soon as the door opened by the older one was very frightened, we had to grab him and push him out into the fresh air,” he said.
“This is another chip pan fire - but with a difference.”
Mrs Cronk said the firemen who rescued the dogs were wonderful.
“The dogs are still both a bit upset but they are recovering now, I can’t thank the firemen enough for getting them out.”
NO NEED TO PANIC - BUT ARE UFOS OBSERVING US?
THE truth is out there... and probably in Cudworth or Thurnscoe.
Three Chronicle readers have reported strange sightings of an unidentified flying object lighting up last Wednesday night’s sky.
The first sighting came at 5pm when a man, who wants to remain anonymous, rang the Chronicle to see if anyone else had spotted bright lights over Cudworth.
The 47-year-old, who was travelling home from work in Barnsley, was caught in a traffic jam when he noticed the object.
“There was a very bright light which seemed to fade away to nothing.
“It was moving in a straight line and was going at speed.”
The second sighting came around 10pm the same night, this time from a couple in Thurnscoe.
They saw the hovering light above a field and watched it for ten minutes before it gently floated away.
Sgt Karl Knights of South Yorkshire Police’s Air Unit said there helicopter wasn’t to blame but said it could have been another aircraft.
“Planes do have landing lights and if it’s windy they can take ages to land and will look as though they’re hovering.”
But before Mulder and Scully are on the case, there is another theory.
Mercury and Jupiter are currently orbiting very closely to each other.
The planets are visible from earth and look like very brightly coloured, lingering lights.
DAD’S MURAL SURPRISE SCORED A BIG HIT WITH FOOTBALL FAN SAMUEL
REDS fan Samuel Hemsworth lives football. Now he can sleep it, too.
The seven-year-old has had a 10ft by 7ft mural depicting the East Stand and pitch at Oakwell painted on his bedroom wall.
The mural was arranged as a surprise by Samuel’s dad, Simon.
It took painter Louise Clarke three days to complete and was done while Samuel spent a week with his mother, Dawn.
Samuel has personalised the mural by putting things like ‘Grandad runs a BMW’ and ‘Nan’s Launderette’ on the advertising hoardings on the perimeter of the pitch.
Now he plans to invite Oakwell hero Mattie Appleby to visit his home in Winter Avenue, Royston, to add to his autograph.
