Have you ever had a good problem on your hand?

I'm sure it's happened to you on occasion. You love ice cream. Your new neighbor says he can get you a case of Drumsticks -- the nutty, chocolate-covered ice cream cones.

Next thing you know, your freezer is full of Drumsticks and there's no room left for TV dinners.

One good problem that we have here on occasion is the influx of news. And we want you to keep it coming our way.

We're happy to publish your news and want to do it in a timely manner. That's why our goal is to publish all news-related items within 48 hours of receiving them.

I'll be the first to admit we haven't published news items in a timely manner in the past. We want that to change.

As a news staff, we will strive to publish the items within that time frame. Can I absolutely guarantee that we will be able to accomplish this task each and every day?

I can't. But that's one of the exciting things about working in the news business. You never can expect what will happen on any given day.

Of course, there will be exceptions to this, namely involving items that normally are included in our Living section (weddings, engagements, Sunday columns, etc …).

We look forward to working together to meet this expectation. However, we believe you deserve nothing less.

I want to thank Cheryl Potter for coming into the newsroom Thursday afternoon. Cheryl was kind enough to respond to our call for photographs that reflect the history of Austin.

In the coming weeks, you'll be able to view photos including the old courthouse and its ornate dome, old banks along First Avenue and even Hormel offices from years gone by.

The photos generally run in the Monday edition of the newspaper under the "Our History" banner.

We've come to enjoy the pictures and hope you have too. It offers a glimpse into history for those who've never seen it, and affords fond memories for those who have.

If you have any pictures you believe would make a good candidate for this section, give Becky Gray a call. Becky's in our classified department and can be reached at 434-2227. She'll be able to take your photos, scan them in and give them back to you. Give her a call and arrange a time so we can all share in Austin's proud and rich history together.

Dan Fields can be reached at 434-2230 or by e-mail at :mailto:dan.fields@austindailyherald.com