Sports: Men's basketball hopes to stop losing streak.
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Wednesday, January 29, 2020 - Vol. 120 Issue 49
@WesternCourier
Local business set to close after 31 years
By Devon Greene editor-in-chief
MACOMB, Ill. -- P&M Service Center is set to close in February after 31 years of service to Macomb and the surrounding areas. The business announced its plans to close on Facebook on Saturday. The post says that they are closing their doors permanently and will retire. The post also included a heartfelt thanks to their customers, friends, family and extended family who frequented the business. The business was opened in 1989 by husband and wife, Mike and Peggy McDaniel, who coown the location. They have kept the business within the family with their son, Charles, and grandson, Adam. The Macomb Area Chamber of Commerce is one of many comments under the post, thanking the family for their service and sending well-wishes their way. “Thank you for your support of the Chamber and being a fixture in our community for so long,” the comment said. “Best of luck The service and repair shop is located across the street from city hall. on your next adventure.”
DEVON GREENE/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Seven remaining passengers identified in fatal helicopter crash
By Devon Greene editor-in-chief
The names of the remaining passengers involved in the helicopter crash that killed 41-yearold Kobe Bryant and his 13-yearold daughter Gianna, have been released. The Altobelli family lost three members on Sunday as 56-yearold John, 46-year old Keri and 13-year-old Alyssa all perished in the crash. John was a baseball coach at Orange Coast College for 27 years, which made him the longest-tenured baseball coach in the history of the program. He led the team to four
state community college championships and amassed over 700 wins. The team had their seasonopening game yesterday where they honored the coach with an on-field ceremony. Alyssa was a teammate of Gianna and the family had traveled with Kobe and Gianna to games before. The Altobelli family leaves behind 16-year-old Lexi and 29-year-old J.J.. Assistant coach of the Mamba Academy’s girls team, Christina Mauser, was another victim identified in the crash. Mauser was 38 years old and leaves behind a husband and three children; aged 3, 9 and 11. Her
husband, Matt, spoke to the “Today” show about his wife on Monday. “She was extraordinary,” Matt said. “She was incredibly witty, funny, funny like nobody you’ve ever met… She was warm, she was incredibly bright, she was technologically incredibly savvy. She could figure out anything.” Matt also spoke about his worries for the future with his three children. “I’ve got three small kids and I’m trying to figure out how to navigate life with three kids and no mom,” Matt said. “I’m scared, I think more than
anything. I’m so scared about the future.” Matt added some words about the Altobelli family and spoke about his, Christina’s and Kobe’s relationships with them. “They were amazing people in their own right,” Matt said. “I knew them well. They were wonderful and warm. They loved their kids and they were so proud that their kids were growing. They were becoming better basketball players. Kobe took these kids from private schools and made them gritty and tough. He was dedicated and so was my wife. They were dedicated to these girls.”
The pilot of the helicopter was 50-year-old Ara Zobayan. Zobayan was a veteran pilot and flight instructor in the area. He was Kobe’s private pilot and had flown the superstar often. The last of the victims were Sarah and Payton Chester. They are survived by husband and father, Chris, and sons and brothers, Hayden and Riley. Payton was also a teammate of Gianna and Alyssa. The Chester family released a statement on Monday through Payton’s school.
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