Out of the past: Jan. 18

2000

Yesterday was a federal holiday honoring the life of slain civill rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; Cape Girardeau observed the holiday with a breakfast at the Show Me Center and an evening worship service at Centenary United Methodist Church; the Rev. Dr. William Gillespie spoke to nearly 300 people in the evening at the 10th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Worship Service; the Rev. Bill Bird Sr. was the recipient of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Award, given by the Cape Girardeau Ministerial Alliance.

A Cape Girardeau lawyer has raised more than $30,000 to help finance his bid for state representative of the 158th District; Jason Crowell, a Republican, announced his candidacy Monday; other possible contenders are Republicans Cindie Jeter, a radio talk-show host, and Jay Purcell and Richard “Butch” Eggimann, both Cape Girardeau city councilmen; the seat is held by Republican Mary Kasten, who is retiring at the end of the term.

1975

Jackson Mayor Carlton Meyer said Friday that the newly-elected presiding judge of the County Court isn’t committed to following the intent of last year’s court to build a jail on the County Farm in Cape Girardeau because neither a contract for excavation of the site nor minutes of the court session in which the contract was awarded specifically state that the earthward was pursuant to construction of a jail; Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney A.J. Seier, however, says the County Court selected the farm site and a site preparation was entered into by the court; Seier said: “The County Court speaks only through its record, not its contracts.”

A race has developed for the two three-year seats open this spring on the Cape Girardeau Board of Education; incumbent Jerry W. Ford filed Friday as the third candidate; the others are Charles E. Weber, former board member, and incumbent Thomas L. Meyer.

1950

As the flooding Ohio River nears its crest, the paramount question among the thousands who have fled the Birds Point Floodway and those hundreds who haven’t left is whether the dike protecting the vast basin will be breached; officers of the Corps of Engineers with the Memphis, Tennessee, the office that touched off the evacuation Monday night with a warning that all in the spillway should be prepared to move, are silent about their plans; Missouri Gov. Forrest Smith has asked the engineers not to flood the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway unless imminent danger threatens.

Representatives of 40 Broadway business firms met last night in the Rainbow Room of the Hotel Idan-Ha in the interest of organizing an association to promote business; it was pointed out the new organization isn’t to oppose the Retail Merchants Association of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce, but would parallel it.

1925

Francis Macmillan, young American violinist, appears in recital in the afternoon at Teachers College auditorium; the young musician’s performance delights a large audience.

Centenary Methodist Church, the largest church in Cape Girardeau, is crowded at its two Sunday services, and men are in the majority at the evening service, which was especially designed for them; grouped in one section of the church building, the men sing “Ninety and One”, as one of the features of the evening service, and the Rev. H.C. Hoy, pastor, delivers a sermon on “The Pinch Hitter”, an address especially for the men.

Southeast Missourian librarian Sharon Sanders compiles the information for the daily Out of the Past column. She also writes a weekend column called “From the Morgue” that showcases interesting historical stories from the newspaper.