Out of the past: Jan. 24

2000

JEFFERSON CITY — Whatever Bekki Cook decides to do after her term as Missouri’s Secretary of State expires next January, one thing is certain: She will be doing it from Cape Girardeau; “For sure I’m coming back to Cape,” Cook says; by the time her tenure is complete, Cook will have spent just over six years in office.

Cape Girardeau County spent $4,200 on indigent burials and cremations in 1999, nearly double the amount spent in 1998; county commissioners, who depend on information from the Missouri Division of Family Services in determining whether the deceased was indigent, are increasingly questioning whether the cases they receive involve truly indigent people.

1975

Official action was taken Wednesday by the Cape Girardeau City Council changing the city’s slogan to “Cape Girardeau, Home of the Missouri State Flag”; the request for the change was made by a delegation interested in bicentennial activities here; according to Mrs. Arthur W. Thilenius of the Cape County Historical Society, Mrs. R.B. Oliver designed the flag in her home at 740 North St., with the assistance of artist Mary Kochtitsky.

A motion of County Court Associate Judge J. Ronald Fischer to submit the controversial question of location for the new county jail to voters in April met with strong opposition yesterday from the other two court members, who accused him of taking an about-face on the issue; his motion, which died for lack of a second, prompted more debate among the three judges, who were unable to resolve the 16-month controversy.

1950

The coveted Key Man Award, given each year by the Cape Girardeau Jaycees to the outstanding young man of the community, was presented to Lt. Thomas S. Hanson, officer in charge of the Naval Training Center, at the annual bosses’ night meeting last night; guest speaker was Sen. D.W. Gilmore of Benton, president of the Young Democrats of America.

Cape Girardeau’s dormant plumbing ordinance and the lapsed inspection of new building construction both spring into action, after the City Council yesterday appointed Edwin W. Meyers as joint plumbing-building inspector; a veteran plumber of 28 years, Meyers takes over his new duties, having given up his own business; salary of the position is $250 per month.

1925

Plans for the establishment of a pension fund and blanket liability insurance policy to cover the lives of members of the Cape Girardeau police and fire departments are being considered by city officials; it is believed that some plan by which the families of the men would be protected in case of line-of-duty death will be evolved; three policemen have been shot to death in Cape Girardeau within the past nine years.

A large number of Cape Girardeans arise from their beds early to view a partial eclipse of the sun; conditions here for viewing the eclipse, which is of a magnitude of 84%, are nearly perfect, with a slight film of clouds tempering the brightness of the rays.

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.