Out of the past: Jan. 28

2000

A Cape Girardeau couple died in a fire caused by an electric space heater early yesterday morning; the fire started on the back porch, where Marion Reed, 63, spent many of his summer days sitting in his wheelchair keeping watch on his backyard and traffic along Water Street; he and Gloria Jenkins, age undetermined, were probably dead from smoke inhalation before the fire at 814 N. Spanish St. was reported.

Customers at Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club are receiving a little more loose change than usual, as the nation’s newest currency went into circulation yesterday; an agreement between the U.S. Mint and War-Mart Stores Inc. allows customers to be the first to get the new “Golden Dollar” coin as change.

1975

​“Project Eyeglasses” was launched yesterday at the noon meeting of the Cape Girardeau Rotary Club by Dr. Homer Boles, retired head of the science department at Southeast Missouri State University; the project needs no funds, only the cooperation of club members and area residents; with Rotary members collecting old metal eyeglass frames, with or without the lenses, they and other metal objects will be sold to dealers and the proceeds used to buy prescription glasses for the needy.

It’s often difficult to corner Dr. Mark F. Scully for a few minutes, much less two hours, but Southeast Missouri State University’s art department has succeeded; the retiring university president will sit for a portrait demonstration Feb. 12; the public program will be in Kent Library’s Little Theater and is sponsored by the SEMO Cultural Lecture Committee; Dr. Grant Lund, assistant professor of art, will do the portrait.

1950

​Commander Jack Wimp of the Louis K. Juden American Legion Post says approval has been given by the post for sponsorship next year of stock car races to replace the midget auto competition the Legion has sponsored in previous summers; he says the City Council will be approached soon by post representatives to seek permission to use Arena Park for the races, as was done under the midget racing program.

The Ohio River at Cairo, Illinois, crested at 54.2 feet yesterday and is hanging there, stationary; at Cape Girardeau, the Mississippi River went to 25.2 feet in the wake of Thursday’s heavy rain and today is at 25.1 feet and falling; it is expected that the Mississippi along the Birds Point Spillway would fall gradually until Tuesday or Wednesday of next week, stay practically stationary for a time, and then begin to drop again, barring heavy rain on either the Ohio or Mississippi watersheds.

1925

​Cape Girardeau’s public buildings are closely scanned by inspectors of the Missouri Fire Prevention Association in a two-day drive to remove fire hazards and reduce chances of disastrous losses of life and property from preventable blazes; nearly 50 inspectors are involved in the work; in each case, the owner of the building inspected is given a report, red tags are pinned on the objectionable features, and another report is submitted to the association for future reference.

Complete fingerprint records of all persons hereafter arrested by police on any major charge are to be kept at the Cape Girardeau police headquarters; city officials approve a request of the department to acquire a modern fingerprint apparatus, and an order is placed with a reputable firm for the equipment; it should arrive here within a week.

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.