Out of the past: March 12

2000

About an inch of snow fell in the Cape Girardeau area yesterday, and it was enough to cause several traffic accidents, one of which sent five people to the hospital and caused a two-mile backup of traffic; that occurred early in the afternoon on Interstate 55 just south of Nash Road near the Diversion Channel; Scott City police said a vehicle left the roadway and went into a ditch.

A grand opening celebration is held at the new Christ Evangelical Presbyterian Church, 3037 Lexington Road in Cape Girardeau; the two-story building has been open for worship services for about four weeks; pastor of the church is the Rev. Art Hunt.

1975

DEXTER — Damage appears to be minimal to 19 cars of a Cotton Belt freight train that left the line’s track about one and a half miles east of here at the Highway 60 overpass late last night; agents are investigating the cause of the derailment, which the Missouri Highway Patrol at Poplar Bluff says may have resulted from a broken wheel on one of the cars.

Southeast Missouri State University is preparing to welcome its new president; Dr. Robert E. Leestamper will make his first visit to the campus Saturday through Monday; while here with his wife, Leestamper will appear on KFVS-TV and will meet with students, the entire SEMO faculty, the Student Senate and the Cape Girardeau Rotary Club.

1950

The Rev. S.S. Borum of Union City, Tennessee, has accepted a call to become pastor of Red Star Baptist Church in Cape Girardeau; a former pastor at Elvins and St. Louis, and a one time member of the Baptist Foundation Board of Trustees here, Borum is a graduate of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary at Fort Worth, Texas; he is married and has three sons; he succeeds the Rev. J.B. Ragsdale, who resigned.

Excavation for the basement of a new eight-room parsonage for Red Star Baptist Church began Friday; L.H. Landgraf Lumber Co. has the contract to build the $16,000, 1 1/2-story brick structure at 1321 N. Main St., just north of the church.

1925

Federal tax returns may be filed until March 16, the Treasury Department in Washington rules; because the normal deadline for filing tax returns — March 15 — is Sunday, the department announces a day of grace; with the deadline drawing near, the Cape Girardeau revenue department office is crowded with taxpayers.

NEW HAMBURG — Construction of a dam across Caney Creek, four miles west of here, to prevent the overflow of water in territory to the south, is being opposed by landowners in the vicinity of this place; numerous protests have been made to officials of the Little River Drainage District, which has the dam under construction.

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.