Out of the past: March 18

2000

​A combination of increasing asphalt and fuel prices could make the costs of completing street projects in Cape Girardeau higher than originally expected; but the city’s engineering department is moving ahead with the slate of Transportation Trust Fund projects as planned; most of the projects are for concrete streets, but several will have asphalt overlays.

A Cape Girardeau man has filed for Cape Girardeau County public administrator on the Democratic ticket; Mike Hurst, who has worked for the Southeast Missouri State University Department of Pubic Safety for the past four years, is running for the position because “there is nothing more satisfying than than helping people.”

1975

​“I didn’t come to talk about politics, government or community projects,” says State Treasurer James I. Spainhower, addressing about 50 persons at the fifth annual Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast at the Holiday Inn; “All too often at prayer breakfasts we talk about everything but prayer and do everything but pray,” says Spainhower, an ordained minister of the Christian Church; he urges those in attendance to renew their faith in God and to examine themselves individually.

A standing-room-only crowd at Kent Library’s Little Theater was told last night that both men and women students at Southeast Missouri State University will be treated equally regarding dormitory hours when the university’s new president takes over July 1; Dr. Robert E. Leestamper, president-elect, was confronted by the controversial dorm question early in his appearance before the student body.

1950

​SIKESTON — Gov. Forrest Smith brings his campaign for the better roads law to Southeast Missouri, addressing members of the Missouri Cotton Producers Association at the armory here; besides members of the association, many others from practically every county in the district attend; Smith points out that adoption of the law, which would increase the gasoline tax 2 cents on the gallon, would give Southeast Missouri $1,600,000 in road funds for the building of district rural roads; he says it would help the construction and rebuilding of bridges over drainage ditches in the region and would provide hard-surfaced roads to rural schools.

A report by county sanitarian Marvin Campbell shows 78.75% of the pupils in schools responding to the survey were without smallpox vaccinations, while 70% had no diphtheria immunization; of the 69 schools contacted in the county, public and parochial, 44 returned the check list on heath conditions of their students.

1925

​Establishment of an athletic field for the Cape Girardeau Teachers College in the old Matteson quarry property is virtually assured by action of the executive committee of the Board of Regents, which authorizes the purchase of the property for a reported consideration of $11,000; the quarry is situated west of Pacific Street and north of Broadway; it is under the hill of the present athletic field of the college, immediately to the south of Academic Hall.

The property of the Cape Brewery and Ice Co. at South Middle and Morgan Oak streets is sold under foreclosure proceedings and is bid in for $26,000 by attorney Russell L. Dearmont representing Lucille Koeck, wife of one of the stockholders of the corporation; the property is sold to satisfy a $36,000 first mortgage indebtedness; no definite plans have been made for the operation of the brewery.

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.