Out of the past: Nov. 23

1999

A lack of candidates could mean a seat on the Cape Girardeau City Council remains vacant indefinitely; so far no one has filed for an open seat in Ward 5, and the filing period ends today at 5 p.m.; city officials say they can’t remember a time when no candidates filed for office.

Marc Strauss doesn’t dance around the issues; rather, Southeast Missouri State University’s dance professor vows to take charge of efforts to develop a first-class school for the fine and performing arts in his new roll as associate dean for the River Campus; in his new job, Strauss will coordinate academic plans for the River Campus.

1974

Flora “Flo” Edwards has retired after driving a taxicab in Cape Girardeau 29 years; “It’s my age — the men didn’t run me out of business,” Edwards explains, who shut down her Flo’s Taxicab Service on Nov. 15.

After six members of the Cape Girardeau Police Department modeled different styled uniforms for over a month, the officers have chosen the Los Angeles Police Department-style uniform of midnight blue for its new uniform; the department picked the outfit Patrolman Gary K. Atchley had been wearing; it is replete with shiny leather gear, badge tie and a new garrison-style hat with a rounded top to replace the old five-point hats.

1949

General election ballots, containing the name of eight nominees to the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce board of directors, nominated in last week’s primary election, are mailed to members; the nominees are Lt. Thomas S. Hanson and Elmer A. Strom, civic division; John J. Craig and Arnold Roth, commercial division; and Leonard A. Byron, James J. Dean, Jack E. Himmelberger and Oscar C. Kaiser, industrial division.

POPLAR BLUFF — Three firemen and six other persons were injured, two critically, in a fire engine-automobile crash here last night; the fire truck, speeding to what turned out to be only a grass fire, struck an electric light pole, snapping it off near the ground, and overturned in a water-filled ditch, six feet deep.

1924

Archbishop John J. Glennon of St. Louis confirms more than 200 members of Cape Girardeau’s two Catholic churches; it is his first official visit here in five years; Glennon confirms a class of 71 adults and children in the morning at St. Vincent’s Church; following this service, the archbishop goes to St. Mary’s Church, where he confirms 150 children and 20 adults; in the afternoon, he travels to Jackson and Dutchtown to confirm classes; Monday through Friday, he will visit the numerous Catholic churches of Scott County, as well as at Charleston, Sikeston, New Madrid and Caruthersville; at Portageville on Thursday, he will dedicate a new church.

The Rev. H.B. Colter of Jackson occupies the pulpit at both the morning and evening services at First Baptist Church in Cape Girardeau in the absence of the pastor, the Rev. J.P. Scruggs, who is assisting in a revival at St. Joseph.

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.