25 years ago: March 4, 1986

Cape Girardeau city and Chamber of Commerce officials are working on a transportation tax proposal that could be placed before voters later this year; voters may be asked to approve not only a half-cent sales tax to finance street improvements and other transportation projects, but also a bond issue which would be retired with the proceeds of the new sales tax.

A long line forms in the morning at Houck Field House, as basketball fans buy tickets for the NCAA Division II Regional Tournament; Southeast's Indians will play Abilene Christian Friday night.

50 years ago: March 4, 1961

Dr. Mark F. Scully, president of State College, announces that the Housing and Home Finance Agency office at Fort Wort, Texas, has reserved $2,500,000 for a loan to the college for residence hall purposes; the money is for construction of housing units for 355 men and 255 women, and for a dining center with facilities for 500 students.

A comprehensive survey of the Cape Girardeau Police Department and its attendant problems will be made by a special citizens committee appointed recently to study problems facing the department; chief Percy R. Little says the principal problem confronting the force is its relatively low pay scale.

75 years ago: March 4, 1936

Two firemen are missing and five members of the crew, including the captain, are injured at noon when boilers of the William G. Clyde, a large Mississippi River towboat, blow up 1 1/2 miles north of Grand Tower, Ill., and 37 miles north of Cape Girardeau.

Three more candidates for nomination for city commissioner file their petitions with the Cape Girardeau city clerk; they are Martin G. Bender, J.E. Crafton and George W. Sharp; this brings the number of candidates to 11.

100 years ago: March 4, 1911

Bids for building the new Jackson city jail are opened by the city fathers but are rejected as being too high.

A quartet of young men leaves the western exit of Cape Girardeau at 7:30 p.m. on a 10-mile hike to the county seat, where they will visit home folks Sunday; three of the hikers -- Ray Miller, Jay Clippard and Bill Harris -- are hard-working students at the Normal School, and the fourth is Harvey Jones, the druggist in Dr. J.M. Finney's store.

-- Sharon K. Sanders