Out of the past 6/18/03

10 years ago: June 18, 1993

Wet spring that left lot of standing water, backwater from Mississippi River, and now, hot, humid weather have combined to provide all right ingredients for bumper crop of pesky mosquitoes this year, say health officials and entomologists.

Variety of housing issues are discussed at forum on campus of Southeast Missouri State University, sponsored by local chapter of Missouri Association for Social Welfare; forum covers such items as public housing, homelessness, and minimum housing standards.

25 years ago: June 18, 1978

Ground is broken for new, $1.5 million Southeast Missouri Hospital Cancer Treatment Center; eight gold-painted shovels, lined up in row, are used in ceremony, while bulldozer stands ready in background for heavier work; program is held on terraces to north of hospital, location of treatment center.

Dedication service is held in afternoon at Scriptural Lutheran Church on Bend Road; the Rev. Carl Rusch, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church at Piedmont, is guest speaker; potluck supper follows service; pastor of Scriptural Lutheran is the Rev. Henry Gieschen.

50 years ago: June 18, 1953

Revamping of cafeteria system and participation in federal school lunch program as part of reorganization of school system next fall were considered at length last night by school board; it made no decisions on matters pending conference with parent-teacher units of several schools which, members acknowledged, have been responsible for cafeteria system which has served for many years.

Distribution centers for gamma globulin, which has proved successful temporary inoculant against paralytic polio, have been set up in Southeast Missouri counties which have health units and at Poplar Bluff district health office for those which do not; medicine is distributed through American Red Cross and U.S. Public Health Service.

75 years ago: June 18, 1928

Heavy rain storm, accompanied by severe electrical disturbance, swept over area last night, temporarily hampering railroad service and virtually halting highway traffic for several hours; three inches of rain fell within few hours, flooding creeks and rivers in the area and made rivers out of some Cape Girardeau streets.

Kennett, Mo. -- Waging stubborn, although what is proving to be losing, fight against turbulent waters of St. Francis River, volunteers along 25-mile front of river in Dunklin County stand threatened with new rise in river; new rise may prove more damaging than any previous rampage; heavy rains throughout St. Francis basin last night has thrown new fear into nearly 3,000 workers, who have been fighting flooding river for 11 days.

-- Sharon K. Sanders