Out of the past: July 27

1996

An undetermined amount of cash was taken from a Mercantile Bank facility in Cape Girardeau Friday evening; a white male entered the bank branch in Town Plaza Shopping Center, flashed a handgun and demanded money; a teller managed to slip a "dye-pack" into the bag with the cash; as the car was speeding away on Merriwether Street, the "time-delayed" dye-pack exploded, filling the car with pink dye; in efforts to rid the car of the dye, a number of $20 bills were thrown out the window; no arrests have been made.

Southeast Missouri State University wants to build a $5.5 million vocational-technical center that would provide training in advanced manufacturing technology; university officials say a 40,000-square-foot facility could be built in conjunction with plans for a new vocational school for the Cape Girardeau School District.

1971

Lugging suitcases stuffed with Bavarian steins, Swiss watches, clothes from London's Carnaby Street and copies of their record album, "Europe '71," members of Central High School Stage Band arrive in Cape Girardeau in the afternoon after a 32-day, seven-nation musical tour of Europe; 17 band members and band director Bill Ewing traveled with about 210 other young musicians in the tour sponsored by Voyageurs International, Ltd.

Teletype keys in Western Union offices in Cape Girardeau and across the country will begin clicking again at midnight as employees return to work following an agreement on a new two-year contract that ended a 57-day nationwide strike; the walkout had forced the closing of agencies in 12 Southeast Missouri communities and two main offices in the area, Cape Girardeau and Sikeston.

1946

Purses aggregating $3,350, or $1,000 more than last year, are being offered by the SEMO District Fair Association for horse races at this year's exposition, Sept. 9 to 14; the races will begin the third day of the fair; Tillman Anderson, superintendent of speed, has issued a large number of handy, pocket-sized programs for the races, and these are being sent to horsemen over the country.

After 24 years in business in Cape Girardeau, the firm of Cherry, Florist, is closing; the property at 814 Broadway, owned by Colby L. Cherry, was purchased yesterday by Dr. G.B. Schulz; having a frontage of 50 feet on Broadway and a depth of 127 feet, it includes a two-story brick dwelling, the upper floor containing an apartment and the ground floor the sales and service department.

1921

If nothing unforeseen happens, contractor J.W. Keller will finish the concreting of the first stretch of Kingshighway, south of Cape Girardeau, tomorrow; once finished, the concrete will have to stand for 10 days or two weeks before the road is opened to traffic; this stretch extends from the Frisco Railroad tracks, where they cross Kingshighway south of Cape Girardeau, to the city limits, a distance of three and a half miles; the City of Cape Girardeau has let contracts for paving six blocks of South Sprigg Street to connect with the new concrete highway.

At a meeting of the directors of the Cape Girardeau Country Club at noon, the clubhouse is accepted, and it is decided to hold an informal reception or opening Friday evening; a formal opening will be held in the fall.

-- Sharon K. Sanders