1999

Southeast Missouri State University experienced its largest fall enrollment in 14 years; after four weeks of classes, SEMO’s enrollment stands at 8,869 students; the university hasn’t had that many students enrolled in classes since 1985, when the count was 9,058.

One of the nation’s largest grocery operations plans to open a store in Cape Girardeau within a year; Albertson’s Grocery, with more than 2,400 stores in 38 states, has entered a contract to purchase land on the northeast corner of Kingshighway and Independence Street to build a 61,020-square-foot Albertson’s Food Center.

1974

A vesper service and basket supper are held in the afternoon at Old Apple Creek Presbyterian Church near Pocahontas; the Rev. Richard C. Lamb, pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Jackson, speaks on “Could You Tell Me the Meaning of Life, Sir?”

The Rev. Harley Statler, pastor of Caney Fork Baptist Church near Oak Ridge, is retiring after 39 years in the ministry; he has pastored Caney Fork Church the last 14 years; the Rev. and Mrs. Statler are honored at a special afternoon service at the church.

1949

Authorities are checking the possibility of the gunman, who held up the Trackside filling station at Jackson early Sunday, being the same bandit who robbed Hotel Marquette in Cape Girardeau Wednesday morning and stole his get-away car from a nearby storage garage; victims in both holdups describe the gunman as being a tall, blond man in his early 20s.

William A. Shivelbine, 58, director of the Cape Girardeau Municipal Band and identified with music in this city for many years, dies of a heart ailment at a local hospital; throughout most of his adult years, Shivelbine was associated with music; although he had other types of business interests at one time or another, he always returned to that field.

1924

First steps toward action on the proposal of Louis Houck that parallel one-way drives be made of the Cape Girardeau-Jackson highway to decrease danger of traffic accidents will be taken at a meeting Thursday morning at Jackson; the County Court calls the meeting, at which commissioners of the Cape and Byrd road districts, presidents of the Chamber of Commerce and mayors of the two towns, newspaper editors and Houck have been requested to attend; Houck’s plan calls for a 60-foot boulevard, with each lane being 16 feet wide, leaving a center 16 feet for a parkway and on each side a path 6-feet wide; in the parkway would be set out walnut, pecan, linden, oak and maple trees.

The final dance of the season at Fairground Park is given by Edna Deal and her Southern Syncopators; those attending are admitted without charge; from here, Deal and her orchestra will leave for Chicago, where the band will be reorganized and several new musicians secured.

Southeast Missourian librarian Sharon Sanders compiles the information for the daily Out of the Past column. She also writes a blog called “From the Morgue” that showcases interesting historical stories from the newspaper. Check out her blog at semissourian.com/history.