1996

GREENVILLE, Mo. -- The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the cause of the crash of an older model Cessna airplane near upper Wappapello Lake; searchers found pieces of the plane and the bodies of its passengers yesterday about noon; there were no survivors.

The absence of a full-time federal judge and the new Cape Girardeau federal building were main topics yesterday at the U.S. District Court's first "town hall meeting" for Southeast Division lawyers; Chief U.S. District Judge Jean Hamilton of St. Louis told about 50 lawyers from Southeast Missouri that six federal judges will rotate hearing civil and criminal cases here.

1971

By next August motorists should be able to use the entire stretch of Interstate 55 between Cape Girardeau and St. Louis; the good news is revealed by two Missouri Highway Department engineers; it is also revealed that an I-55 segment of approximately 40 miles -- from south of Festus-Crystal City to Brewer in Perry County -- may be opened to traffic toward the end of this year.

Circuit Judge W. Osler Statler, who has been at odds with the County Court on several occasions, declares he won't appoint a Board of Visitors to inspect Cape Girardeau County's detention facilities as requested by the court unless he is forced to do so; asked why he is taking this stand, Statler says, "Because The Missourian is trying to make me."

1946

Acting Chief of Police Fred L. Schneider and City Attorney R.P. Smith yesterday, in a round of visits to nine establishments in the city suspected of allowing gambling on their premises, issued orders that the alleged practice be stopped immediately; the move followed a closed conference at police headquarters of the two officials with Mayor R.E. Beckman.

JEFFERSON CITY -- Missouri bonus marchers boo Gov. Phil M. Connelly when he tells them he won't call a special session of the Legislature to consider their demand for a $400 bonus for World War II service; Donnelly tells the veterans, "We don't have a form of government of threats or intimidation or of trying to stampede the governor into some proposition."

1921

Teachers College football coach F.J. Courleux has hatched a plan to change the playing field at Fairground Park; the custom in previous years has been to have the long way of the gridiron run north and south, thus putting the players a great deal of the time on the baseball diamond in front of the grandstand; this is inconvenient, especially in the latter part of the season when it is muddy; the new plan is to have the long part of the playing field run east and west, partially eliminating play on the diamond.

Work begins on the new home of J.F. Lawler, being built on Morgan Oak Street by contractor Hugo Pfisterer; it is hoped the house will be ready for occupancy by the first of the year.

-- Sharon K. Sanders