Out of the past 6/26/03

10 years ago: June 26, 1993

Ste. Genevieve, Mo. -- Ste. Genevieve, town that has been called one of nation's best example of French colonial settlement, is in danger of being washed away; now that town has been named by National Trust for Historic Preservation as one of most endangered places in United States, city officials hope they will get levee to protect town from yearly floods.

Metropolis, Ill. -- Merv Griffin and Ava Gabor join Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar to break ground for 120-room Players Riverfront Hotel & Casino; hotel will be developed by Amerihost Properties Inc., adjacent to Players Riverboat Casino Landing in Metropolis; plans for 400- to 500-seat theater at location are also announced.

25 years ago: June 26, 1978

Effort to remove long-time Jackson High School principal James R. Nelson will be aired at meeting of Jackson Board of Education Tuesday; whether gathering will be open to public remains unanswered; while Dr. Frank A. Wiley, superintendent of schools, says it will be closed because it involves a personnel matter, Albert Lowes, attorney for Nelson, says it will be "an open meeting or there will be no meeting."

Cairo, Ill. -- Proposed shift of about 1,000 acres of land near Miller City from Cairo School District to Egyptian School District is defeated when Alexander-Pulaski County School Board of Trustees nixes proposal; 23 residents of Miller City area which would have been affected by shift had presented their petition to leave Cairo district several weeks ago to trustees.

50 years ago: June 26, 1953

New owners of Cape County Milling Co. in Jackson, starting to put their new properties on operating basis after year's shutdown, hope to be able soon to accept wheat for government storage; J.W. Garlock, who will assist in management of company, says they hope to have storage available as soon as possible to aid farmers; bumper wheat crop is expected this year, but there is severe shortage of storage facilities.

Slow-falling rain, spreading generally from St. Louis southward, brings relief from days of high temperatures and end to early summer drought that threatened field crops and vegetables; rain is widespread, from St. Louis south to Benton and Commerce.

75 years ago: June 26, 1928

Architects are expected in Cape Girardeau this afternoon from St. Louis to work out final plans for new Cape Girardeau Bell Telephone Co. building, to be built at northwest corner of Broadway and Ellis streets; workers are tearing away two brick buildings on site; size of new building and number of floors hasn't been determined, but it is believed structure will be about three stories high.

Extension of water service to Koch suburb and along streets soon to be paved is again ordered by city council; communication is ordered sent to Missouri Utilities Co. to start work on improvement; extension of water mains to Koch suburb on Bloomfield Road was ordered early last spring by council.

-- Sharon K. Sanders