25 years ago: Nov. 9, 1981

Two incumbent councilmen and a former city official have filed petitions of candidacy for the April Cape Girardeau City Council election, the first election under the new home rule charter form of government; incumbents Loretta Schneider and Robert K. Herbst have filed to retain their seats, and filing for mayor is Roy Smith, who served as a councilman from 1952 until 1954 under the commission form of government.

Cape Girardeau real estate agent Thomas M. Meyer, who earlier this year won his first political campaign and served on the Cape Girardeau Charter Commission, announces his candidacy for state representative from the 156th District, which covers most of Cape Girardeau.

50 years ago: Nov. 9, 1956

With one office apparently at stake, the official count of absentee ballots cast in Tuesday's election is started by a special board of 12 judges; hanging in the balance is the magistrate court race, in which Roland G. Busch, Cape Girardeau Democrat, holds a 197-vote lead over E.C. Tuschhoff, Republican of Old Appleton; judges will be counting 1,028 absentee ballots.

A surprise practice alert for civil defense brings 57 auxiliary police members to Cape Girardeau police headquarters in the evening, reporting within 10 minutes of the alert.

75 years ago: Nov. 9, 1931

The Fox Cape Theater was closed Saturday night and will remain closed indefinitely, says manager James Martin; the last showing was Saturday night, when a packed house saw "Abraham Lincoln."

A.C. Rau, prominent farmer living on the Cape Girardeau-Whitewater road near Dutchtown, has purchased a 95-acre farm near there known as the Sam Thompson farm; he had previously purchased 48 acres of the Albert Brase farm nearby, it being bought from the Brase heirs; all the land is valuable, and Rau now owns about 500 acres.

100 years ago: Nov. 9, 1906

The strong Rolla, Mo., football team is expected to arrive tonight for a gridiron contest with the Normal School team tomorrow at the fairgrounds; the mining school team has played three games this season which gives it a good record, at least equal to that of the Normals.

The voters of Cape Girardeau County have again shown that they aren't in favor of every man taking care of his own stock; a proposition was voted on Tuesday to restrain stock from running at large.

-- Sharon K. Sanders