Out of the past 1/25/07

25 years ago: Jan. 25, 1982

Calling it "practical and foresighted," the Cape Girardeau County Court approves the approximately $5.8 million 1982 budget following a morning public hearing; the budget is up about $1 million over last year.

A number of residents of the Sherwood-Briarwood area, where storm water backed into basements through drains last Friday, have sent a letter outlining the problem to city, state and national officials; 15 couples signed the letter.

50 years ago: Jan. 25, 1957

Recently appointed executive director for the Otahki Area Girl Scouts, Mrs. Paul Spitzmiller of Cape Girardeau began her duties Monday.

Eddie Erlbacher and Lindsay W. Simmons, members of the Cape Special Road District Commission, and R.B. Oliver and G.W. Rowan, attorneys, meet in St. Louis with representatives of the Missouri and Illinois highway commissions to discuss details looking to the two states taking over the Mississippi River traffic bridge here once it is free of tolls.

75 years ago: Jan. 25, 1932

Using a motor boat which they now have for patrol duty on the Mississippi River, six prohibition agents, headed by O.H. Cornelius of the Cape Girardeau enforcement office, this weekend arrested three Kentucky men at the edge of the river opposite Wickliffe, Ky., and confiscated a still found there.

In order to give more room for the furniture department, the ready-to-wear department of the Montgomery Ward & Co. store in Cape Girardeau has been moved to the ground floor.

100 years ago: Jan. 25, 1907

Sheriff Louis P. Gober of Scott County passes through Cape Girardeau with a horse thief he caught yesterday at Fredericktown, Mo.; the young man ran away with a mare and buggy that belonged to John Gangle of Benton, Mo., in September 1905.

While digging trenches on Broadway the past week for the sinking of gas pipes, workers were surprised to find many logs about a foot beneath the surface; further digging disclosed a stretch of logs all securely nailed together; it was an old section of corduroy road in front of the Kempe residence.

-- Sharon K. Sanders