Out of the past 5/1/04

10 years ago: May 1, 1994

Under Missouri's gambling law, riverboat casinos can't float the Diversion Channel, says official with Missouri Gaming Commission; Lady Luck proposes to dock riverboat on Diversion Channel at Scott City.

JEFFERSON CITY. Mo. -- First construction phase of $68 million Mississippi River bridge at Cape Girardeau could be let out for bid as early as October 1995, if all federal money is in place.

25 years ago: May 1, 1979

About 40 people -- most of them parents with children in Alma Schrader School district -- heard alternatives last night and offered opinions about various plans to combat enrollment peaks and valleys currently before school board; board earlier studied report which listed 16 alternatives in dealing with both overcrowding at some schools and low occupancy classes at others.

If weather cooperates, some relief may be in sight for water-logged Union and Alexander counties in Illinois, where farming operations have been brought to standstill and two major state highways, routes 3 and 146, are closed by seep water; Corps of Engineers reports it will start opening levee drainage gates when river reaches 32.8 feet at Cape Girardeau, relieving some of pressure of interior and seep water in Illinois.

50 years ago: May 1, 1954

More than 1,000 high school pupils of Southeast Missouri pour into Cape Girardeau for annual scholastic, home economics, track and field and tennis meets; industrial arts and fine arts contest get under way at 8 a.m., followed by academic subjects such as English, civics, American history, language, mathematics and science.

Scattered minor damage was done by brief windstorm and lashing rain out of southwest last night; two panes of plate glass flanking entrance of Hutson Furniture Store at Main and Independence were broken.

75 years ago: May 1, 1929

Dozen members of Chamber of Commerce who are interested in downtown property, with Mayor Edwin Barks and other city officials, are taken by Frisco officials on special trip from passenger station to Country Club property to view effects of present flood; J.A. Moran, division superintendent, has plan to keep floodwater away from streets and passenger depot by raising track along river three or four feet above street level.

About 1,000 feet of 20-foot wide pavement was laid during first two days of construction on Highway 61 between Cape Girardeau and Williams Creek bridge.

-- Sharon K. Sanders