Out of the past 2/16/05

25 years ago: Feb. 16, 1980

Southeast Missouri State University interim president Bill W. Stacy is among six finalists for the permanent presidency of the school, says Dr. John E. Koenig, a member of the presidential search committee; the other finalists are Dr. Thomas A. Bond, Dr. Richard Meyer, Dr. Joseph J. Orze, Dr. Robert O. Riggs and Dr. Albert Watrel.

Major remodeling at the Cape Girardeau Post Office and a new way of handling mail were announced this week by postmaster Wilver Wessel; the postal system is erasing state postal lines, according to Wessel, and state distribution centers will be changed to area distribution centers.

50 years ago: Feb. 16, 1955

The city council, moving to equalize voting population by wards and to overcome the intolerable condition of registration books, has revived the bi-partisan plan for establishing 12 wards and set March 21 as the day on which a complete new registration of voters will begin.

The need for a commuter boat to take Cape Girardeau crewmen from riverboats which pass here was considered yesterday by the Retail Merchants Association.

75 years ago: Feb. 16, 1930

Plans for enlisting all Baptists in the Teachers College and the Cape Girardeau Business College into the Baptist Student Union will be worked out during the week; regular meetings of the organization will be held on the fourth Tuesday of each month.

Preparations are going forward for the series of meetings to be conducted by the noted evangelist Lincoln McConnell of Jacksonville, Fla., at Centenary Methodist Church during the first two weeks of March.

100 years ago: Feb. 16, 1905

In the coal famine now facing Cape Girardeau, only one man has come forward to offer relief to suffering people; that man is Ed. Regenhardt; Regenhardt, who owns a marble quarry west of town, has several carloads of screenings in storage for his mill.

H.G. Meyers recently sold his rooming house just west of the Planter's Mill to W.L. Nichols; everything went nicely with the new proprietor for a short time, but getting into difficulties, Meyer has been forced to resume management.

-- Sharon K. Sanders