25 years ago: March 8, 1986

Authorization has been received by the Missouri Highway and Transportation Department to begin right-of-way acquisition for improvements at the Highway 25-U.S. 61 intersection at Jackson; the project will replace bridges over Goose Creek and construct additional lanes for all approaches to the intersection.

In a nerve-wracking contest at Houck Field House, Southeast Missouri State Indians edged out Delta (Miss.) State Statesmen in the NCAA Division II South Central Regional championship game; Tribe star Ronnie Rankin makes a shot with two seconds left, and Delta State's Lionel Jones misses a free throw to give the Indians the win.

50 years ago: March 8, 1961

Driving cold winds and snow flurries fail to cool the enthusiasm of State College students, who assemble in the evening in front of Houck Field House, following a torchlight parade; the fans whoop it up for the Indians, who will meet Colorado College on Friday night in the opening round of the regional NCAA basketball tournament here.

Albert W. Roloff, who started his musical career in 1903, was honored last night by the Jackson Municipal Band at a dinner in the school cafeteria, as he retired from the band.

75 years ago: March 8, 1936

Members of the Southeast Missouri Osteopathic Association and guests gather at Dr. P.A. McGuerty's office for the March meeting; guest speaker is Dr. F.J. Meyer of Clayton, Mo.

"An Ideal Mother" is the title of the sermon delivered by Dr. H.H. McGinty, pastor of First Baptist Church, during the morning worship service; it is his seventh sermon in a series on "Home and Home Folks."

100 years ago: March 8, 1911

Two commercial buildings were destroyed by fire at Illmo yesterday; the blaze started in a building housing the Illmo millinery store and spread quickly to the Beggs building; had it not been checked, the fire could easily have burned the entire business section of town.

The Rev. T.S.X. Levan, C.M., D.D., late president of St. Thomas Theological Seminary at Denver arrives at Cape Girardeau to take charge of St. Vincent's College during the absence of the Rev. J.J. Martin; the latter is away on a vacation and will probably visit in Europe before returning here.

-- Sharon K. Sanders