25 years ago: March 11, 1986

The Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce, through its air transportation committee, is attempting to at least delay the planned closure of the Federal Aviation Administration's Flight Service Station here; the committee is circulating petitions among pilots at various airports in Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois against the closure.

Both of Cape Girardeau's mayoral candidates -- Donald Strohmeyer and F.E. "Gene" Rhodes -- support efforts to locate a state maximum security prison here on economic grounds.

50 years ago: March 11, 1961

One of two men sought in the killing of a Cape Girardeau auxiliary police officer, the wounding of a regular Cape Girardeau policeman and a Wayne County sheriff, and the beating of a Madison County farmer is captured in the morning near Grassy, Mo.; a second suspect is still at large.

State College and Southern Illinois University will tangle tonight for the championship of the Southwest NCAA Regional Basketball Tournament at Houck Field House, with the winner advancing to the small-college national championship tourney at Evansville, Ind.

75 years ago: March 11, 1936

What was probably the largest white oak tree left in the river hills has been cut down, and the first log is brought to Jackson; the log measures 40 inches in diameter, which is small compared with the forest giants formerly covering Southeast Missouri; Edward Brown sold the log to Loos Brothers of Jackson.

Leaving its parking place on Water Street, just south of Broadway, a 1933 model Graham-Paige sedan owned by P.S. Jones, a farmer and stockman of Goreville, Ill., dashes across the street, runs down the levee and plunges into the Mississippi River.

100 years ago: March 11, 1911

Mr. and Mrs. L.R. Wagner of Jackson leave for Cape Girardeau to spend several days visiting his brother, Alvin Wagner; the couple will then leave for Chattanooga, Tenn., where Mr. Wagner will pitch for the Southern Baseball League.

Gust. Schultz has purchased the five-acre truck and poultry farm on Perryville Road belonging to H.E. Alexander and Charles Daues; Schultz will immediately move his family there and engage in the poultry and truck business as a side line.

-- Sharon K. Sanders