Out of the past 12/17/12

1987

Fire overnight destroyed Southside Baptist Church, 805 Hackberry St.; authorities speculate the blaze may have been caused by an electrical short in wiring above an auditorium.

Many property owners are now included in a class-action suit involving a boundary dispute between the Oak Ridge and Jackson school districts; the total may be well more than 200 property owners, says Kenneth McManaman, attorney for the Oak Ridge R-6 School District, the plaintiff.

1962

Tom Mize, an employee of The Missourian, disposed of an unique house guest last night; Mize, who resides at 551 S. Benton St., says the guest, a medium-sized bobcat, had been trapped in an unfinished part of his basement for five days and had repulsed all attempts made to remove it; last night, Mize and a neighbor, Bob Burke, shot the bobcat when it came out of its hiding place.

The 700 turkeys in the flock at the Frank V. Caldwell farm near Jackson will be butchered this week for Christmas dinners; markets in the trade area will sell the birds.

1937

Sinking earth atop a hill at Illmo in the morning leaves a sizable cavity in the ground, after residents heard rumblings and felt tremors during the night; a hole, approximately 8 feet in diameter and 15 feet in depth, was created on a vacant lot in the rear of a dwelling owned and occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Maple W. Williamson, a block and a half from the city's water tower.

George J. Vandeven again becomes manager of the state and federal re-employment service here, succeeding Thelma Spradling, who resigned.

1912

Owing to the election to the office of county sheriff, Cape Girardeau City Marshal W.A. Summers, who also is chief of police, tendered his resignation to the city council last night, to take effect Jan. 1; there were two applicants for the position of city marshal, William Segraves and D.B. Nichols; four ballots were taken without election of either man resulting.

The Opera House at Broadway and Lorimier Street passes into the hands of Dr. C.E. Schuchert and Arthur Harrison, who expect to remodel the place and have weekly attractions; the new management expects to secure some first-rate acts.

-- Sharon K. Sanders