Out of the past: April 6

1990

More than 500 people gathered at the Arena Building last night to pay tribute to the man who founded Mid-America Teen Challenge. The Rev. Herb Meppelink has headed Teen Challenge for the past 17 years. He is leaving the local program next month to become the National Teen Challenge department secretary and representative.

The Cape Girardeau City Council votes to place a 20-year, 25-cent park tax proposal before the voters in a special election June 5.

1965

Science projects are spread out on long rows of tables in Houck Field House, awaiting the opening of the ninth annual Southeast Missouri Regional Science Fair tonight. Judges spend the afternoon examining the exhibits and narrowing them down into first-, second- and third-place winners in the seven categories in each of two divisions.

State College, beset by on-campus and off-campus housing shortages, announces it will make alterations in existing residence halls to accommodate the next surge of students; the temporary measure will add space for 380 more students, but it will be far from enough, based on projected enrollment.

1940

The new city commissioners will meet Monday, with their first official acts being the assignment of a commissioner to head each department. Raymond E. Beckman, top vote-getter in the recent election, is in line to head the finance and parks departments. As the new mayor, Hinkle Statler will supervise the police department and that of public safety. Phillip Steck will head the fire department and health work and the city cemeteries, while Frank Batchelor will oversee the department of streets and sewers.

Woody Herman and his 16-piece orchestra provided the music last night at the all-school spring dance of Teachers College, attended by more than 1,000 students. At the dance, Frances Bowmanof Dexter, Missouri, was crowned 1940 Sagamore queen.

1915

The injection of the wet issue into the municipal campaign has brought out a method of campaigning never seen before in Cape Girardeau. Wagon loads of hoodlums drove through town last night from one saloon to another, drinking and yelling like demons, all in support of incumbent Mayor Fred Kage.

The beautiful new home of D. Harnes, an employee of the shoe factory, burns to the ground in the afternoon. Harnes had built the home in the Marble City Heights Addition little more than a year ago.

-- Sharon K. Sanders