Out of the past: July 26

1990

GALE, Ill. -- Dismantling of the first of 17 petroleum storage tanks at the defunct Ilada Energy Reclamation plant near here begins; the plant was closed in 1982, after state and federal Environmental Protection Agency inspectors found large concentrations of toxic chemicals and metals in used oil that was shipped to the plant for recycling.

Gov. John Ashcroft was in Cape Girardeau yesterday to honor six area businesses for creating new jobs in Missouri; those businesses were the Dana Corp., Mildenberger & Willing Packaging U.S. Inc., BioKyowa Inc., Lee-Rowan, Gilster-Mary Lee Corp. and Malone and Hyde Inc.

1965

Eugene M. Bissell, a repairman with the Southwestern Bell Telephone Co., becomes the second candidate for Cape Girardeau's first city council under the city-manager plan; the other candidate is John W. Martin.

Twelve boys from the Youth Corps begin clearing a 20-acre tract on the County Farm west of Interstate 55 for a county park; the work is being done under the supervision of the County Parks and Recreation Board.

1940

John I. Sample says Girardeans are being asked to sign petitions that ask that Courthouse Park not be sold or traded as a post office site; Mayor Hinkle Statler has proposed trading a portion of the park -- which will mean the destruction of the historic courthouse -- to the federal government for the current federal building/post office; while merchants downtown are supporting the proposal, a growing number of other residents are opposed to it, as is evidenced by the circulation of these petitions.

On a projected 292-mile, solo swim down the Mississippi River from St. Louis to Caruthersville, Missouri, John V. Sigmund, 30, of St. Louis passes Cape Girardeau at 11 a.m.; he left St. Louis two days ago at 6 in the morning.

1915

Charles H. Daues, city counselor of St. Louis, tells The Daily Republican newspaper he has advised Cape Girardeau Mayor Fred A. Kage the park bond-issue ordinance is invalid; Kage asked Daues' opinion of the bond ordinance on a recent visit to Cape Girardeau.

The August term of Common Pleas Court convenes in the morning; Judge R. Ranney devotes the first hour to a memorial service for the late Judge Robert L. Wilson.

-- Sharon K. Sanders