Out of the past: April 15

1992

The cost of meeting Cape Girardeau's budget is leading to the elimination of about 12 city positions, including three held by long-time police officers; the positions will be eliminated July 1, the start of the city's fiscal year.

A recommended cut of $250,000 from Southeast Missouri State University's intercollegiate athletic budget would inhibit the school's ability to compete at the Division I level, says athletic director Richard McDuffie; Southeast's Budget Review Committee voted 12-11 Monday against rescinding its earlier recommendation to cut the athletic budget; the issue still must be reviewed by university President Kala Stroup and Southeast's Administrative Council.

1967

In a letter to The Southeast Missourian, the Sisters of Saint Francis Hospital state that there are no plans at present for a maternity ward in the new $10-million hospital to be constructed at Gordonville and Mount Auburn roads; given as the prime reason for the decision was the noted decrease in the birth rate during the past few years.

The second annual Shawnee District Scout Exposition gets underway at the National Guard Armory here with 30 Cape Girardeau area packs, troops and posts setting up exhibits; 5,000 people are expected to view demonstrations of more than 900 area scouts.

1942

President W.W. Parker discloses that Teachers College has been designated by Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox as one of the centers to train men students in freshman and sophomore classes for future duty as aviation, deck or engineering officers in the Navy; the plan is to be introduced in one form or another during the summer session, which begins June 1; the program is known as the V-1 plan.

Consolidated School of Aviation, Inc., here has offered to the Missouri Reserve Military Force the services of its equipment and personnel to organize and train an aviation squadron, which would serve as a guard unit in the war emergency.

1917

The St. Anne's Society of St. Mary's German Catholic Church celebrates its golden anniversary; the society was formed by a band of eight German Catholic women, who were members of St. Vincent's Church; of this number, only two remain: Catherine Reiker and Frances Wittmore.

Daniel Dommitt, the youngest volunteer in the Civil War, died yesterday of paralysis at the national cemetery near Mound City, Illinois, where he had been superintendent for two years; he enlisted at the age of 12 in the 1765h New York Volunteers; at the close of the war, he was given the position of national cemetery superintendent and had been in charge of the cemeteries of Custer's Battlefield in Montana, Battle Ground at Washington, D.C., and National at Arlington, Virginia; his body will be interred at the latter national cemetery.

-- Sharon K. Sanders