Out of the past: Oct. 19

1993

TAMMS, Ill. -- The Alexander County village of Tamms, 18 miles north of Cairo, Illinois, and 20 miles west of Cape Girardeau, has been selected for a $60 million super-maximum prison; the prison site is two miles northeast of Tamms.

The Cape Girardeau City council voted unanimously last night to step up the hiring of police officers in the city; Police Chief Howard "Butch" Boyd Jr., had asked the council to hire two "community service officers" in January, and four more patrolmen during the next three years.

1968

Bids of four contractors on the various phases of work for the proposed municipal airport terminal building project were tentatively accepted by the Cape Girardeau City Council yesterday; Rickard Construction Co., will get the general work contract; Electric Supply Co., electrical work; A.E. Birk and Sons Plumbing and Heating Co., plumbing, and Golightly Air Conditioning, Heating and Sheet Metal Co., heating and air conditioning.

Jess D. Giesler, formerly of St. Louis, has purchased the Western Auto Associates store at 52 Plaza Way.

1943

An estimated 10 percent of families living in Cape Girardeau aren't yet supplied with coal for the winter; fuel companies are busy taking out coal, with some retailers having an adequate supply and some running short.

Returning to the baseball diamond to honor their star twirler, the Capahas will stage a game with the Crystal City Starts at Fairground Park Sunday; all the proceeds will go to pitcher Roy Smith, who will be laid up for a month with an injured ankle sustained in the game Oct. 10 with the Crystal City team.

1918

Roy Weimer, son of John Weimer, met with an accident yesterday afternoon while squirrel hunting on his father's home; while loading his shotgun, the weapon accidentally exploded, and the charge of shot struck Weimer's left foot, nearly tearing away the fourth and fifth toes; he was alone in the woods at the time and about a quarter mile from the house, but walked back despite the injury.

There are only five new cases of Spanish influenza reported in Cape Girardeau, and three others are released from quarantine; the fact that no deaths have occurred here in the last few days, nor anyone reported dangerously ill with the disease, leads city officials to believe the situation is now well in hand and that a general epidemic won't result.

-- Sharon K. Sanders