Out of the past: Jan. 7

1995

Instead of waking yesterday to a serene blanket of snow, many area residents faced their worst nightmare: Ice and freezing rain; most area schools canceled classes because of the ice and dangerous driving conditions; Southeast Missouri State University delayed opening its offices because of the weather.

One hundred twenty-five of 126 levees damaged during the 1993 flood have been fully restored, according to a report by the St. Louis District of the Army Corps of Engineers; the Bois Brule levee near Perryville, Missouri, and the Kaskaskia Island levee in Southern Illinois were among those restored as of Dec. 30 to the full level of protection; the exception is Ste. Genevieve County Levee No. Two.

1970

Bitterly cold temperatures grip Southeast Missouri, forcing some industrial and commercial customers of Missouri Utilities Co. to switch from natural gas to standby heating systems, including some schools; Illmo-Scott City schools, Richland High School at Essex and schools at Dexter are closed; the mercury falls to 2 degrees above zero at 6 a.m. at the municipal airport, the lowest mark for the season.

Burglars enter the front door of Rozier's Store in Jackson in the morning and make off with men's suits valued at between $10,00 and $11,000; about 160 men's suits are taken in the burglary.

1945

A mortgage-burning ceremony and launching of the Crusade for Christ campaign by members of Grace Methodist Church highlight religious activity here; the mortgage-burning ceremony, symbolizing complete liquidation of the congregation's indebtedness, features Bishop Ivan Lee Holt, who burns the note after it is handed to him by August Koeppel, chairman of the board of trustees; this is Holt's first visit to Grace Church since his election as the presiding bishop of Missouri.

Erma Clack, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Leo Steimle of Cape Girardeau, was crowned queen of the senior class at Cape Girardeau Central High School Friday evening during a party in the gymnasium.

1920

Norman Hely's garage and automobile salesroom, 615 Broadway, comes near being destroyed by fire in the morning and with it six or eight fine new Studebaker cars; a Big Six Speeder, the car Hely has been driving for his own use, catches fire, and the top, cushions and some of the upholstery are ruined.

The H. Tenzer hat factory started operation last night on the second floor of the Morrison building at 35 S. Spanish St.; a long table holds 12 sewing machines of a peculiar type; they are driven by electricity, and the girls merely feed straw braid through them.

-- Sharon K. Sanders