Out of the past: Nov. 29

1996

Many senior citizens in Cape Girardeau have lived with two dominant emotions since May: anger and fear; there have been 15 burglaries in the city in the past six months with victims' ages ranging from 60 to 95; in each burglary, either one or two men have broken into homes at night and demanded money from elderly residents; most of the burglaries have occurred two blocks south of William Street, between South Ellis Street and Sheridan Drive.

Thousands brave wet, cold, nasty weather to take part in the annual day-after-Thanksgiving Christmas shopping season in Cape Girardeau, armed with cash, credit cards and checkbooks; stores here fill as soon as they open, some as early as 6 a.m., enticed by sales and promotional give-a-ways.

1971

Cape Girardeau County is out of the financial woods for the current year because tax collections are reaching large enough proportions to meet expenses; in recent years, the financial pinch has occurred each fall, and this year the county had to borrow $180,000 to meet expenses for the County Road Department and general revenue operations.

University of Missouri alumni "talk shop" with Dr. C. Brice Ratchford, president of the four-campus university, during a background dinner meeting at the Ramada Inn here; Ratchford says the university needs a sizable increase in revenue to meet building improvement and expansion needs; the problem is how to raise the money; Ratchford suggests a special tax earmarked for capital improvements or a bond issue as two possible methods of generating the revenue.

1946

Cape Girardeau's community coal pile grows alarmingly low as the nationwide strike continues; scores of families in the city are caught without much fuel on hand, and local dealers are trying to give them relief; dealers are delivering but one ton of coal to a dwelling and then only if the family has less than a week's supply on hand.

Approximately one out of every five students at State College is working a part-time or full-time job to help pay his or her way through school; students are employed at various types of work, such as clerking at local stores, clerical work at the college, playing in orchestras, preaching or operating a business of their own.

1921

The name of the women's auxiliary to the American Legion has been changed, it was explained at a meeting of the local organization last night; American Legion Auxiliary is the new name of the women's branch of the Legion, composed of near relatives of former men who served in the armed forces during the war; it was formerly known as the Women's Auxiliary to the American Legion.

Dr. C.B. Ruff leaves for Arizona, where he will look after his mining interests; his family will remain here at least until next spring; the doctor expects to return early next year and remain until weather conditions out West permit work to be continued.

-- Sharon K. Sanders