Out of the past: Feb. 11

1997

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Fire yesterday destroyed the 96-year-old Mississippi County Courthouse; the blaze was reported about 4:15 a.m., and firefighters from six departments responded to the alarm; while Butch Amann, a fire investigator with the state fire marshal's office, says it's too early to determine the cause of the fire, which started on the second floor of the courthouse, arson is suspected.

Famed comedian Bill Cosby is scheduled to perform at the Show Me Center in April; his appearance here will cap a week of activities as part of the inauguration of Dr. Dale Nitzschke as Southeast Missouri State University's 16th president.

1972

On the heels of a nationwide utility rate freeze ordered yesterday by the Federal Price Board, Cape Girardeau files a complaint with the St. Louis Economic Stabilization Office protesting the hike in electric rates granted in December to Missouri Utilities Co.; in the complaint, the city alleges the 10.7% rate increase for the company ordered by the Missouri Public Service Commission violates Phase 2 of the federal price guidelines.

The Air Force Reserve Officers Training Corps program at State College isn't scheduled to begin until next fall, but ROTC representatives from the unit at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale will move onto the campus next week to promote the program.

1947

Heavy ice floes have hampered movement of boats on the Mississippi River in the Cape Girardeau area the past several days; virtually no craft is able to move upstream against the heavy ice, but some southbound tows have made it through.

Community leaders, endeavoring to find a way in which the Bartholomew plan may be revised for future development of Cape Girardeau, put detailed questions to Eldridge Lovelace, representative of the planning firm; Lovelace explains that to revise the plan, originally drawn in 1928 and partially followed since that time, would cost $5,000; to add to it a traffic study and proposed public works program would cost the community $8,200.

1922

Playing the last home game of the season here, the Teachers College basketball team last night worked a whirlwind offensive to defeat the visiting Carbondale, Illinois, basketeers, 55-15; it was the most decisive victory yet scored by the local team and kept its record perfect for the first seven games of the 12-game season; Capt. Eddie Kiehne, making his first appearance of the season, scored a game high 29.

The early morning train brings two bloodhounds to Cape Girardeau from Chattanooga, Tennessee; they were ordered for use of the police department in running down criminals here and to be used in trailing yeggs in Southeast Missouri; they are housed at police headquarters.

-- Sharon K. Sanders