Out of the past: July 18

1998

City officials may ask Cape Girardeau voters to extend the Transportation Trust Fund sales tax if the 20 designated projects are completed on schedule; so far, work is progressing right on time; work is underway on rebuilding Perryville Road, and the project should be completed Dec. 21; the next major trust fund project will be the extension of Hopper Road from Mount Auburn to Kage Road.

Southeast Missouri State University has embarked on a major fund-raising campaign that university president Dr. Dale Nitzschke says could raise $25 million; the exact goal hasn't been determined; the money would help fund seven projects and programs ranging from development of the university's River Campus and Polytechnic Institute to scholarships and instructional technology.

1973

The tradition of using Cape La Croix Creek as the local swimming hole, at the bend of the creek where it touches Route W, appears to be over; the owner of the property where the swimming hole is located, Mrs. Hadley G. Schrock, doesn't welcome visitors to the creek, especially since many have destroyed parts of her fencing and damaged pasture land; this weekend she restored a section of the fencing surrounding the pasture, which runs through the creek and shuts in part of the area swimmers had been using; "no trespassing" signs have been posted.

Squaring off for action ahead, the Cape Girardeau City Council approves a resolution "to register its opposition to any attempt by the City of Jackson to annex territory beyond the halfway point between our two existing city limits"; in a different controversial matter, the council authorizes City Manager W.G. Lawley on behalf of the city to file as an intervenor with the Missouri Public Service Commission on Missouri Utilities Co.'s requests for higher rate hikes in electric, natural gas and water services.

1948

Mary Arnell Farris makes her debut in the morning as assistant organist at First Christian Church; an organ pupil of Mrs. J. Clyde Brandt, Farris recently received an attendance bar for her 14th year of perfect attendance at Sunday school.

The Cape Girardeau Capahas win their fourth straight baseball game and the 13th out of 16 played by defeating the Perryville American Legion team 11-2 at Capaha Park; the Caps blast the offerings of Les Kiefer and his successor for 12 hits, while Dick Hildebrand of the Caps holds Perryville to six hits.

1923

Mrs. J. Frank Grant, 1224 William St., has been waiting more than nine weeks for water service to be restored to her residence, due to installation work for the West End sewer; all of Grant's appeals for help to the Dunnegan Construction Company, Cape Girardeau Mayor James A. Barks and the Missouri Public Service Commission have proved unproductive; the water was cut off from the Grant house at 8 a.m. May 28 without warning.

The Dutchtown district got much-needed rain yesterday afternoon, and every farmer, businessman and traveler in that part of the county seemed to be joyous when the raindrops began falling rapidly; all farming operations were suspended, wheat threshing was stopped and farmers betook themselves to their homes to revel in the luxury of a rainfall.

-- Sharon K. Sanders