Out of the past: Sept. 26

1998

The legendary group the Temptations is the main attraction for Family Weekend at Southeast Missouri State University; the Motown group begins its show at Houck Stadium with film clips of the five charter members performing songs and moves that made the group a success in the '60s; baritone Otis Williams, who still performs with the group, is the only surviving member of the original quintet.

Missouri's Conservation Commission wants more details about possible funding and financing agreements concerning a proposed nature center for Cape Girardeau County; the commission met in Cassville yesterday; the project is back on the commission's agenda for its Nov. 6 meeting in St. Joseph; the commission heard a proposal in January from officials from Cape Girardeau and Southeast Missouri State University to develop a nature center in the county's north park.

1973

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Search efforts involving more than 300 volunteers resume early in the day near Sikeston for an 18-month-old boy, who has been missing since about 1:30 p.m. yesterday; Byran Bright, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Bright of Anniston, Missouri, was on a fishing trip with an aunt when he apparently wandered away from the car and either fell in the water or became lost.

Gen. Seth J. McKee, 1973.Southeast Missourian archive

Gen. Seth J. McKee, 1973.Southeast Missourian archive

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Air Force Gen. Seth J. McKee, Cape Girardeau area native who has been commander of the North American Air Defense Command for four years, will retire Friday; approximately 260 representatives of all the military forces in NORAD, including units from Canada, will participate in a retirement ceremony honoring McKee, 56, whose military career spans 35 years.

1948

Members of Holy Family Catholic Church on South Sprigg Street in Cape Girardeau hold a public picnic on the playground of the church in the afternoon; the picnic is sponsored by the Parent-Teacher unit of the parish and is open to all, Catholic and Protestant; pastor of the church is the Rev. T.J. Wesner.

Professor A.W. Vaughan, for 20 years a member of the English department at State College, dies in the afternoon at a hospital in Birmingham, Alabama; since leaving Cape Girardeau in 1928, Vaughan has been professor of English and head of the department at Alabama College at Montevallo, where the family resides; the body will be returned to Cape Girardeau for burial.

1923

Postmaster H.H. Haas, following a survey of homes here, says 5% of the residences in Cape Girardeau have no mail receptacle; in addition, Haas announces that mail service to the homes where there are no mailboxes will be suspended following orders from the post office department.

While high officials of the Frisco Railroad are attempting to solve the problem of the dangerous crossing at the Marquette Cement Co. plant in South Cape Girardeau, a watchman has been stationed there by the cement company to prevent any further accidents similar to the one that claimed two lives there several weeks ago; a watchman will be on duty there at all times when fast trains are due and will stop automobile traffic when a train is approaching.

-- Sharon K. Sanders