Out of the past: Nov. 20

1998

Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon's decision to accept a $6.7 billion tobacco settlement for the state won't halt a lawsuit over Nixon's use of private lawyers in the case; the suit was filed in August in Cole County Circuit Court by state Sen. Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau; Kinder's lawyer, Bevis Schock of St. Louis, said Thursday the lawsuit would continue; but Nixon said Kinder's lawsuit is pure politics and that he should "quit wasting the court's time" and drop the lawsuit.

As the Vision 2000 city improvement plan winds down, its successor, Vision 2020, will be gearing up; Cape Girardeau is seeking applications from community-minded residents to serve on the Vision 2020 Planning Committee; the committee's purpose is to develop some basic goals for the new group, which on Jan. 1, 2000, will replace Vision 2000.

1973

The two associate judges of Cape Girardeau County Court and a Southeast Missourian reporter were briskly scolded during court yesterday by a Jackson businessman who expressed strong opposition to the possibility of the proposed county law enforcement complex being built on the County Farm in Cape Girardeau; Gene C. Cracraft, president of Cracraft-Miller Funeral Home and Furniture Store, accused Associate Judge J. Ronald Fischer of Cape Girardeau of declaring favoritism for the County Farm site and Associate Judge Edwin W. Sander of Jackson of failing to adequately voice his opposition to the farm site; Cracraft accused the reporter of printing only comments favorable to that location.

Thanksgiving travelers may have difficulty finding gasoline stations that are open, but no pumps will be dry in the Cape Girardeau area; a check of local stations shows many may close for the holiday as a benefit of their employees, but there is no major fuel shortage at the moment, although the situation is worsening.

1948

Although Girardeans are finding that their Thanksgiving turkey will cost them from 7 to 15 cents more per pound this year than last, the family breadwinner will be consoled knowing that "all the trimmin's" are cheaper; while there is a general scarcity of turkeys, Girardeans should be able to get their traditional holiday fowl; local stores are offering turkeys for from 68 to 85 cents per pound for hens, and the large toms at 58 to 75 cents, dressed.

Christ Evangelical Church will be host to the congregation of the city's Protestant churches Thanksgiving morning at the community Thanksgiving service; principal speaker will be the Rev. C.E. Mount, pastor of the Presbyterian Church; four local ministers, representing as many churches, will take part in the event.

1923

According to the terms of an ordinance adopted at a meeting of the Cape Girardeau City Council yesterday, new buildings erected within the fire limits of Cape Girardeau hereafter must be built of stone, brick or some other incombustible material, and all additions, roofs or extensions of present buildings must be made of the same type of inflammable material; the order doesn't apply to buildings smaller than 13 feet square, but these smaller structures must be covered with metal or some other fireproof material; the fire limits include Bellevue Street on the north, Pacific on the west, Morgan Oak on the south and the river on the east.

One hundred and forty cases are docketed for trial at the next term of Common Pleas Court, opening here next week; local attorneys say this is the largest docket in the history of the court; damage suits lead, there being 23 of this type litigation; divorces are a close second with 22 actions.

-- Sharon K. Sanders