Out of the past 3/18/02

10 years ago: March 18, 1992

U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson has acknowledged that he wrote six bad checks totaling $26,345 at House Bank between Jan. 31, 1989, and Sept. 30, 1991; he was informed by House Ethics Committee that checks were held by House sergeant at arms, who was in charge of Capitol Hill bank; House has voted to release names of all 296 current and 59 former members who wrote bad checks on their accounts at bank, which was closed in January as result of the scandal.

Environmental Protection Agency has started $2 million cleanup of Kem-Pest Superfund site in Cape Girardeau; two-phase cleanup will include excavation of soil around site, three miles north of Cape Girardeau.

25 years ago: March 18, 1977

William S. Wickham, who for many years was involved with law enforcement in Cape Girardeau County, died yesterday at age 66; he was born in Kennett, but had lived in Cape Girardeau since he was a child; his father, H.F. Wickham, and brother, Herbert Wickham, both served as chiefs of police here; deceased began his law enforcement career in 1941 with Cape Girardeau Police Department; over years, he also served as conservation agent and deputy with county sheriff's department.

Poplar Bluff - After almost 10 years of waiting, family of Air Force Col. James H. Metz learns his remains will be returned by North Vietnamese to United States; his remains, along with 11 other American pilots killed during Vietnam War, will be returned to their home communities; Metz, who had been listed as prisoner of war for seven years, was shot down over North Vietnam on April 15, 1968.

50 years ago: March 18, 1952

Names of Carlston A. Bohnsack and John F. Cargle have been filed for re-election to Cape Girardeau Board of Education, announces Elizabeth Walter, secretary of board; both are completing three-year terms; school election will be held April 1, separate from city general election.

Tornado rips narrow path across western Cape Girardeau County in evening; at least 12 farm buildings are destroyed and 10 damaged; 600 baby chicks are killed at one place and three hogs at another; no people are injured; damage occurs from Morehouse to south and to Farmington and Illinois points to north and east.

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- Sharon K. Sanders