History

During the past spring semester, Southeast Missouri State University students were given the opportunity to explore real-life challenges, reaching creative solutions to restore and redevelop historic buildings. Steven Hoffman’s Historic Preservation-Based Economic Revitalization class created feasibility assessments of a one-story brick building at 101 William St. in downtown Cape Girardeau as part of a semester-long group project...

The last three families staying at the emergency shelter at Cape Girardeau Central High School moved out Tuesday night as the American Red Cross closed the shelter and turned the page from emergency to recovery services; the Mississippi River is expected to begin falling today at Cape Girardeau; the stage yesterday was 45.3 feet and steady...

Until the Federal Emergency Management gets word from the president, the extent of federal assistance to flood victims in Missouri and Illinois remains undecided; Friday, Missouri Gov. Mel Carnahan requested President Clinton issue federal declarations of both individual and public assistance because of the flooding, tornadoes and storms that have hit Southeast Missouri -- including Cape Girardeau and Scott counties -- recently...

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- Mississippi County, Missouri, officials say they are having record flooding because the Mississippi and Ohio rivers are both above flood stage; Sheriff Larry Turley explains this is worse than in 1993, because that flood year "the Ohio wasn't backing up water like it is this year."...

In 1930, Robert Burett Oliver Sr. typed a memoir in which he discussed the history of his family and allied families. Several chapters mention life at the family home of Pleasant Gardens in Cape Girardeau County. The following is a brief look at his remembrances of his father...

More than 480 flags, each placed in memory of a deceased veteran, lined the drive at North County Park yesterday, fluttering in a strong, almost chilly breeze; a large Memorial Day crowd gathered at the park to consider the price of freedom; the Joint Veterans' Council used the holiday ceremony to admonish those who allow the Stars and Stripes to be dishonored...

Thunderstorms continued to dump rain throughout the region yesterday, keeping flood watchers and workers on alert; high winds and rain swept through the area from Delta northeast to Gordonville, scattering tree limbs and debris, as well as downing power lines; flood watchers were on edge near Dutchtown as the storm apparently damaged the sandbag levee that shields the town from the flooded Diversion Channel...

VisionAire Corp. is looking to the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport as a possible site for a plant to manufacture its proposed new VisionAire Vantage single-engine business jet; Cape Girardeau is among a number of communities the firm is considering...

The Mississippi River dropped to 45.5 feet yesterday after reaching a crest Wednesday of 46.7 feet, 14.7 feet above flood stage; the National Weather Service says, if the weather pattern holds the next two weeks, the river will drop to 30 feet by Riverfest weekend, June 9 and 10; however, if the forecast for flash flooding during Memorial Day weekend proves accurate, the flooding situation could change overnight...

The Mississippi River, which crested yesterday at 46.7 feet yesterday, has pushed about five feet of water into the Cape LaCroix Creek by Bloomfield Road, leaving less room for flash flood water to run through the flood-control channel; the threat of flash floods this weekend has Cape Girardeau city officials on alert for a potentially dangerous situation in the Town Plaza area; threatened flash floods would also force the evacuation of approximately 100 residents in Allenville...

The National Weather Service's prediction of 2 to 5 inches of rain north of Cape Girardeau in the next two days could wreak havoc with today's scheduled Mississippi River crest of 47 feet; the forecast is calling for rainfall in Southeast Missouri by tomorrow night with flash flooding over the weekend; that would be bad news for those in the Dutchtown and Commerce, Missouri, areas, where residents are either spending the day evacuating their homes or hoping their levee won't break...

An advertisement proclaimed "A Thrill Every Minute" when the circus came to Cape Girardeau on June 6 and 7, 1925. This was no ordinary circus, however. This was the Harry H. Perkins Flying Circus featuring dare-devil pilots performing aerial stunts and taking passengers on joy rides...

Cape Girardeau tomorrow will witness its second-highest Mississippi River crest on record; the National Weather Service has revised the crest upward, calling for the Mississippi to reach 47 feet on the Cape Girardeau gauge; the record here is 48.49 feet, set Aug. 8, 1993...

COMMERCE, Mo. -- A levee south of Commerce breaks in the morning, sending the rampaging Mississippi River across thousands of acres of cropland, while holding rising floodwater in temporary abeyance in this flood-weary Scott County community. Cape Girardeau is getting ready for its 18th annual Riverfest celebration, scheduled for June 9 and 10; a variety of musical entertainment will include the rock band Rare Earth, along with country luminaries Lynn White and Daron Norwood; organizers are watching the flooded Mississippi River, hoping the stream drops below flood level soon.. ...

The Rev. Cecil Barham, pastor of Bethel Assembly of God Church in Cape Girardeau, delivers the baccalaureate sermon to Cape Girardeau Central High School seniors in the evening at the Holiday Inn, in an event sponsored by the local ministerial alliance; delivering the address takes on added importance for Barham, whose son, Aaron, is one of the seniors...

With the Mississippi River climbing, the Cape Girardeau County Commission declared a curfew for the flooded areas of the county, effective at 6 p.m. yesterday; those going around barricaded roadways are subject to arrest; at Dutchtown, dump trucks coordinated by the Corps of Engineers, are pouring rock and gravel onto Highway 74 for a makeshift levee...

LOS ANGELES -- Ken Osmond, who played the two-faced teenage scoundrel Eddie Haskell on TV's "Leave It to Beaver," died Monday, his family said. Osmond died in Los Angeles at age 76. No indication of the cause was given. "He was an incredibly kind and wonderful father," son Eric Osmond said in a statement. "He had his family gathered around him when he passed. He was loved and will be very missed."...

Battering an already battered area, a tornado roared through a rural stretch of southern Cape Girardeau County and northern Scott County yesterday afternoon, damaging barns and a home; no injuries were reported; while Cape Girardeau was pounded with rain and hail for a second straight day, it avoided being hit by the tornado, which instead struck south of Chaffee, Missouri, destroying the barn and ripping through the David Landewee family farm...

Residents are picking up the pieces after a line of thunderstorms, with winds up to 74 mph, raced through the Cape Girardeau area early yesterday, downing power lines, uprooting trees and damaging homes; the storm struck Cape Girardeau around 6 a.m.; hardest hit was the Brookwood and Dennis Scivally parks areas just off Cape Rock Drive, where 70- to 100-foot-tall trees were toppled, their roots holding giant balls of rain-soaked soil...

LOS ANGELES -- Fred Willard, the comedic actor whose improv style kept him relevant for more than 50 years in films such as "This Is Spinal Tap," "Best In Show" and "Anchorman," has died. He was 86. Willard's daughter, Hope Mulbarger, said in a statement Saturday her father died peacefully Friday night. The cause of his death has not been released...

On Monday, May 15, 1950, Martha Stovall graduated from Southeast Missouri State College, as it was known then, and promptly married Kenneth Bender that afternoon. "Life was fast in those days, I'll tell you," said Martha Bender, 91, as she flipped through wedding photos at the couple's Cape Girardeau home last week. "We had to do things while we could."...

Cape Girardeau's proposed $54.9 million budget for fiscal 1996 includes a merit pay hike of 2.5 to 3% for most city employees but no across-the-board raises; rank-and-file police officers had requested a 10% hike, but city officials insist there isn't sufficient money to give employees a more substantial raise...

Dark skies, heavy rains mixed with hail, lightning and strong winds swept over a wide area of Southeast Missouri yesterday morning; no serious damage was reported, but the storms did cause minor flooding in streets; the rain also results in a slightly higher Mississippi River crest for Cape Girardeau: 38.5 feet on Saturday...

"A Ring Around the Rosies, A Pocketful of Posies, A-Tishoo, A-tishoo, We All Fall Down." This childhood nursery rhyme is thought to have its origin during the Black Plague in London, 1655. It denoted a terrible rash, flowers as a preventative, sneezing, and eventual death. This was thought to be the message...

CARUTHERSVILLE, Mo. -- A lot of new traffic is downtown these days, but the influx of more than 2,000 visitors a day to this Bootheel city of 7,500 isn't creating traffic flow problems; "Everything is moving smoothly," says Don Lloyd, city economic developer, in reference to the traffic increase created by the opening of Aztar Casino aboard the City of Caruthersville riverboat...

The Mississippi River is still on the rise; it's expected to crest Tuesday evening at Cape Girardeau at 38 feet, 6 feet above flood stage; so far, no flooding has been reported in the city's low-lying area; but that may change if the severe thunderstorms weather forecasters are predicting cause flash floods overnight...

BENTON, Mo. -- A huge pile of discarded tires near Benton has raised concern among Scott County officials; county commissioners have contacted the Department of Natural Resources office in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, to see what can be done about what they call an eyesore and potential health hazard; John Stephenson, owner of SEMO Waste Management on Highway 77, two miles east of Interstate 55, says he's trying to get rid of the waste tires by developing some markets and uses...

NEW YORK -- Jerry Stiller, who for decades teamed with wife Anne Meara in a beloved comedy duo and then reached new heights in his senior years as the high-strung Frank Costanza on the classic sitcom "Seinfeld" and the basement-dwelling father-in-law on "The King of Queens," died at 92, his son Ben Stiller announced Monday...

Cape Girardeau Municipal Court isn't the moneymaker it used to be; revenue declined significantly this fiscal year and will likely finish the year about $116,000 behind last year's total; city officials, including Municipal Judge Edward Calvin, blame the revenue slide on police writing fewer traffic tickets...

Cape Girardeau's revenue from property taxes has nearly doubled over the past 10 years because of levy hikes and an ever-growing assessed valuation; property taxes brought in $685,000 in 1985-86; in 1993-94, they brought in $1.25 million; this fiscal year, property taxes will generate an estimated $1.3 million, a 6% increase...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Little Richard, one of the chief architects of rock 'n' roll whose piercing wail, pounding piano and towering pompadour irrevocably altered popular music while introducing black R&B to white America, died Saturday after battling bone cancer. He was 87...

John Dragoni Sr. of Cape Girardeau turned 95 Saturday and he admits his memory isn't what it used to be. He recalls with complete clarity, though, where he was on V-E (Victory in Europe) Day 75 years ago. "I was on (the island of) Tinian in the South Pacific on May 8, 1945," said Dragoni, who served in the old U.S. Army Air Corps (now Air Force) during World War II...

The Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce's membership surpassed the 1,200 mark following a one-day recruitment blitz that netted more than 80 members; the new numbers shoved the local chamber into the No. 3 position in membership in Missouri, with 1,231 members...

LONDON -- Seventy-five years after World War II ended in Europe, The Associated Press spoke to veterans who endured mortal danger, oppression and fear. As they mark Victory in Europe Day on Friday, they also are dealing with loneliness brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. Here is some of their testimony...

Cape Girardeau Central High School seniors must fulfill all graduation requirements to participate in the May 26 commencement; the Board of Education made it official last night by adopting a formal policy that had been in the works since the start of the school year...

The name John James Audubon usually conjures visions of his paintings of North American birds. Few realize that Audubon spent six weeks in our area in 1811, however. Audubon partnered in 1806 with a friend, Ferdinand Rozier, with the assistance of their fathers Jean Audubon and Claude Rozier. ...

A&E’s “Ghost Hunters” production crew paid Cape Girardeau’s historic Glenn House a visit to investigate “disturbing paranormal activity,” and the results of that visit are set to air on the channel May 20. The episode’s title, “The Glenn Family Curse,” refers to successful local businessman David Glenn, who more than a century ago built the house that still overlooks the Mississippi River from 325 S. Spanish St. Tragically, Glenn lost three infant children and later went bankrupt...

The Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce, with a membership of 1,150, ranks fourth among the chambers in the state; by 4 p.m. tomorrow, after it holds its membership blitz, chamber officials are hoping to be No. 3. Blimpie International Inc., the nation's second-largest submarine-sandwich chain, is scheduled to open in Cape Girardeau on Wednesday; the restaurant, at the intersection of Broadway and Harmony, is located in the structure that previously housed Pete's Pumps...

Restaurants, retail stores and apartments could soon replace vacant buildings in the 400 block of Broadway in Cape Girardeau as part of a plan to redevelop several parcels of property between Broadway and Bellevue Street. The plan, known as The Rialto Retail and Residential development, was presented Wednesday to the Cape Girardeau Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Commission ...

Joe Jackson, former defensive end with the New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings, is the guest speaker at Abundant Life Church in Gordonville; Jackson now ministers in evangelism, music, high school assemblies and prison outreach. A V-E commemorative ceremony is held in the afternoon at the Missouri Veterans Home; the event marks the 50-year anniversary of the Allied victory in Europe May 8, 1945; Maj. ...

Plans and designs for Cape Girardeau City Hall were presented by project manager Anna Kangas to members of City Council via Zoom video conference call Monday night, along with renderings of how the project may look once completed. Kangas opened her presentation by providing historical information about the Common Pleas Courthouse, which dates back to 1854, previously housed county offices and is designated on the National Register of Historic Places...

Nancy Bray received the annual Cobblestone Award, recognizing community service, yesterday; the presentation was made by Dutch Estes during the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce's First Friday Coffee. Missouri Secretary of State Bekki Cook's address is short and to the point; "I am the only thing that stands between you and your diploma," she tells the graduates at Southeast Missouri State University's spring commencement; 730 undergraduates and graduate students receive their diplomas in front of a packed house of about 7,000 parents, friends and relatives at the Show Me Center.. ...

Carolyn Goodin was recently installed as president of the Otahki Girl Scout Council, which serves more than 2,400 girls in 11 area counties; other new officers are Rick Etherington and Joyce Miller, vice presidents; Grace Hoover, secretary; and Tom Martin, treasurer...

DECATUR, Ga. -- On this day 60 years ago, a black man driving a white woman was pulled over in a traffic stop that would change the course of American history. The incident was unknown to most at the time and has been largely forgotten. The man was Martin Luther King Jr., and his citation on May 4, 1960, led to him being sentenced, illegally, to a chain gang...

City prosecutors say they plan to file charges against Regina's House of Dolls for allegedly violating a new ordinance regulating adult businesses; the plan is to prosecute Regina's in Municipal Court; the ordinance took effect April 13, and police entered the strip-tease establishment at 805 Enterprise St. ...

The namesake of a Cape Girardeau school has died. Charles C. Clippard died Friday. He was 90. Clippard was a longtime principal at Hawthorn Elementary School, 2800 Hopper Road, and upon his retirement in 1991, the school district's board voted to rename the school in his honor...

Cape Girardeau public schools have earned accreditation for grades kindergarten through 12 from the North Central Association; this is the first year the district's elementary schools have been accredited; Central High School has been accredited since 1922...

The Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce, housed at 601 N. Kingshighway more than 20 years, may move west; the chamber's facilities committee has recommended a site along North Mount Auburn Road for a new chamber building. Speaking at a news conference at noon, NAACP President Dawn Evans says the local branch will "most definitely" put forward candidates for Cape Girardeau Board of Education in the next election; Evans calls the appointment by the Cape County Commission of Harry Rediger, Bob Blank and Dr. ...

Tom Stockton and John Osborn are remembered for their historic roles as communicators of community news. We learn their stories from scattered collections of Cape Girardeau memories. In a memoir, "Sounds and Pictures of Yesterday" (1933), Clara Rider Hayden memorialized Tom Stockton as the "town's crier." Hayden's mid-1880s memories of red brick houses, locust trees, stone walls and brick sidewalks on Jackson Street (now Broadway) included a little, bent, old man walking in the middle of the graveled street, swinging an immense dinner bell. ...

State militias have been under increased government and media scrutiny in the 12 days since the bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City; now, local officials are keeping their eye on a Missouri militia group interested in organizing in Cape Girardeau; a St. Louis-area militia, 1st Missouri Volunteers, is recruiting men and women for a Cape Girardeau company...