History in the News
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A tragedy in Jackson (4/27/24)David DickeyIn 1963, tragedy struck the town of Jackson, its high school, a teacher and a family. Richard Burton Partridge was born June 20, 1925, in Evanston, Illinois, and married Martha Weaver in 1954. Partridge received a master’s degree from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. He and his wife, along with their five children, moved to Jackson in 1960, when he become the director of music at the Jackson School District. He passed away Friday, June 9, 1989, just nine months after his wife, Martha.
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A lady of noble lineage (4/27/24)Beverly HahsOf the many people I’ve read about, there are many ladies I would have loved to have known. Zerilda Byrnes is one of those ladies. The tales she could have shared about her life as a young girl growing up near the Neely’s Landing area among the Shawnee and Delaware tribes would have been fascinating.
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Out of the past: April 26 (4/26/24)It began with a false rumor about a bomb threat, a rumor that may have been started by students wanting to get out of a test; last week’s school shootings in Littleton, Colorado, certainly fueled the spread of the rumor; the result Friday was that about 300 of the 950 students at Jackson High School and about 200 of the 600 students at Jackson Middle School stayed home for the day; the number of students who stayed home from Jackson Junior High School and the elementary schools is unavailable. ...
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Out of the past: April 25 (4/25/24)The congregation of Westminster Presbyterian Church honors its pastor and his wife, the Rev. Miles and Caroline White, during an anniversary celebration in the morning; a brunch is served after the worship service; the Whites have been serving the Cape Girardeau church for 10 years; he is the fourth minister for the congregation that began in 1963. ...
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Out of the past: April 24 (4/24/24)A tax protest filed this week could pose a financial problem for Cape Girardeau, says Mayor Al Spradling III; Cape Girardeau businessmen Jim, Robert and Charles Drury paid their motel and restaurant taxes under protest this week; the protest covers taxes paid by Hampton Inn, Drury Suites, Drury Lodge, Pear Tree Inn, Holiday Inn, Burger King and Victorian Inn; the Jim Drury-led protest centers on his opposition to the River Campus project. ...
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Out of the past: April 23 (4/23/24)A catastrophic earthquake along the New Madrid Fault likely won’t occur for thousands of years, a University of Missouri-Columbia geologist says; it could take 14,000 years for an earthquake measuring 8.0 on the Richter scale to occur, says Joe Engeln, an associate professor of geological sciences; Engeln’s findings were published in Science magazine this week. ...
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Out of the past: April 22 (4/22/24)Attorney Ben Lewis encouraged volunteers to continue building the walls of the community during the Volunteer Recognition Awards program sponsored by Area Wide United Way and Ameritech yesterday; recipients of awards for the volunteer work they do were Lillian Dean, outstanding youth volunteer; Vicki Rhew, outstanding adult volunteer; Irene Eaker, outstanding senior volunteer; and CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), outstanding volunteer organization. ...
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Marie Watkins Oliver bust unveiled (4/19/24)By J.C. Reeves ~ Southeast MissourianA bust of Marie Watkins Oliver is unveiled by Missouri Speaker of the House Dean Plocher, left, and Oliver’s great-great-grandson, Jack Oliver, in the Hall of Famous Missourians on Monday, April 15, at the state Capitol in Jefferson City...
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Out of the past: April 19 (4/19/24)After months of debate, the Cape Girardeau Board of Education establishes elementary school boundaries during a meeting at Central Junior High School; board members approve a proposal developed by administrators late last month that slightly modifies the original plan adopted in 1997; under the proposal, most school boundaries would remain the same, with the most significant changes affecting Jefferson and Franklin schools. ...
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Allman Brothers Band co-founder and legendary guitarist Dickey Betts dies at 80 (4/19/24)By STEVEN WINE and RUSS BYNUM ~ Associated PressDickey Betts, who died Thursday at age 80, really was born a ramblin' man. He left home at 16 to join the circus and became a renowned guitarist touring the world with the Allman Brothers Band. He wrote the group's biggest hit, "Ramblin' Man," and remained on the road until he reached the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame...
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Out of the past: April 18 (4/18/24)Mount Auburn Christian Church celebrates its 30th anniversary during the morning worship service and a potluck dinner that follows; a pictorial display of the church’s history is in the foyer; the church began as New Testament Christian Church with only five families as members; the first service was held in 1970 with only 34 people attending; today there are more than 200 members. ...
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Out of the past: April 17 (4/17/24)Calvin Bird has resigned as executive director of Southeast Missouri’s federally funded Weed and Seed program; Bird was the first and only executive director for Weed and Seed of Southeast Missouri Inc. and had served since April 1, 1997; the program is a U.S. Department of Justice initiative designed to weed out violent crime, drug use and gang activity in targeted neighborhoods in Cape Girardeau, Sikeston, Charleston, Poplar Bluff and Caruthersville; Bird said Friday he resigned to take a position with the Greater Dimension Church of God in Christ in Cape Girardeau. ...
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Out of the past: April 16 (4/16/24)Taxpayers crowded into the Cape Girardeau Post Office yesterday to mail their tax returns; area residents streamed into the post office throughout the day, most intent on mailing tax returns; "We will cancel 300,000 to 350,000 pieces of mail," predicted Postmaster Mike Keefe; normally, the post office here cancels about 170,000 pieces of mail...
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Out of the past: April 16 (4/16/24)Taxpayers crowded into the Cape Girardeau Post Office yesterday to mail their tax returns; area residents streamed into the post office throughout the day; “We will cancel 300,000 to 350,000 pieces of mail,” predicted Postmaster Mike Keefe; normally, the post office here cancels about 170,000 pieces of mail. ...
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Out of the past: April 15 (4/15/24)A proposal to build a 40-unit apartment complex in South Cape Girardeau for elderly and disabled residents was approved last night by the Cape Girardeau Planning and Zoning Commission; the project would occupy the northeast corner of Linden Street and Parkway Drive and would consist of 10 four-plexes of one and two bedrooms; it would be situated half a block from a similar 44-unit complex, Heritage Manor, built three years ago by the same company, Cape Girardeau Properties II, L.P...
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Out of the past: April 15 (4/15/24)A proposal to build a 40-unit apartment complex in South Cape Girardeau for elderly and disabled residents was approved last night by the Cape Girardeau Planning and Zoning Commission; the project would occupy the northeast corner of Linden Street and Parkway Drive and would consist of 10 four-plexes of one and two bedrooms; it would be situated half a block from a similar 44-unit complex, Heritage Manor, built three years ago by the same company, Cape Girardeau Properties II, L.P. ...
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Cape Girardeau Heritage Museum unveils exhibits on old bridge, Truman and American quilting (4/15/24)The Cape Girardeau Heritage Museum is set to unveil three new exhibits this week that promise to enrich our understanding of both local and national heritage. These exhibits, focusing on the construction of the old Cape Girardeau bridge, President Harry S. Truman’s connection with Southeast Missouri, and American quiltmaking, provide a view of pivotal moments and traditions that have shaped our community and the country at large. ...
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Out of the past: April 14 (4/14/24)Cape Girardeau has received a commitment for a $600,000 community development block grant for water and sewer line improvements at Cape Girardeau Regional Airport; the preliminary grant award will help the city provide water service to the airport and surrounding businesses...
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Out of the past: April 13 (4/13/24)The Cape Girardeau Board of Education remains much the same after being reorganized last night; new board officers were elected and appointed; Dr. Ferrell Ervin, in his third term as board member, was re-elected board president for a third year; Mark Carver, who is serving the second year of his three-year term, was elected vice president of the board; incumbents Bob Blank and the Rev. ...
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Murder most foul: The killing of John M. Daniel (4/13/24)Bill EddlemanThe sensational case of the murder of John M. Daniel by Isaac Whitson on Dec. 12, 1832, is a rare local example of an early capital crime. John M. Daniel first appeared in the area in 1818 when he bought land near Hubble Creek just north of Jackson. In 1828 Daniel married Amantha Hector, likely his second wife. Daniel became a prominent businessman, owning nine local town lots and over 600 acres of land by 1830.
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Out of the past: April 12 (4/12/24)Downtown living is making an impressive comeback in Cape Girardeau; a nationwide trend is luring a diverse population — singles, couples, retirees — back downtown to Main Street; and, in downtown Cape Girardeau, that means upscale loft dwellings, second-floor apartments which overlook the Mississippi River, and a new four-family condo; Aquamsi Bluff Townhouse is expected to be ready for occupancy in the 200 block of South Spanish this fall; it’s the first new residential structure in the immediate downtown area in almost a quarter-century. ...
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OJ Simpson dies at 76 (4/11/24)By KEN RITTER Associated PressLAS VEGAS (AP) — O.J. Simpson, the football star and Hollywood actor acquitted of charges he killed his former wife and her friend in a trial that mesmerized the public and exposed divisions on race and policing in America, has died. He was 76...
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Out of the past: April 11 (4/11/24)Former leaders of the now dissolved Cape Community Concert Association have donated $3,216 to Southeast Missouri University Foundation to support the River Campus project at Southeast Missouri State University; the gift represents residual funds from the former Community Concert Association, which became inactive a few years ago. ...
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Cape Girardeau native assists with uncovering archaeological site (4/10/24)J.C. Reeves ~ Southeast Missourian and Associated PressHOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. — An archaeological site that might shed more light on New Mexico’s ancient history has been discovered recently within the boundaries of Holloman Air Force Base...
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Out of the past: April 10 (4/10/24)School district administrators say a federal law that governs special education programs has handcuffed their ability to discipline students; about 40 Southeast Missouri educators from 18 school districts met with U.S. Sens. John Ashcroft and Christopher “Kit” Bond yesterday at the Cape Girardeau Area Vocational-Technical School; they said the federal Individuals with Disabilities Act also has saddled the nation’s school districts with burdensome and expensive disciplinary procedures; Ashcroft and Bond pledged to work toward improving the law. ...
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Peter Higgs, physicist who proposed the existence of the 'God particle,' dies at 94 (4/10/24)By DANICA KIRKA, JILL LAWLESS and JAMEY KEATEN ~ Associated PressLONDON -- Nobel prize-winning physicist Peter Higgs, who proposed the existence of the so-called "God particle" that helped explain how matter formed after the Big Bang, has died at age 94, the University of Edinburgh said Tuesday. The university, where Higgs was emeritus professor, said he died Monday following a short illness...
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Out of the past: April 9 (4/9/24)Speaking at the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce First Friday Coffee at the Show Me Center, James Gray, a member of the British Parliament, suggests “perhaps we should set up a ‘sister-city’ relationship” between Cape Girardeau and his home town in England, Chippenham in Wiltshire County; Gray, a Conservative Party member of Parliament, is guest of U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, who is also a speaker at the coffee; another guest at the event is Ronald C. Gladney, a St. Louis attorney, who is Emerson’s fiance. ...
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Out of the past: April 8 (4/8/24)Gov. Mel Carnahan wants the Legislature to appropriate $4.6 million for development of Southeast Missouri State University’s River Campus; his action Wednesday prompted the House Budget Committee to include the project in its capital improvements funding bill; university and Cape Girardeau city officials cheer the developments as positive signs that the project will proceed. ...
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Out of the past: April 7 (4/7/24)They don’t have a site yet, but the Lutheran High School Steering Committee has selected its name; Saxony Lutheran High School is expected to open its doors, wherever it might be, by fall 2000; the name was selected from 35 suggestions submitted by school-age children; the name reflects the region’s Lutheran heritage...
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Out of the past: April 6 (4/6/24)The Cape Girardeau County Commission will establish a county archives center that will be open within a year; the county purchased a building at 112 E. Washington that formerly housed a Texaco station; the building is directly across the street from the County Administration Building in Jackson; the new structure will provide storage for county records, as well as access to historical documents for researchers; the county will hire a director and use volunteers to operate the center...
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Sgt. Jesse Cooper ties Cape Girardeau to the 4th USC HA (4/6/24)Denise LincolnOn a bluff high above the Mississippi River, remnants of a massive chain, a 9-foot anchor, artillery guns and cannons -- a former battle ground shares space with picnic tables, a playground and benches from which to watch modern tow boats maneuvering barges. A day trip to Columbus-Belmont State Park in Kentucky interpreted Civil War-era efforts of the Confederate and Union armies, vying to control the grand waterway.
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Heritage Museum to open Truman, old Cape bridge construction exhibits (4/5/24)By Nathan Gladden ~ Southeast MissourianThe Cape Girardeau Heritage Museum will hold three new exhibits for their official opening with an unveiling from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, April 19. The exhibits include a history of the old Cape Girardeau bridge’s construction, President Harry S. Truman’s involvement with Southeast Missouri and The Art of American Quiltmaking. The exhibit “From Farmhouse to White House Harry S. Truman at 140” was made by Southeast Missouri State University’s “Problems in Historic Preservation” Spring 2024 class...
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Out of the past: April 5 (4/5/24)Jayne Ervin is the newest member of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce board of directors; Ervin, a jeweler at Jason Jewelers Ltd. and Ervin’s Metalsmiths Inc., was named to fill the vacancy left by Jim Sexton, former Saint Francis Medical Center president and chief executive officer, who left Cape Girardeau in January to become president and CEO of North Iowa Mercy Health Center and Network in Mason City, Iowa. ...
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Judge approves bid on trustee for Shady Grove Cemetery (4/4/24)By Christopher Borro ~ Southeast MissourianDuring its Thursday, April 4, meeting, the Cape Girardeau County Commission listened to a report from the county archive center’s director Marybeth Niederkorn about updates to a historic cemetery...
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Out of the past: April 4 (4/4/24)Easter Sunday. People begin gathering as early as 4 a.m. at the Bald Knob Cross near Alto Pass, Illinois, to take part in Easter sunrise service; but rainy conditions force the outdoor service inside into the welcome center; speaker is the Rev. Larry Johnson. ...
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Out of the past: April 3 (4/3/24)Steve Wright of Cape Girardeau, 48, formerly a member of the Cape Girardeau Board of Education, was killed in a car accident in Tennessee Thursday; his wife, Kathy, a teacher at Cape Girardeau Central High School, was seriously injured in the accident, and his son, Scott, received minor injuries; the three were traveling to South Carolina to visit an older son, Corey, who serves in the military. ...
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Out of the past: April 2 (4/2/24)A car driven by an 86-year-old Cape Girardeau woman crashed through the front door of the Corner Pub at Independence and Frederick streets just before 4 p.m. yesterday; two patrons of the bar were trapped briefly, but weren’t injured; the driver of the car had a minor injury; police say she was westbound on Independence when her vehicle was struck by a northbound vehicle; the collision caused her car to spin around and into the bar. ...
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Lou Conter, last survivor of USS Arizona from Pearl Harbor attack, dies at 102 (4/2/24)By AUDREY McAVOY ~ Associated PressHONOLULU -- Lou Conter, the last living survivor of the USS Arizona battleship that exploded and sank during the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, has died. He was 102. Conter passed away on Monday at his home in Grass Valley, California, following congestive heart failure, his daughter, Louann Daley said, adding she was beside him along with two of her brothers, James and Jeff...
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Out of the past: April 1 (4/1/24)Needing more space to accommodate the expected crowds Sunday for Easter worship, Lynwood Baptist Church announces its morning service will be at the A.C. Brase Arena Building, while the Osage Centre will house First Assembly of God’s morning worship. ...
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Old Town Cape recognizes those making difference in downtown (4/1/24)The Old Town Cape annual dinner recently celebrated the remarkable individuals and organizations whose contributions have significantly impacted the revitalization and enrichment of Old Town. Their contributions have catalyzed remarkable transformations within downtown Cape Girardeau, fostering a sense of belonging and pride among residents and visitors. The achievements of these individuals and organizations underscore the potential of passion-driven efforts in community development. ...
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Out of the past: March 30 (3/30/24)The recent rescue of the pilot of a downed American stealth fighter in Yugoslavia triggered memories for ex-Marine Matthew Morton; the 24-year-old Jackson man knows about rescuing pilots in the Balkans; Morton, then a lance corporal, was part of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit that rescued Air Force Capt. ...
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History repeats itself (3/30/24)By Marybeth Niderkorn ~ Southeast MissourianIt happened the same way it always does. I was in the County Commission Minutes index book at the Cape Girardeau County Archive Center in Jackson, researching a simple question -- when was the Cape Special Road District formed? -- and stumbled into a whole other story that ties in beautifully to some current events. ...
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Out of the past: March 31 (3/30/24)Preserving Cape Girardeau's historic resources is a daunting task because so many elements of historic architecture and design are scattered around the city; but a historic preservation study recommends creating conservation zones or districts to help preserve the historic sites in Cape Girardeau; 24 people attend a public hearing at City Hall to learn more about the plan; if Cape Girardeau adopts a conservation zone approach, it could be one of the first communities in the state to do so...
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Out of the past: March 29 (3/29/24)The Vernon Rhodes Family Trust pays a $200,000 bank note, temporarily underwriting Shepherd's Cove Children's Home in Gordonville; if the debt is repaid within one year, the family trust will donate $10,000 toward the project; the foster home is associated with Abundant Life Church, also in Gordonville...
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Did you know? Mississippi River bridge at Chester once collapsed. Here’s what happened (3/28/24)By Bob Miller ~ Southeast MissourianIn the aftermath of the bridge collapse near Baltimore, a question arises: Has such a thing ever happened in Southeast Missouri? Yes. ...
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Out of the past: March 28 (3/28/24)Palm Sunday; a procession of palms is held at Good Shepherd Lutheran Chapel during the morning worship service; 11 children are confirmed: Amanda Carr, Jonathan Fritzler, Amanda Herbst, Darren Neels, Dean Richardson, Kyle Schuessler, Kristin Smith, Andrew Tiehes, Lauren Touchette, Calen Wills and Paul Wunderlich. ...
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Out of the past: March 27 (3/27/24)Repair work on the Mississippi River bridge at Cape Girardeau continues another day next week, but travelers should expect additional repairs to be scheduled in the coming months; this week, work went slower than expected because of rain early in the week and an equipment breakdown Thursday; Tuesday, the bridge will be closed to one lane of traffic from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. ...
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Out of the past: March 26 (3/26/24)Motorists are facing an economic pinch at the pumps as fuel prices continue to climb near the dollar mark for regular unleaded gasoline; the increase follows an agreement among the world’s top oil producers to curtail production and end a global oil glut; prices in the area range from 86.9 cents a gallon at Jackson Basic Fuel to 95.9 cents at Scott City Citgo and Cape Girardeau BP. ...
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Out of the past: March 25 (3/25/24)Student fees were increased by the Southeast Missouri State University's Board of Regents yesterday, a move regents say was unavoidable; the university raised tuition and general fees and also boosted room and board charges for the 1999-2000 academic year; as part of the fee hikes, the regents approved an $8.7 million operating budget for residence life, the university department that runs campus housing...
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Out of the past: March 23 (3/23/24)Southeast Missouri State University students can expect to pay more to live on campus next year; the university's Board of Regents will consider raising room and board charges as well as tuition and other fees when it meets tomorrow in the University Center Ballroom; a non-scholarship, undergraduate student living in campus housing and taking 24 credit-hours over two semesters would pay $6,697 to $7,797 next school year, under the proposed fee increases...