Memorial Plaza envisioned on site of old courthouse

The Cape Girardeau County Commission, upon the suggestion of 2nd District Commissioner Charlie Herbst, voted Thursday to form an advisory committee to look into creating a memorial plaza or a reflection garden on the site of the former 1908-era courthouse in Jackson.

As part of the same motion creating the panel, a memorial bench honoring the late Sheila Sauer, the long-time administrator of the drug court for the 32nd Judicial Circuit who passed away at the age of 52 on May 15, will be placed outside the new courthouse across the street.

The Sauer bench, like benches already installed honoring the memories of father and son judges William Statler and Peter Statler, will be privately funded.

"We have plenty of room inside the new courthouse for people to sit down but some folks like to be outside and others like to smoke, so this outdoor seating will allow for that," said Herbst, who was first elected as an associate commissioner in 2012.

Herbst is keenly aware outdoor space is a problem at the new courthouse, which opened in 2020.

"We have handicap parking there, and we need appropriate ingress and egress, so we thought if there are future requests, we might look into placing memorials on the old courthouse site," he said, noting the county will kick off planning in late August with the help of a consultant to figure out how to use the more than century-old building on Courthouse Square -- now largely vacant.

"When you say yes to a request [for a memorial], you set a precedent, so we need to have criteria and a plan going forward," said Herbst, who added whatever memorial site is created will be part of a larger master plan for the old courthouse.

"There is a peach tree on the grounds with the gazebo nearby, and, perhaps, that might be a good spot," he added.