Our of the past 2/19/06

25 years ago: Feb. 19, 1981

BERNIE, Mo. -- Farmers unloaded $250,000 worth of soybeans into the MFA elevator yesterday after securing a promise from federal authorities that the U.S. Department of Justice would consider ruling on the validity of warehouse receipts; Puxico, Mo., farmer Wayne Cryts, who commandeered the 30,000 bushels of soybeans from the bankrupt Ristine Grain Elevator Monday, is hoping the government will recognize his receipts as proof of ownership of the soybeans.

Despite a small amount of opposition, the Cape Girardeau City Council has approved commercial zoning immediately to the east of the West Park Mall site, clearing the way for further commercial development of the area.

50 years ago: Feb. 19, 1956

Antonia Babauta, foreign student attending Oakland City College, Oakland City, Ind., is guest speaker at the evening service at the General Baptist Church in Cape Girardeau.

The Scott County school district expects to decide in the near future on a site for the school building the district will erect; several sites are in the running, with the school board's first choice being the Kelley tract in Ancell.

75 years ago: Feb. 19, 1931

Theresia M. Norberg has tendered her resignation as superintendent of Southeast Missouri Hospital; she has had an offer of a much better position and has accepted it; beginning early in March, she will be superintendent of a community educational project hospital at Beloit, Kan., at an increase in salary.

LUTESVILLE, Mo. -- Dozens of people from here, from Marble Hill, Mo., the rural district and even a few from as far away as Cape Girardeau last night gathered on a high hill three miles east of here to watch for the "Bollinger County fire ball," which nearly every night for a week has been seen bouncing and blazing about the hill.

100 years ago: Feb. 19, 1906

The committee that has the smelter proposition in hand is preparing to close the business deal; when the company officials were in Cape Girardeau last week, they decided on the ground necessary for the big plant, and the owners set the price, which was deemed very reasonable.

Attorney Lafe Caruthers is circulating a petition which will be presented to Gov. Joseph W. Polk asking him to appoint Charles E. Williams to fill out the unexpired term of the late County Clerk J.W. Miller.

-- Sharon K. Sanders