Out of the past 1/11/13

1988

Retired Army Maj. Charles Friend has been presented the Legion of Merit Award, the third highest non-combat award given by the U.S. armed services; before retiring last month, Friend spent about three years here as a full-time operations officer for the local National Guard engineers group.

Commissioners of the Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority reach agreement on the board's ninth at-large member; under a compromise, there will be two at-large members, one from each county, with voting rights changing from county to county each year; both Scott and Cape Girardeau County commissions must approve the change.

1963

A brief, midwinter hailstorm pounded sections of Cape Girardeau, breaking windows, damaging roofs and chipping automobile paint; accompanying the hail were strong wind gusts, thunder, lightning and 0.28 of an inch of rain.

The Missourian announces that in March it will sponsor a 17-day tour to Europe, which will include visits to England, Holland, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and France; the cost of the package -- transportation, lodging, meals, tips, baggage-handling, government taxes -- is a bargain at $895.

1938

Bernard Anderson, federal prison inspector of Darwin, Minn., recently inspected the county jail at Jackson; in his report submitted to the county court, he recommended covers be supplied for all mattresses, the bathing facilities be improved, that all prisoners be furnished with coveralls, and the screens on the barred windows be reinforced.

The Cape Girardeau City Council gives its permission to the chamber of commerce to place a W.F.D. Batjer memorial in Courthouse Park; the committee in charge of the work has virtually decided upon a sundial as the memorial.

1913

The street cars are operating again in Cape Girardeau, just a week after fire destroyed the electric railway plant and all but two trolley cars.

There is much rejoicing in Jackson; the electric lights came back on last night, after having been dark for three or four nights; the streetlights are still out, but the houses are lit once more.

-- Sharon K. Sanders