Out of the past 1/15/12

25 years ago: Jan. 15, 1987

Members of Habitat for Humanity had hoped to get their first Cape Girardeau project off the ground this week with the moving of a house on Pacific Street; but it looks like the project will be stalled, because it will cost nearly $4,000 to cut and resplice six telephone cables along the three-block route through which the house would have to travel.

The Cape Girardeau School Board has declared an agriculture exception to a state law prohibiting schools from beginning classes before Labor Day; the exemption, voted for the next two school years, will allow classes to start before the holiday.

50 years ago: Jan. 15, 1962

Delbert L. Crader of Lutesville, Mo., will be on the guidance computer team that will steer an Atlas rocket guiding Lt. Col. John Glenn into orbit from Cape Canaveral later this month.

Charles E. House, for 18 months the assistant superintendent of the Cape Girardeau School District, is named to succeed L.J. Schultz as superintendent; Schultz announced his retirement last month after 26 years in the position.

75 years ago: Jan. 15, 1937

Cape Girardeau and district see the sun for the first time in almost a week when it shines briefly; a rainfall of nearly four inches in the past 48 hours has flooded virtually everything that can be covered with water; creeks and small rivers are out of their banks; traffic is hampered and five highways in Southeast Missouri are closed as the St. Francis and Black rivers rampage.

McCLURE, Ill. -- The Clear Creek Drainage District levee breaks in two places just before noon, letting loose a volume of floodwater from the primary ditch draining the district and inundating between eight and 10 square miles of farm land.

100 years ago: Jan. 15, 1912

Dr. Ivan Lee Holt, president of the Provident Association, has more allies in carrying on the work of the association in relieving suffering among the needy; coach H.F. Schulte, scoutmaster for Cape Girardeau, notifies him that the local Boy Scouts are ready and eager to help by gathering parcels and distributing them as needed.

Not for many years has the coasting been so fine in Cape Girardeau; all the fellows were out in force last night, with some bringing other fellows' sisters along on their sleds.

-- Sharon K. Sanders