Out of the past 1/18/02

10 years ago: Jan. 18, 1992

Gov. John Ashcroft's budget recommendations are welcome news to Southeast Missouri State University officials; barring excessive budget withholdings, Southeast could receive net state appropriation of more than $30.46 million for 1993 fiscal year, which begins July 1.

Melanie Duncan, New Madrid high school math teacher, wins title of Mrs. Missouri United States Pageant before crowd of several hundred at Holiday Inn Convention Center in Cape Girardeau; she will represent Missouri in national pageant, held annually in Las Vegas.

25 years ago: Jan. 18, 1977

Bitter cold and threat of curtailed gas supplies face area residents as winter's double whammy of snow and below freezing temperatures continues for 13th day; Missouri Utilities Co. says that in face of continuing cold wave and because of difficulty in securing propane for its peaking plants, gas customers are requested to curtail consumption as much as possible.

Pumping operations begin to transfer heavy fuel oil from damaged barge in Mississippi River just south of here; barges towed by the Girard Lewis, owned by Thomas Marine Co. of Houston, Texas, ran aground near Thebes, Ill., late last week.

50 years ago: Jan. 18, 1952

City Engineer John Walter says city would be interested in closing Happy Hollow cave in exchange for sandstone blocks of which cavern is constructed; Parent-Teacher Unit at Lorimier School would like to have came man-made cave closed.

Public schools wind up one semester and on Monday will open another to be marked with influx of newcomers - in grade schools and at Central High School; 52 will move in on Central from grade schools to take place of 31 seniors who were graduated last night; number of new first graders isn't yet known.

75 years ago: Jan. 18, 1927

With all minor details worked out, Cape Girardeau Bridge Co. is awaiting final word from War Department at Washington, D.C., before actually awarding of contract for construction of traffic bridge over Mississippi River here; at recent meeting, board of directors ironed out all remaining details which must be taken care of before work can actually start.

Establishment of 12 Federal Investment Banks, for express purpose of aiding agricultural landowners in tax-burdened reclamation areas of Southeast Missouri and of nation, is proposed in measure drawn up and sponsored by Black and St. Francis River Commission of Southeast Missouri.

- Sharon K. Sanders