Out of the past 1/28/05

25 years ago: Jan. 28, 1980

According to Cape Girardeau County Presiding Judge Gene Huckstep, a new one-lane bridge may be built at Allenville if it proves unfeasible to move the existing Whitewater bridge superstructure to Allenville.

A group of concerned citizens and the board of directors of the Saint Francis Mental Health Center have begun circulating a petition to place a proposal before Cape Girardeau County voters in the August primary to establish a community mental health fund to maintain the services being provided by the center.

50 years ago: Jan. 28, 1955

The state advisory council has approved Southeast Missouri Hospital's building project; the board of trustees has ordered soil borings on the foundation site for the addition.

BENTON, Mo. -- Attempted extortion of $3,000 from the manager of the Kroger store in Sikeston by two armed men who threatened the safety of his family was thwarted with the arrest last night of two suspects; Charles "Chuck" Redfern and his family were uninjured.

75 years ago: Jan. 28, 1930

Burglars with a liking for good "smokin'" Saturday night broke into the Goddard Grocer Co. warehouse on South Main Street and carried away 130,000 cigarettes and a quantity of assorted smoking tobacco.

August W. Boeller of Appleton, Martin Siemers of Gordonville and J.R. Bowman of Jackson are appointed by Judge O.A. Knehans in Common Pleas Court as commissioners to assess damages for land sought by the state highway department as right of way for U.S. 61 between Williams Creek, seven miles west of Cape Girardeau, and the end of the pavement west of Jackson.

100 years ago: Jan. 28, 1905

H.G. Turner arrived last night to visit J.M. Allison, his half-brother; Turner left here more than 18 months ago and took up quarters in St. Louis; he will likely remain here the rest of the winter; he says things are dull in St. Louis since the closing of the World's Fair.

Skating is limited to small areas now, the ice being mostly rough.

-- Sharon K. Sanders