Out of the past 10/12/09

25 years ago: Oct. 12, 1984

Cape Girardeau has been selected as one of 15 cities to participate in a pilot project that, with city council approval, will reopen the air traffic control tower at the municipal airport; the program would allow the Federal Aviation Agency to contract with the city and the city to contract with a private company to operate the tower.

Scott City's mayor is considering ordering members of the city council and police board to submit to a lie-detector test in an effort to ferret out who leaked a confidential report a week ago on an investigation of the town's police chief.

50 years ago: Oct. 12, 1959

J.R. Short announces he has resigned as postmaster of Jackson; J.C. Ritter, assistant postmaster, will be in charge of the post office until Short's replacement is named.

Labor representatives suggest to the Cape Girardeau City Council that the state be asked to construct a truck route which would lead traffic from the Mississippi River bridge southward into Highway 74.

75 years ago: Oct. 12, 1934

The two-day, 27th annual Farmers' Institute opens at Oak Ridge with a big display of farm products, and home economics and school exhibits; in addition, a horse show is scheduled for this evening.

A group of federal prisoners to be taken to St. Louis is so large, the government charters a special railway coach to transfer 27 sentenced in federal court here this week; it is the largest group to be taken from Cape Girardeau, according to Marshal William B. Fahy; 18 of the 27 were sentenced for violating the liquor revenue law.

100 years ago: Oct. 12, 1909

Judge Robert Ranney grants a temporary injunction to property owners on Broadway against the letting of a contract by the city council for the paving that street between Lorimier and Middle streets with wood blocks.

The resignation of first assistant fire chief Hahn was received and accepted last night by the city council; by unanimous vote, the council promoted Leland Albert to that position.

-- Sharon K. Sanders