Out of the past 10/19/2008

25 years ago: Oct. 19, 1983

Southeast Missouri Hospital's plan to provide open heart surgery at Cape Girardeau has been approved by the Medical Facilities Review Committee, clearing the way for the surgery to be performed here for the first time by next summer.

U.S. District Judge H. Kenneth Wangelin yesterday took under advisement a ruling on whether to issue a permanent injunction prohibiting the Army Corps of Engineers from using the Birds Point-New Madrid Floodway.

50 years ago: Oct. 19, 1958

An awning over the front of the Ross Smart Shop, 120 N. Main St., catches fire in the morning, causing firefighters to make a run to the two-story brick building; the blaze is quickly extinguished, and the only damage is a hole four by five feet in the awning.

Laymen's Sunday is observed at several local churches; Dr. H.L. Wohlwend is the guest speaker at Christ Evangelical and Reformed Church, while Leo Rasche occupies the pulpit at Third Street Methodist Church.

75 years ago: Oct. 19, 1933

Featuring an all-Missouri program with the emphasis placed on the crisis facing the public school system of the state, the Southeast Missouri Teachers Association opens its annual meeting at Teachers College; Dr. Theodore W.H. Irion, dean of the school of education of the University of Missouri and president of the Missouri Teachers Association, declares it is up to the legislature to provide sources of income for the support of schools.

The Roth Tobacco Co. factory, 102 S. Frederick St., suspends operation for two weeks to permit the firm to dispose of its finished products on hand.

100 years ago: Oct. 19, 1908

Despite a large crowd at the St. Louis Browns-Capahas baseball game Sunday, the gate receipts amounted to $490, a much smaller amount than was expected; the Browns took $200 and their expense money, which was nearly $100; the remainder was paid out to the Caps' manager to cancel indebtedness of the past season and to pay expenses contracted for the Brown game.

B.A. Rolwing of Charleston, Mo., is in Cape Girardeau this week attending court on the federal grand jury and visiting his sister, Mrs. J.F. Schwepker, 232 Good Hope St.

— Sharon K. Sanders