Out of the past 11/13/01

10 years ago: Nov. 13, 1991

City and Missouri Highway and Transportation Department officials yesterday broke ground on next segment of Cape Girardeau's $3 million Lexington Avenue arterial project; newest segment will consist of five-lane road and bridge of Cape LaCroix Creek between Mount Auburn Road and Lexington; also, traffic signals will be installed at Kingshighway and Mount Auburn.

Scott City - After Missouri House reapportionment process left his hometown split between two legislative districts, state Rep. Ollie Amick has decided to change his official residence to Benton; that means Amick will be in new 160th District, which includes city of Sikeston, where six-term state Rep. Dennis Ziegenhorn lives; Amick's current home in Scott City was placed in district of state Rep. Gene Copeland, D-New Madrid, senior member of General Assembly.

25 years ago: Nov. 13, 1976

Cape Girardeau Fire Department has received new American LeFrance pumper truck; to avoid repeat of receiving fire truck that was damaged before it was off the train, as was case in 1974, fire department's newest addition was shipped on flatbed trailer; new $63,400 truck will replace 1957 model at Fire Station No. 3, 429 Emerald.

Illmo - Authority has been granted by Missouri Public Service Commission for erection of overpass crossing dangerous Cotton Belt Railroad tracks; postponed for several years because money hadn't been available, Highway District 10 headquarters in Sikeston says contracts should be let early next year.

50 years ago: Nov. 13, 1951

Parma - Tornado roars through farming country east of Parma at 2 p.m.; at least one man is known to have been badly injured; he lives about four miles east of Parma; path of tornado is said to be narrow.

Streets are flooded in Cape Girardeau and in many instances water covers sidewalks in early afternoon as city is swept by rainstorm driven hard before winds that blow up to 48 miles per hour; storm is apparently forerunner of cooler weather expected this evening; parts of Main Street business area again appear as they did during last summer's river flood; there is river flowing down Broadway hill; Water Street is filled, and Spanish and Independence streets are under water.

75 years ago: Nov. 13, 1926

Landowners of Southeast Missouri, whose cotton land has been deserted by tenants who refuse to pick staple because of low price, are making effort to harvest crop by importing pickers with belief that, with big yield in most localities, the returns will be remunerative; cotton is bringing returns of about $75 per acre.

Collection of Cape Girardeau city taxes so far in November has totaled $3,600, says City Clerk William Kaempfer; this is unusually heavy collection for the period, general tax payments having been started earlier than usual.

- Sharon K. Sanders