Out of the past 12/14/02

10 years ago: Dec. 14, 1992

Cape Girardeau's Board of Education sacks Central High School football coach Gary Lynch and assistant coach Gary Garner; assistant football coach Larry Clemens resigns his coaching positions; school board president Ed Thompson says board is seeking new direction in football program, direction in which he felt Lynch and others weren't headed.

Three finalists for Cape Girardeau fire chief meet with city officials and firefighters, and also tour city and its four fire stations; finalists are Hugh Wood of Fairfax County, Va., Jerry Kerley of Largo, Fla., and Robert Ridgeway of Mashpee, Mass.

25 years ago: Dec. 14, 1977

Long-heralded farmers' strike begins with demonstrations in three Southeast Missouri cities; about 40 tractors and pickup trucks pull into Jackson before dawn to stage unannounced "park-in" on courthouse square; they did same thing at Perryville, and at Dexter tractorcade of more than 100 vehicles is scheduled for noon hour; strike proponents in Scott County say they plan to apply for food stamps.

Evansville, Ind. -- Plane loaded with college basketball players from University of Evansville and team supporters was trying to turn back with sputtering engine in rain and dense fog, when it crashed last night into muddy hillside killing all 29 aboard.

50 years ago: Dec. 14, 1952

The Rev. and Mrs. Norman F. Brewer and their two daughters will be making their home at parsonage of Assembly of God Church after first of the year; the Rev. Brewer is newly elected pastor of local church and comes here from Marshall, where he spent four years as pastor; he preaches his first sermon at his new charge in morning.

Holiday shoppers played merry tune on cash registers in Cape Girardeau's stores yesterday, building largest pre-Christmas buying day of season and, one merchant declared, the greatest one-day business his store has ever done; indicative of sales volume was amount of traffic on streets in shopping areas.

75 years ago: Dec. 14, 1927

Raging torrents in one-time placid creeks, spreading destruction over wide area as result of three days of continuous rains, are subsiding today giving opportunity to Cape Girardeau County to determine extent of damage done from swirling waters.

Bankers of Southeast Missouri met yesterday with members of Peace Officers Association to discuss plans for curbing bank banditry in this section; six banks in this area have been robbed in past year.

- Sharon K. Sanders