Out of the past 12/15/10

25 years ago: Dec. 15, 1985

E.J. McLaughlin has been elected president and chief executive officer of Drury Industries Inc. of Cape Girardeau; he succeeds Charles L. Drury, a founder and one of the principal owners of the company.

A propane gas leak is being blamed for an explosion and fire Friday afternoon that destroyed a service station/convenience store at the Biehle, Mo., exit of Interstate 55, seriously injuring a store employee and customer.

50 years ago: Dec. 15, 1960

The Southeast Missouri Football Conference, with its Big Eight and Little Six divisions, has been formally dissolved and a new Southeast Missouri Public Schools Activities Association created by school administrators; teams making up the new Northern Division are Cairo, Ill., Cape Central, Chaffee, Charleston, Jackson, Perryville, Poplar Bluff and Sikeston; Southern Division members are Caruthersville, Dexter, East Prairie, Hayti, Kennett, Malden and Portageville.

A delegation of Jackson business and civic leaders call on the County Court to protest a proposal to establish a parking lot for county officials on the northeast corner of the courthouse lawn.

75 years ago: Dec. 15, 1935

A committee of Christ Evangelical Church conducts the annual church census and solicits pledges for the church budget for the ensuing year; the committee visits 130 families.

An additional strip of concrete pavement, 6 feet wide and 300 feet long, is being constructed on the south side and adjacent to the pavement on U.S. 61, immediately west of the intersection with Highway 74, south of the city; the additional pavement will provide a broader approach from the west to the intersection.

100 years ago: Dec. 15, 1910

As all traffic is suspended on the Cape Girardeau & Thebes Terminal Railroad, because of the 10-foot embankment built across the track by contractors for the government levee, it has become necessary for the railroad to relieve the situation; yesterday, the road began building long trestles to carry the track over the levee.

Henry Brunke has purchased from Naeter Bros. three lots on Independence Street, and will begin at once the construction of a modern brick residence.

-- Sharon K. Sanders