Out of the past 12/23/10

25 years ago: Dec. 23, 1985

With just over a week remaining before the 1985 property tax deadline, Cape Girardeau County Collector Harold Kuehle estimates only one out of every four county taxpayer has made his payments.

Cleanup crews removed about 700 bags of oil-soaked material from the Mississippi River as cleanup work continued over the weekend south of Thebes, Ill., in the aftermath of an oil spill; more than 180,000 gallons of crude oil spilled into the river following a towboat accident at the Thebes river bridge last Tuesday.

50 years ago: Dec. 23, 1960

A second snow in four days puts another white covering on the ground and again compounds traffic problems; the snow is expected to continue throughout the day and into tonight.

The Little River Drainage District has renamed its Floodway Ditch, technically designated Ditch No. 1, the "Sterling Price Reynolds Floodway" in honor of S.P. Reynolds of Caruthersville, Mo.; Reynolds, 99, has served on the board of supervisors since the district was organized.

75 years ago: Dec. 23, 1935

A sudden heart attack took the life of Charles J. Haman, 73, late Saturday afternoon; a lifelong resident of Cape Girardeau, Haman was in the shoe business here 42 years, retiring two years ago.

Work is in progress on remodeling and painting the interior and exterior of the building at the northeast corner of Broadway and North Main Street, which was recently purchased by the Lesem-Millikan Motor Co.

100 years ago: Dec. 23, 1910

A land case is being heard in Common Pleas Court here on a change of venue from Stoddard County; in the case of John R. Boas against Ste. Genevieve County, the question of the proprietorship of an island in the Mississippi River near Ste. Genevieve, Mo., will be decided.

The old Methodist church in Jackson, now owned by Maj. Giboney Houck, will be converted into an armory to be used by Company F, Missouri National Guard; the spire will be taken down, and the building will be altered otherwise and equipped with a gymnasium, which will be used by the soldiers and the Jackson High School.

-- Sharon K. Sanders