Out of the past 12/29/02

10 years ago: Dec. 29, 1992

Official with Missouri Campaign Review Board is in Cape Girardeau investigating complaint filed against committee that promoted ballot initiative on city zone elections; Curt Smith, former city councilman, filed complaint against Elect a Neighbor Committee in late October, charging group violated several state campaign disclosure laws.

Jackson - In his annual budget message, County Presiding Commissioner Gene Huckstep was in upbeat mood yesterday; after periods of erratic revenue growth over last three years, there were strong indications this year that county's sales tax may be on verge of growing again.

25 years ago: Dec. 29, 1977

Construction will begin in late March on giant new $80 million Marquette Cement plant that will replace existing plant on South Sprigg Street, company announces; engineers are conducting soil tests at plant site to determine number and length of pilings needed for new plant; in meantime, Environmental Protection Agency has issued favorable report on engineering designs to maintain air quality.

Fisk - Spokesman for Army Corps of Engineers says it will conduct additional field and office studies to determine if simple channel clearing of St. Francis River north of here is viable alternative to channelization as proposed by Corps; study is direct result of proposal made at public hearing held in Dexter on Sept. 1.

50 years ago: Dec. 29, 1952

Two small boys narrowly escape drowning in lagoon in Capaha Park in morning, when one falls through ice and other attempts to save him; Mickey Cearnal, 7, son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Cearnal Jr., and Jimmy Stone, 10, son of Mr. and Mrs. Louis Stone, are pulled 25 feet to shore on wire thrown to them by rescuers.

Remodeling work begins on store building at 114 N. Main, owned by S.P. Siebert; store has been rented to Jack Sheets, who will open luggage and leather goods store; building will have glass front and new interior decoration; it is expected that shop will be ready to open by Feb. 1.

75 years ago: Dec. 29, 1927

Half of those who subscribed to Missouri Pacific Railway fund have paid their pledges, according to Chamber of Commerce; this includes about 30 percent of amount of money pledged to fund; total number of people subscribing to fund is 2,082; of that number, 1,362 cooperated in give-a-day's wages campaign.

Cairo, Ill. - Mississippi River claims its second victim in as many days, when W.O. Kelly, assistant engineer, of Savanna, Ill., fell from false work of one of piers of new highway bridge being constructed here and is drowned; on Wednesday night, Lowell Foster of Monroe City, Mo., fell from material bridge while working on bridge and was drowned.

- Sharon K. Sanders