Out of the past 12/30/11

25 years ago: Dec. 30, 1986

Cape Girardeau County yesterday became the first governmental entity in the state to be insured under the new Missouri Public Entity Risk Management program.

BENTON, Mo. -- Scott County Presiding Commissioner Louie Hirschowitz, a fixture in Scott County government for 16 years, is returning to private life; he will retire at midnight tomorrow.

50 years ago: Dec. 30, 1961

New homes sprouted in Cape Girardeau at the rate of one each day and a half in 1961 to break the $3 million barrier in residential construction for the first time; 243 building permits were issued for single-family dwellings.

Southern Illinois University's basketball team, touted as a high-scoring outfit, won the MIAA Holiday Tournament at Houck Field House yesterday by using old-fashioned defense, spiced by some fast-breaking offense; the Salukis almost completely bottled up sensation Ken Saylors to trim the Arkansas Tech Wonderboys, 68-48, in the title game.

75 years ago: Dec. 30, 1936

A downpour of rain doesn't hamper the enthusiasm nor the attendance at the Rotary Club's annual Christmas party for children at the Fox Broadway and Orpheum theaters; 1,600 children crowd into the theaters to see the picture shows given as a Christmas treat by the club.

Installation of dirt traps in the base of the smokestack at the State College power plant nears completion; the series of ash and cinder catchers, made of iron and mounted on cement, are between the furnace and the smokestack and are designed to clean the smoke.

100 years ago: Dec. 30, 1911

C. Weilpuetz, the enterprising baker who has built up a big business at Fornfelt and who feeds nearly all the people of the Illmo, Edna and Fornfelt district, has bought the Cape Steam bakery at the corner of Good Hope and Frederick streets, and will operate it on a large scale.

B.F. Rucker, publisher of the Benton (Mo.) Democrat, is reported to have left his newspaper and turned it over to the sheriff.

-- Sharon K. Sanders