Out of the past 12/6/05

25 years ago: Dec. 6, 1980

Acting Cape Girardeau County Sheriff Eugene Coombs has agreed to stay on as chief deputy with the sheriff's department when Herman "Bob" Gribler assumes the job of sheriff on Jan. 1.

WASHINGTON -- The Missouri Bootheel's first Republican congressman in 50 years has lashed out at a liberal political committee that already has marked him for defeat in 1982; conservative Bill Emerson says, "I believe, really, that this is arrogance at its height -- a hit list before I'm even sworn in."

50 years ago: Dec. 6, 1955

Acting postmaster A.S. Reed says he has been notified that drive-up mail boxes have been shipped and should arrive in Cape Girardeau soon; one box will be located on Fountain Street adjacent to the post office, and the others will be in business spots still to be selected; Reed doesn't expect the boxes to be installed until after the Christmas rush.

The field of architects who had applied to design a proposed new elementary school building in the west part of Cape Girardeau was narrowed from 11 to two last night by the school board; left in the running were Fred E. Dormeyer Jr. of Cape Girardeau and Lee Potter Smith and Associates of Paducah, Ky.

75 years ago: Dec. 6, 1930

Immediate payment of $104,513.37, representing awards to landowners in 23 cases involving condemnation of land for the government's setback levee in Mississippi and New Madrid counties, is ordered by Judge Charles B. Faris in federal court.

The Cape Girardeau-Jackson football game to be played here Friday for charity is given a boost, when it is announced the contest will be held at Houck Stadium.

100 years ago: Dec. 6, 1905

After the city council meeting Monday night, the fire board, which last met some time in 1903, remained to take up a matter which fire chief Arthur Leher had suggested in monthly reports several times; the fire laddies have been wanting equipment in the way of rubber coats and boots for some time, and the board discussed the matter, as well as the possibility of purchasing better firefighting equipment.

An organization that has accomplished a remarkable amount of good during the past few years is the Ladies' Cemetery Association; members have worked well and faithfully to convert the old cemeteries, which had been long neglected, into spots where a stranger may easily be shown with every degree of pride.

-- Sharon K. Sanders