Out of the past 12/9/09

25 years ago: Dec. 9, 1984

The first annual Timothy J. Ruopp Award, for outstanding officer of the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department, was given to Capt. Ronald D. Johnson Friday; the award honors former Cape Girardeau County deputy and detention officer Timothy Ruopp, who was killed last summer while serving as a member of the San Diego Police Department.

PADUCAH, Ky. -- The blame for last summer's fog-shrouded collision of two Mississippi River towboats near Thebes, Ill., is being directed toward the operators of both boats, according to a report issue by the U.S. Coast Guard; the collision of the Maba Kelce and the Helen Tulley killed both the operator and crewman aboard the Helen Tulley.

50 years ago: Dec. 9, 1959

Education administrators from throughout Southeast Missouri meet at State College for a conference on the improvement of the quality of secondary education; Dr. Galen Saylor, chairman of the department of secondary education in the Teachers College, University of Nebraska, addresses the group.

Cagleco Sportswear, operated by Ralph Edwards and Homer Yount, gets the go-ahead sign from the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce on an expansion program that will double its production and warehouse capacity.

75 years ago: Dec. 9, 1934

The Rev. B.L. Patrick has resigned from the pastorate of the South Side Baptist Church, a congregation with quarters in a store building in the 800 block of South Ellis Street.

Members of First Christian Church celebrate the 400th anniversary of Martin Luther's translation of the Bible; a display of Bibles, lent to the church for the event, is of particular interest.

100 years ago: Dec. 9, 1909

E.M. Long is in Cape Girardeau in the interest of the Mississippi Valley Transportation Co., which seeks to establish a new boat line on the river, making Cape Girardeau one of its terminals.

James Brewer, a fisherman who lived in a tent shack north of the Cape Girardeau city limits, loses all by fire; his canvas home catches fire from the heat of the stove pipe, which projected through the roof; the fire has left him destitute.

-- Sharon K. Sanders