Out of the past 2/6/03

10 years ago: Feb. 6, 1993

Metropolis, Ill. -- Amid sounds of towboat horns, Dixieland jazz band and accolades from state and city officials, first riverboat gambling casino in Southern Illinois arrives at Metropolis; veteran pilot, Capt. Charles "Ken" Murphy, guides 210-foot, 1,400-passenger vessel into Merv Griffin Riverboat Landing at noon, giving more than 2,500 people gathered at river their first view of Players Riverboat Casino.

Charles L. Hutson, president of Hutson Furniture Co. in Cape Girardeau, has been honored by Chamber of Commerce for his tireless service to community; Friday Hutson received Rush H. Limbaugh Sr. Award, which is presented annually to person with record of longtime community achievement.

25 years ago: Feb. 6, 1978

Voters will go to polls tomorrow in city primary to decide which two candidates in field of four will face off in April general election; on ballot are John T. Green, Novella S. Noland, John M. Isbell and Paul W. Stehr; all but Stehr are newcomers to politics; he is the incumbent with six years' service.

James H. Kuehn Sr. of Route 1 files as Democrat for office of First District Cape Girardeau County Court judge; native of Cape Girardeau, Kuehn, 33, is married and is father of two children.

50 years ago: Feb. 6, 1953

Former Army enlisted men and company-grade officers are invited to join new Army Organized Reserve Engineers group of regiment size, now being formed with headquarters in Cape Girardeau; group will hold 48 paid drill periods and two weeks of active training duty a year; Organized Reserve Panel Bridge Company, with headquarters at 110 Themis, will be absorbed by new group, which will take over space at that address.

State College Board of Regents deals with number of faculty changes; board accepts resignation of Louise Pearce, supervisor of College High School, who is retiring after 34 years of teaching at prep school; leave of absence is given Mary Howard Hix of college art department, who plans to spend summer in Europe touring and studying art galleries.

75 years ago: Feb. 6, 1928

Three-fourths of steel for main span of Cape Girardeau traffic bridge across Mississippi River is in place, and remaining fourth is at hand and ready for erection, according to P.V. Pennybacker, resident engineer for Cape Girardeau Bridge Co.; construction has proceeded to point halfway between Piers 2 and 3.

Workers begin construction of forms for second floor of new Hotel Marquette; due to inclement weather prevailing since Saturday, additional force of men wasn't permitted to continue preparations of ground in rear of building site to receive concrete for first floor.

-- Sharon K. Sanders