Out of the past 2/7/07

25 years ago: Feb. 7, 1982

Centerre Bank, formerly First National Bank, last week finalized its contract for purchase of four acres of land at the southeast corner of Independence Street and Mount Auburn Road as the site for its new main banking home.

While they're not ready to slam the floodgates and break out the sandbags, river watchers are keeping an eye on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers for potential flooding this spring.

50 years ago: Feb. 7, 1957

The educational advantages offered by State College are outlined in separate meetings to seniors in all high schools in Pemiscot and Dunklin counties by officials and students of the college.

"Operation Raccoon" is started, when 51 ringtails are released in parts of Cape Girardeau and Bollinger counties, after being transported from Florida; the experiment to build up the local raccoon population was devised by local hunters Oscar Windisch and Clyde Neador; release of the animals is observed by conservation agents.

75 years ago: Feb. 7, 1932

Sunday evening crowds at Maple Avenue Methodist Church have increased to such an extent that additional seats have been added to take care of the overflow crowds.

Petitions are being prepared under the direction of Orren Wilson that will ask the Cape Girardeau City Council to reduce the salaries of city officials; the petition asks that the council appeal to the state legislature to amend the law which provides for a $2,500 annual salary for the mayor and $1,800 for commissioners, and to enact a lower salary schedule than now paid.

100 years ago: Feb. 7, 1907

It seems that Walter Coonan, the East St. Louis, Ill., contractor who was awarded the contract to build Cape Girardeau's sewer system, will have a clear field to go ahead with the work; there was a suggestion that P.R. Porter, the Louisville, Ky., contractor whose lower bid was rejected by the council, has withdrawn from consideration.

E.C. Miller, who was recently sent to Cape Girardeau by the naval department to enlist men, signed up seven recruits in 10 days; they are James. W. Legg, I. Robinson, L.R. Moore, A.E. Teddler, A.J. Elmore, Otto C. Moore and Edgar Wiggs.

-- Sharon K. Sanders