Out of the past 3/14/08

25 years ago: March 14, 1983

R.O. Hawkins of Jackson, former superintendent of the Jackson School District, dies at Deal Nursing Home; Hawkins, 79, was a teacher and administrator in the Jackson schools for 39 years.

By virtue of their 74-69 defeat of Central Missouri State in the finals of the South-Central Regional on Saturday at Houck Field House, the Southeast Missouri State Indians advanced to the NCAA Division II quarterfinals; they will next play Bakersfield (Calif.) State College.

50 years ago: March 14, 1958

A 56-passenger school bus belonging to the grade-school district at McClure, Ill., was stolen last night, but it is found this morning at Pinckneyville, Ill., 65 miles away; a 20-year-old man is arrested as he buys gasoline for the bus.

Cape Girardeau will host hundreds of Southeast Missouri high school pupils during the next six weeks as their annual round of scholastic events are held at State College; this year, however, some contests have been canceled, including those in English and history.

75 years ago: March 14, 1933

The Cape Girardeau School Board has accepted the resignation of Katie Lee as biology teacher in Central High School; George Pritchard, principal at Advance, Mo., has been elected to succeed her.

Caruthersville and Kennett, Mo., are among the towns struck by a mad March tornado, which spends most of its fury along the Tennessee-Kentucky border; at Caruthersville, the property damage is estimated in excess of $50,000, but no injuries are reported; Mrs. R. James, 40, living six miles south of Kennett, sustains a fracture of the right leg when the wind sweeps her off the front porch of her home.

100 years ago: March 14, 1908

Mrs. Amos K. Stevenson, until a week ago a resident of Cape Girardeau County, died yesterday at her new home near Farmington, Mo.; she and her husband held a sale at his farm near Shawneetown a week ago and sold all his household and farm goods.

The public school house at Morehouse, Mo., burned last night, catching fire from the furnace in the basement; the building cost about $7,000 and was insured for $5,000; work on a new school is expected to begin immediately.

— Sharon K. Sanders