Out of the past 3/27/02

10 years ago: March 27, 1992

National Guard engineer battalion in Southeast Missouri that had been targeted for elimination has been spared; Pentagon's National Guard Bureau has recommended keeping 1140th Engineer Battalion headquartered in Cape Girardeau, and instead will eliminate 110th Engineer Battalion based in Kansas City.

Four of five candidates for city council squared off yesterday in forum sponsored by Cape Girardeau County League of Women Voters; Lawrence Godfrey, Melvin Gateley, Melvin Kasten and Loretta Schneider discussed issues such as solid waste, term limits, at-large versus ward elections and at-large mayoral elections.

25 years ago: March 27, 1977

The Rev. Leo Taylor is new pastor of Church of God, 1000 Bend Road; Taylor came here in December from Ringling, Okla.; he and his wife have two children.

A $1 million expansion program by St. Francis Medical Center to construct special service addition to new $13.5 million facility has been announced by LaRoy R. Roper, president of board of directors; addition will house Computerized Axial Tomographic Scanner, cardio-diagnostic laboratory, cardio-pulmonary department, expanded radiology department and two more operating rooms.

50 years ago: March 27, 1952

By bus and by car, 1,500 youthful musicians, representing 30 high schools scattered over Southeast Missouri, pour into Cape Girardeau to vie with each other for recognition in annual music phase of spring meet at State College; here today are pupils from Class C schools, those with enrollments of 101 to 250.

CARUTHERSVILLE -- Government surplus food commodities arrive to feed between 50 and 100 families displaced by Friday's destructive tornado; heretofore victims have been fed through community effort at Methodist Church in Cottonwood Point and at homes of relatives, neighbors and friends.

75 years ago: March 27, 1927

Congregation of First Baptist Church occupies its new edifice for first time, although it is far from being finished; main auditorium isn't yet available and only part of Sunday School quarters is finished, but spacious basement is completed and is used for first time for both Sunday School classes and church purposes; nearly 600 new folding chairs are occupied for services.

Apparently unaware of approach of fast Frisco flyer because of loss of sight of his left eye, August Hotop, 40, mechanic, drives his Ford sedan in front of northbound Frisco passenger train at grade crossing four miles south of Cape Girardeau; he and his 13-year-old daughter, Lillian, are instantly killed, and three other members of his family are seriously hurt.

-- Sharon K. Sanders