Out of the past 3/5/11

25 years ago: March 5, 1986

Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce officials have announced the chairmen of the various committees planning for the eighth annual Riverfest, set for June 20-21; coordinating the downtown celebration are chairmen Danny Essner, Sara Sommers and Diane Howard.

Schnucks bakery employees worked 60 hours to make an eight-foot tall Styrofoam birthday cake for West Park Mall's fifth anniversary; 300 pounds of powdered sugar were used to make 600 pounds of icing.

50 years ago: March 5, 1961

Clyde W. Painton of Poplar Bluff, Mo., the superintendent of missions for the Cane Creek Baptist Association, preaches for a revival at the Southside Baptist Church; revival services will continue through March 19.

Clarence Lee Shirrell, who was picked by the Cape Girardeau Jaycees as outstanding young man of the year, wins state Jaycee honors for cities of the class 15,000 to 50,000 population; Mrs. C.C. Peterson of Jackson is declared Missouri winner by the Jaycee Wives of Missouri as outstanding young woman of the year in the state.

75 years ago: March 5, 1936

An investigation is underway by inspectors of the Steamboat Inspection Service into an explosion of a boiler aboard the towboat William G. Clyde in the Mississippi River near Grand Tower, Ill., in which two men were killed and four others were seriously injured yesterday; no trace has been found of two firemen, and they are presumed dead.

Two more candidates enter the race for the Democratic nomination for Cape Girardeau County sheriff, insuring a free-for-all scramble for the post, which is said to be the most lucrative office in the county; Elam Vangilder, for 18 years a professional baseball player, filed yesterday, as did Ross Young, proprietor of Johnston Dry Cleaners in Cape Girardeau.

100 years ago: March 5, 1911

The West End Mission and the Provident Association have combined in the maintenance of a day nursery at the West End Mission building, which is doing splendid work; it is also contemplated to keep the reading room of the mission open every evening for the benefit of young men and boys.

While Henry Meystedt and family are absent from their home on North Ellis Street in the evening, burglars gain entrance through a kitchen window and steal about $240 in cash.

-- Sharon K. Sanders