Out of the past 4/1/11

25 years ago: April 1, 1986

Harold Kuehle of Cape Girardeau has been appointed by Gov. John Ashcroft chairman of the Governor's Committee on the Employment of the Handicapped; Kuehle, 50, Cape Girardeau County collector, will replace Randy Best, whose term has expired.

F.G. "Gene" Rhodes is elected mayor of Cape Girardeau, succeeding longtime mayor Howard C. Tooke; Rhodes outpolls councilman Donald Strohmeyer by 609 votes; other winners in the municipal election are David Limbaugh, Frank Bean and Jim Rust.

50 years ago: April 1, 1961

Mayor Walter H. Ford is making plans to take a number of interested citizens to Jefferson City, Mo., soon to discuss Cape Girardeau's sewage disposal position with the Missouri Water Pollution Board; that board has notified the city it won't approve connection of new sewer systems to the present lines.

Donald Crittendon's place with the Cape Girardeau Police Department is taken by his brother, Jack Crittendon, 22; Don, 24, died last week from wounds suffered in a March 10 gunbattle with two California desperadoes in which an auxiliary policeman, Herbert Goss, was also killed.

75 years ago: April 1, 1936

Two delegates chosen yesterday at the 10th Congressional District Republican convention at Poplar Bluff, Mo., to attend the national convention at Cleveland -- Rush H. Limbaugh of Cape Girardeau and Charles S. Prather of Advance, Mo. -- will go uninstructed as to the presidential choice they will support.

True to form, March, which entered this year with the meekness of a lamb, roared out last night like a lion; a cold rain fell during the closing hours of the month.

100 years ago: April 1, 1911

A.W. Seabaugh completes negotiations with I. Ben Miller and E.A. Johnston, making him the owner of the sprinkling wagon; Miller and Johnston, with Seabaugh driving the wagon, have sprinkled the town's streets for the past several summers, keeping the dust down; Seabaugh intends to continue their good work.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Oliver drainage bill, which has stirred up much strenuous objection in this district, has been lost; through a mix-up in the governor's office, the drainage bill was never enrolled; action on the bill will have to wait for the next legislative session.

-- Sharon K. Sanders