Out of the past 4/16/02

10 years ago: April 16, 1992

City Manager J. Ronald Fischer says city this year will eliminate dozen employee positions as part of ongoing "reorganization" effort to save personnel costs; latest series of personnel changes is expected to save about $250,000 in payroll expenses from city's $10 million general fund; also due to budget woes, city employees won't see any pay increase this year.

Southeast Missouri State University Board of Regents yesterday voted unanimously to hike tuition and keep university's athletic budget intact; Regents said they oppose recommendation by university's Budget Review Committee to cut $250,000 out of intercollegiate athletic budget.

25 years ago: April 16, 1977

Allenville - Delegation of townspeople has decided to go before county court Monday to ask that bridge which collapsed south of here be replaced; spokesman for group says court has known bridge was unsafe for 20 years, but did nothing about it; 236-foot span, built around 1920, collapsed Thursday morning when tractor estimated to weigh 12,474 pounds attempted to cross structure, limited to maximum weight of 8,000 pounds.

Cake, punch and coffee are served customers in morning at JCPenney store as part of celebration for firm's 75th anniversary.

50 years ago: April 16, 1952

Temporary restraining order, issued Tuesday afternoon, brought to end picketing of Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. exchange by employees of striking Western Electric Co.; today, service is back to normal in Cape Girardeau; Southwestern Bell employees weren't on strike, but declined to cross picket line established by Western Electric employees.

Endorsement was given last night by members of Christian Church to proposed $122,000 building program that will move congregation from its present building at Sprigg and Themis into residential area at southwest corner of North Boulevard and Dunklin avenue.

75 years ago: April 16, 1927

Mississippi River levees at two points in district break early in morning, and flood water from swollen river inundates hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland in Missouri and Illinois, threatening towns and villages in its paths; levee north of Dorena in Mississippi County, where 400 men have been working desperately to hold back raging torrent, breaks shortly before 4 this morning.

River stage at Cape Girardeau is 38.7 feet, highest mark in 83 years; three cars of freight train derail near Cape Rock, due principally to high water at that point, and halts traffic over Frisco Railroad until wreckage is cleared away; large force of men worked tirelessly through night and so far has been successful in preventing flood waters from inundating Marquette Cement Co. plant on south side; levees, which have been built all around big plant, have been strengthened and workers continue to pile bags and rocks on embankments to hold back flood.

- Sharon K. Sanders