Out of the past 4/21/04

10 years ago: April 21, 1994

Candidates for final Cape Girardeau City Council seat, representing Ward 3, have from May 3 until June 2 to file for Aug. 2 special election; Ward 3, previously represented by Al Spradling III, was vacated when Spradling was elected mayor April 5.

Main Street Levee District employees open Themis Street floodgate; Broadway gate was opened yesterday.

25 years ago: April 21, 1979

Plans for Ronald Reagan to attend fund-raiser for State Attorney Gen. John Ashcroft on June 6 are announced by Cape Girardeau County Republicans; last time former California governor was in area was in March 1976, as he swept through Midwest in effort to gain support of presidential nomination.

A $3,000 reward has been offered anonymously for information leading to arrest and conviction of those responsible for apparent abduction of 19-year-old Scott City girl Tuesday; Cheryl Ann Scherer is believed to have been abducted during robbery at service station where she worked in Scott City.

50 years ago: April 21, 1954

Preliminary work is expected to start today on auditorium unit of new Central High School, after school board yesterday awarded contracts totaling $161,651 for its construction.

Expression of public opinion on daylight saving time for Cape Girardeau is being sought by Retail Merchants Association through ballot printed in The Southeast Missourian and by means of additional balloting in retail stores.

75 years ago: April 21, 1929

Services at First Baptist Church in Cape Girardeau are conducted by the Rev. H.B. Colter of Jackson, Baptist association missionary.

Dozens of automobiles, prior to and following terrific rainstorm in afternoon, have difficulty negotiating portions of Gordonville Road, which highway department yesterday set off as detour for Highway 61; 100-yard stretch of Highway 25, recently graded and graveled, breaks under traffic and is virtually impassable.

-- Sharon K. Sanders