Out of the past 4/7/07

25 years ago: April 7, 1982

Mayor Howard C. Tooke, a member of the Cape Girardeau City Council since 1968, and mayor of the community for most of those years, says he will retire from city government at the end of his present term on the council; Tooke was re-elected mayor Tuesday.

The Delta city and school board elections have been thrown into controversy, because a number of voters in the Delta-Randles precinct erroneously cast more than one ballot Tuesday; county election officials are considering holding a special election in the disputed precinct.

50 years ago: April 7, 1957

The Rev. W.W. Childres of Murphysboro, Ill., delivers the main address at all-day services at South Side Baptist Church in Cape Girardeau honoring the Rev. and Mrs. A.J. Langston; Langston, whose resignation became effective April 1, preaches his final sermon as pastor in the morning.

Bishop Charles H. Helmsing ordained the Rev. Nicholas J. Hirtz to the priesthood in impressive rites at St. Mary's Cathedral in Cape Girardeau yesterday.

75 years ago: April 7, 1932

Although completed for several weeks, Cape Girardeau's new water plant at Cape Rock remains idle; legal technicalities necessary to its operation must yet be smoothed.

Upon the invitation of Mayor Edward L. Drum, re-elected Tuesday for his second term in office, members of the new Cape Girardeau City Council, including the two newly elected commissioners, meet at Drum's office to informally discuss plans for reorganization of the council.

100 years ago: April 7, 1907

There will be two big religious meetings this week; the district conference of the Methodist church will be held at Sikeston, Mo., Monday through Thursday; the Rev. E.T. Adams of Cape Girardeau will be a prominent minister at the conference, preaching the first sermon there Monday; a meeting of the Southeast Missouri Clerical Association will be held in Cape Girardeau at the residence of the Rev. E. Pruente Tuesday; all 15 members of the association will attend.

One of the heaviest hail storms ever known visits Cape Girardeau in the morning; the western part of town suffers considerable damage.

-- Sharon K. Sanders