Out of the past 5/21/02

10 years ago: May 21, 1992

Jackson - There's a lot of activity at Lee-Rowan manufacturing facility at Jackson these days; warehouse space is being shifted to make room for new equipment and employees; Wednesday, new 93,000-square-foot addition to firm's facility was dedicated; it is ninth expansion since plant opened 28 years ago.

Faced with state funding cuts, Southeast Missouri Regional Crime Lab will have to reduce services unless cities and counties that use facility can pick up slack; Robert Briner, director of lab on Southeast Missouri State University campus, says $50,000 state earmarked for lab in 1990-91 budget for lab, this year was slashed to less than $22,500.

25 years ago: May 21, 1977

Procter and Gamble is continuing expansion of its huge paper products plant north of city; site preparation has been started on its newest addition, a 114,000-square-foot facility to house additional warehousing and warehouse office areas; this follows recent completion of 325,000-square-foot addition for production and packaging areas.

Mounds, Ill. - After turning thumbs down on bond proposal three times, Meridian School District voters approve referendum to finance building new elementary school; by almost two-to-one majority, voters approve bond referendum which could end district's split-shift classes, caused by inadequate room, within two years.

50 years ago: May 21, 1952

Sen. Albert M. Spradling Jr. yesterday obtained first city dog license for Cruddie, his male red Cocker Spaniel; license tags were ordered placed on sale by city council at its meeting Monday; they cost $2.25, with $1.50 of amount applying for rabies vaccination.

Police, on guard against any local outbreak of "panty raid" craze, disperses gathering of estimated 35 college youths at rear of Albert Hall at 1 a.m.; students explain they are "serenading" women's dormitory, but it looked to officers like makings of raid; young men, acting differently than some have at other schools, retire quietly and without disorder when police tell them to "break it up."

75 years ago: May 21, 1927

Paris - Captain Charles Lindbergh, American aviator, lands safely in evening at LeBourget Flying Field, completing his non-stop flight from New York to Paris; his plane, the Spirit of St. Louis, comes down on field at 10:21 p.m. Paris time, arriving just about two and a half hours ahead of his schedule.

Eight suits to force collection of subscriptions to Cape Girardeau bridge fund are filed in justice court, and announcement is made that other suits will be filed against those who fail to make their payments; of $410,000 subscribed by Cape Girardeau in whirlwind campaign last summer to guarantee construction of bridge, $389,000 has been paid, leaving only $21,000 yet to be collected.

- Sharon K. Sanders