Out of the past 5/25/04

10 years ago: May 25, 1994

Charles Fowler is rudely awakened as storm cell wielding high winds and heavy rains rips through mobile home park he lives in north of Jackson in afternoon; Fowler and several other residents of Weiss Mobile Home Park and Mulbearry Acres are shaken by storm, and tornadoes are spotted in several places in northern part of county.

With dismissal of Lt. Bobby Wooten from Scott City Police Department, two other officers -- Eric Schafer and John Blakeley -- resign, leaving city with only six officers.

25 years ago: May 25, 1979

Petition requesting that Cape Girardeau meat market be enjoined from further carcass beef sales until it provides Missouri attorney general's office with certain business documents has been filed in Cape Girardeau County Circuit Court.

EAST CAPE GIRARDEAU, Ill. -- Work on several fronts begins to reopen two major highways that have been closed since mid-April and to rid area of interior water that closed those roads and inundated thousands of acres of farmland in areas of Alexander County along Mississippi River.

50 years ago: May 25, 1954

Plans for special $300,000 bond election June 8 to finance sewer system for Rodney Vista-Golladay-Cape Rock Drive section are canceled following discovery that area to be taxed would be double size of three areas actually affected.

Old Fort D, which defended south approaches to city during Civil War, will return to defense use in new era, with establishment there of Cape Girardeau's Civil Defense headquarters; main level room of building is considered ideal for civil defense purposes, with room for maps and charts on walls and space for meeting rooms and offices.

75 years ago: May 25, 1929

Terrific rain and electrical storm sweeps over district early in morning, temporarily impairing light and telephone service; two mules are killed by lightning and calf is burned to death in resulting fire, when barn on Solomon Heisserer farm, one mile west of Kelso, is destroyed; considerable grain is burned and farm machinery ruined.

Board of adjustment, named this week by city council under provisions of city plan, is scheduled to meet later today to pass on first building case growing out of new zoning ordinance; city engineer E.L. Sailer has refused O.A. Owens a permit to build apartment house on North Ellis, near Broadway, because plans don't conform in one particular with zoning ordinance.

-- Sharon K. Sanders