Out of the past 6/12/02

10 years ago: June 12, 1992

Riverfest, Cape Girardeau's celebration of its downtown heritage, has come long way since it started in 1979 as fish fry on riverfront; Riverfest '92 kicks off in afternoon; highlighting this year's festivities, in addition to return of "Spirit of Riverfest" riverboat, are Dixianna, a country music band, and Yesterday As The Beatles.

Missouri Highway and Transportation Department has awarded contract to Kansas City firm for preliminary design of $89 million Mississippi River highway bridge at Cape Girardeau; design contract was awarded to firm of Howard, Needles, Tammen & Bergendoff; preliminary design should be completed this summer, and bridge is scheduled to be completed in year 2000.

25 years ago: June 12, 1977

Dissident group which had called for reform of Laborers Local 282 swept nine of 12 offices in union elections Saturday, ending long reign of faction dominated by local president Fred D. "Nook" Kelley; leader of reform group, Jimmie G. Bollinger, was elected to three-year term as president, and Bobby Jackman was elected secretary-treasurer and business representative for three years.

Today marks start of 1977 Golden Eagles Summer Music Camp at Southeast Missouri State University, with some 600 Southeast Missouri high school pupils registered for first of four one-week sessions; John Locke, director, announces that for first time in 20-year history of summer music camps, Junior High "honors band" will be formed, featuring some of camp's finest performers.

50 years ago: June 12, 1952

Mercury hit 96 degrees in Cape Girardeau yesterday, setting new high mark for current warm weather season, and from all indications today will being another high mark; former high was 95 degrees established last Sunday; today is seventh straight day of temperatures in the 90s.

Orren R. Fee, 47, cook aboard Marquette Cement Co. towboat John Lochow, is found dead of gunshot wound on deck of vessel under circumstances that baffle Illinois and Coast Guard officials; Fee's body is found around 3 p.m., as towboat is approaching Cairo, Ill.; at first it is believed he succumbed from heart attack, but physician examining body finds gunshot wound.

75 years ago: June 12, 1927

The Rev. Victor Brugge, pastor of Lutheran church at Gordonville, has accepted call to pastorate of Lutheran church at Memphis, Tenn., of which his late father was pastor until short time ago; Brugge was released by Gordonville congregation at meeting last Sunday.

Caruthersville - Aided from outside, four prisoners, including two gangsters, escape from Pemiscot County Jail early in day, fleeing southward in automobile; they saw their way to liberty, using saw smuggled to them by friends, according to Sheriff J.H. Smith.

-- Sharon K. Sanders