Out of the past 6/17/03

10 years ago: June 17, 1993

Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau will start operating under new contract next month; CVB, which promotes tourism and conventions in Cape Girardeau area, will receive its new directions from Cape Girardeau City Council during fiscal year that starts July 1; change was officially announced during meeting of CVB Advisory Board at City Hall yesterday.

Commissioners and staff of Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority are working to finalize plans and financing arrangements for projects that will be funded by $1.2 million Economic Development Administration grant; grant will be used for acquisition of railroad branch line into port and other infrastructure improvements.

25 years ago: June 17, 1978

Five-year-old boy drowns when he apparently wanders into swimming pool at Cape Meadow Apartments in 1700 block of Meadow Circle; victim is identified by police as Frank W. Rosen, son of Charles Rosen.

Cape Girardeau County Sheriff James J. Below says he soon will implement procedure of mailing inquiries to people who file complaints in his office in effort to aid both investigators and victims of crimes; inquiries, in form of pre-printed letters, will inform complainants that deputies have processed all information available and seek information on further developments of which complainants might be aware.

50 years ago: June 17, 1953

Unidentified man thrust pistol into automobile parked in 800 block of William Street last night and forced two occupants to drive him to point on old Highway 74, where he ordered them out of car, bound driver and left with vehicle; it was later found in 400 block of South Hanover and had been driven 10 miles; victims were Robert Fee and Dona Knight, both of Cape Girardeau.

Twenty-five thousand feet of natural gas pipeline have been completed in city of Jackson, and service there will begin "before the heating season for sure," says A.H. "Tommy" Crouch, Associated Gas Co. manager.

75 years ago: June 17, 1928

The Rev. W.E. Hicks, pastor of Red Star Baptist Church, was pleasantly surprised at regular business meeting of church Wednesday night, when members voted to raise his salary $20 per month; Hicks has been pastor of Red Star six months and has received 38 new members into church in that time, besides engineering movement which resulted in building of annex to church.

Edwin Jacob, son of Mrs. Adolph Jacob on Bloomfield road, who has been attending Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, in training for ministry, preaches at morning German service at Trinity Lutheran Church; English sermon is later preached by Paul List of Michigan, also a student from Concordia Seminary.

-- Sharon K. Sanders