Out of the past 6/29/03

10 years ago: June 29, 1993

High water may shorten distance for Great Steamboat Race from New Orleans to St. Louis, but plans for four-hour stop by Mississippi Queen and Delta Queen steamboats at Cape Girardeau are still on; steamboats will dock from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday as part of annual reenactment of race between Natchez and Robert E. Lee.

Southeast Missouri State University's director of business services, Gil Seres, has been named interim director of physical plant; Seres fills void created by departure of William H. Moon.

25 years ago: June 29, 1978

Sewer backup problem which has plagued residents on city's north side for several years should become only bad memory within coming weeks; residents of Sherwood, Jean Ann, Lombardo, Howell and other streets where sewage on occasion has backed up into basements no longer should experience that problem; completion is expected within next 10 days of relief sewer line to augment present overburdened trunk line in that area.

Sweltering heat, driving up cool drink sales and keeping most people inside near air conditioners, continues to cover region; for third straight day, Cape Girardeau was hottest spot in Missouri yesterday; recorded official high was 100 degrees.

50 years ago: June 29, 1953

Tom Clark, 33, of Cape Girardeau is in good condition at Cape Osteopathic Hospital, where he was admitted Saturday after receiving severe electrical shock while at work at Missouri Electric Co.; he sustained concussion and second- and third-degree burns on both hands.

Several complaints over exploding firecrackers have been registered with police; most complaints have been because of disturbance of ill people; three or four calls have been received daily, although no citations have been made; in Cape Girardeau it is illegal to set off or sell fireworks of an audible type.

75 years ago: June 29, 1928

Streams throughout Southeast Missouri are rising rapidly as result of yesterday's heavy rain over entire district; highways are again flooded, but most of them remain open as water in creeks and rivers runs off rapidly; 2 feet of water covers Highway 34 at Burfordville in morning, but it is expected to fall later in day; Highway 25 is still closed south of Dutchtown.

Pageant, in which several hundred people will participate, is being planned in connection with dedication of traffic bridge across Mississippi River here, Sept. 3; Laura St. Ann Keller has consented to take charge of pageant, which will be presented on east campus of picturesque St. Vincent's College grounds, overlooking bridge approach.

-- Sharon K. Sanders