Out of the past 6/3/03

10 years ago: June 3, 1993

Missouri Highway and Transportation Department is considering options to improve traffic safety on Highway 61-34 beneath Interstate 55 between Cape Girardeau and Jackson; one plan includes relocating westbound lanes closer to eastbound lanes and eliminating median from near Veterans Home westward to where dual lane highway comes together.

Since May 20, Boyd Group has spent $17,985 toward urging Cape Girardeau voters to approve riverboat gambling for city next Tuesday; based in Las Vegas, company has indicated it will try to locate boat on river here if voters approve issue.

25 years ago: June 3, 1978

Cape Girardeau County's 1978 assessed valuation should exceed $182 million, more than double valuation of 10 years ago, according to county records; county has completed computerized abstracting of real estate and personal property tax books, and preliminary figures, excluding merchants and manufacturers valuations, show increase of about $6.2 million over last year's assessed valuation.

Perryville, Mo. -- Perry County Sheriff's Department car was destroyed last night by arsonists in confrontation between high school students and law enforcement officers who were returning from raid of beer party near St. Marys.

50 years ago: June 3, 1953

Construction of final 2 1/2-mile stretch of Diversion Channel levee to bring it to strength and height to provide protection against any foreseeable maximum flood is expected to be placed under way in July by Cook Construction Co. of Jackson, Miss.

County Clerk Edwin J. Sander announces 1953 assessed valuation of real estate and personal property in Cape Girardeau County is $32,133,796; assessed valuation in 1952 was $31,109,701.

75 years ago: June 3, 1928

"Flower Day" is observed at Centenary Methodist Church, at which time formal opening of new education plant is also held; roses, symbolic of month of June, are used to decorate church building and new education building.

New pews are being made for part of Red Star Baptist Church auditorium; auditorium was enlarged by recent addition of annex, necessitating more pews; they are being made by Southeast Missouri Sash, Door and Cabinet Co.

-- Sharon K. Sanders