Out of the past 7/13/03

10 years ago: July 13, 1993

Levees along bloated Mississippi River in area are in good shape, although most of them have had water against them since late March; levee situation looked better after Sunday, when Coast Guard closed final stretch of upper Mississippi River between Cairo, Ill., and St. Louis to prevent wave damage by towboats; entire 535-mile stretch of Upper Mississippi, from Cairo to St. Paul, Minn., is now closed to barge traffic and boaters.

Cape Girardeau businessman and former Central High School basketball standout has pledged money to install new wooden gymnasium floor at Central's new gym; Kermit Meystedt, president of Genesis Transportation Co., spearheaded effort approved by school board yesterday.

25 years ago: July 13, 1978

Chester, Ill. -- After nearly 40 years as toll facility, it appears Mississippi River bridge at Chester, Ill., will remain toll bridge until at least 1989, despite continuing efforts of Missouri Rep. Vernon E. Bruckerhoff of St. Marys to remove toll ahead of schedule; Bruckerhoff, who has been fighting legal and legislative battle in efforts to repeal toll since 1970, still believes span could be freed with minimum of red tape.

Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Bradshaw Smith announces resignation of his assistant, Marshall G. Shain Jr., who will begin Monday with law firm of Edward L. Downs and Gerald Johnson; assuming Shain's duties in Magistrate Court will be Paul P. Lichtenegger of Jackson and J. Patrick O'Loughlin of Cape Girardeau.

50 years ago: July 13, 1953

Choice between two forms of municipal government -- city manager and commission -- will be placed before Cape Girardeau voters tomorrow in election that has engendered such substantial interest that record vote for special issue may be cast; election marks third time Cape Girardeau has voted on city manager issue; town has been governed by city commission for 35 years.

Cape Girardeau County grand jury is impaneled by Circuit Judge D.M. Gilmore at Jackson courthouse; Lindsay W. Simmons, president of First Federal Savings and Loan Association, is appointed grand jury foreman.

75 years ago: July 13, 1928

Producers Marketing Association of Southeast Missouri, organization formed for purpose of providing a ready and desirable market for farm produce, has been organized with 15 charter members, and campaign will be conducted soon to secure as many as 2,000 members; it is plan of association to operate fleet of motor trucks in radius of 40 miles of Cape Girardeau picking up cream, eggs and poultry from stations that have been selected as receiving points, and bring it to central station in Cape Girardeau and from there to market.

During electrical storm Thursday, lightning struck barn of Henry D. Bruihl near Oak Ridge, Mo., and structure and contents were destroyed by fire; Bruihl, who was in building at time, escaped without serious injury, but top of his head was seared.

-- Sharon K. Sanders