Out of the past 7/22/06

25 years ago: July 22, 1981

About 200 Southwestern Bell Telephone Co. customers turned out at two Public Service Commission hearings in Cape Girardeau Tuesday to express their strong displeasure with a company request for a 73 percent rate increase affecting basic line access, equipment, connections and operator-assisted long distance rates.

KENNETT, Mo. -- The Southeast Missouri State University Board of Regents authorizes awards of contracts totaling nearly $3.7 million, including $2.3 million to a Perryville, Mo., construction firm, for construction of the planned 46,000-square-foot addition to the university's Magill Hall of Science; Kiefner Brothers Inc. of Perryville receives the general construction contract from among seven firms that bid on the project.

50 years ago: July 22, 1956

The Rev. A.T. Wilkinson, former superintendent of Baptist Missions in the Cape Girardeau Baptist Association, will retire Aug. 1 as superintendent of missions in the Gentry and Northwest Association; he and his wife plan to move back to their home in Cape Girardeau, at 923 N. West End Blvd.

The Rev. T.S. Bess, who was ordained in 1916 at Old McKendree Chapel by Bishop E.R. Hendrix, has retired from active church work.

75 years ago: July 22, 1931

Within another two weeks, the first of this season's Southeast Missouri watermelon crop will be on the market; the outlook is especially favorable for a larger yield and better quality crop than last year.

A drawing for box seats at Houck Field Stadium for the coming Teachers College football season will be held Thursday evening at the administration offices in Academic Hall; the price of box seats will be $35 for the season, which is $2.50 cheaper than last year and includes six home games, one more than last season.

100 years ago: July 22, 1906

The remaining members of the National Guard of Missouri, here for their annual encampment, depart; the steamer City of Memphis returns the First Regiment to St. Louis; other outside companies of the Sixth Battalion depart north and south by afternoon trains.

The warm weather makes the outdoor evening service on the Common Pleas Courthouse lawn popular with church-going people; the Rev. T.J. Duvall, pastor of the Baptist Church, has charge of the service.

-- Sharon K. Sanders