Out of the past 8/18/02

10 years ago: Aug. 18, 1992

Cape Girardeau lawyer Bill Syler and County Associate Circuit Judge Ben Lewis have been interviewed by aides to Gov. John Ashcroft about filling vacancy as circuit judge in 32nd Judicial District; Syler and Lewis both sent letters to governor asking that he consider them for post after Division I Circuit Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. was appointed to Missouri Supreme Court by Ashcroft on Aug. 7.

Jackson - In another shot over county prosecuting attorney's decision not to prosecute local video store that rents pornographic tapes, members of American Family Association stage one-hour picket at county courthouse that criticized prosecutor, Morley Swingle, though not by name; Swingle's office is in courthouse.

25 years ago: Aug. 18, 1977

Westborough Mall developers and city council are in conflict over construction priorities on site, with council yesterday threatening to revoke building permit if work isn't begun on surface-water drainway; while saying they will comply, developer George Staples Jr., says from engineering view it is "stupid" to force contractor to put in drainway now, when it "could be more reasonably done later."

Cape Girardeans can scrape city license stickers off vehicle windshields and forget about standing in line late next February to buy tags; city council has abolished them; surprise move came yesterday, when council voted unanimously to eliminate the tax; it brought about $90,000 annually into city treasury.

50 years ago: Aug. 18, 1952

Boat and string of grain barges more than 600 feet long stop at Sinclair Oil Co. river terminal, 300 N. Main, early in morning en route from Minneapolis to New Orleans; barges are carrying wheat and small amounts of other grains to be transferred to ocean vessels for shipment overseas; boat takes on 18,000 gallons of fuel at oil terminal.

Cape Girardeau Mainliners were hotter than Oklahoma heat wave Sunday as they blasted Topeka, Kansas, Legion Juniors, 15-5, in opening game of national regional baseball tournament at Altus, Okla.; Coach Gene Dawson's youngsters unleashed 10-run attack in first half of first inning, taking starch out of Kansans.

75 years ago: Aug. 18, 1927

Four men, former members of Sixth Missouri Regiment Band during World War, are to get free trip to American Legion Convention at Paris, France, Sept. 19 to 23; they are Ernest Foster, shoe factory foreman; Oscar Kaiser, shoe factory bookkeeper; Chester Kassel, Main Street photographer, and Elmore Kassel, Broadway jeweler; four, members of Municipal Band, are to play in 56-piece band going to convention from St. Petersburg, Fla., under direction of Thomas Danks, formerly of Cape Girardeau.

Thelma Boarman, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William J. Boarman of Cape Girardeau, was member of class of five who received her white veil in Ursuline Sisterhood at Ursuline Academy at St. Louis Tuesday; she will teach in a convent, probably out of St. Louis.

- Sharon K. Sanders