Out of the past 8/18/11

25 years ago: Aug. 18, 1986

The Sunny Hill Motor Inn, 45 S. West End Blvd., has been purchased by a newly formed corporation of local property investors who plan to convert the high-rise building into apartments or a retirement center.

Total student enrollment at Southeast Missouri State University is declining, reflecting a nationwide trend, says Dr. Fred L. Snider, registrar; 8,700 to 8,800 students are expected to attend classes this fall, a decline for about 300 to 350 from last year.

50 years ago: Aug. 18, 1961

MARBLE HILL, Mo. -- With the hope they can find jobs for underemployed workers, 97 residents of Bollinger County met in Marble Hill last night; filling the humid circuit courtroom of the county courthouse, the group nominated an 18-member steering committee to map formative plans for the establishment of a county redevelopment committee.

Sealed bids for construction of new lighting facilities at Houck Stadium are being received in the office of V.A. Chapman, superintendent of grounds and maintenance at State College; athletic director Kenneth Knox hopes the new lights can be erected in time for the Indians' football season opener Sept. 16.

75 years ago: Aug. 18, 1936

Rush H. Limbaugh of Cape Girardeau is re-elected chairman of the Republican County Committee at its meeting at the courthouse in Jackson; the Democratic County Committee will meet this evening to pick its chairman.

Three foremen -- E.P. Ellis, F.J. Courleux and W.W. Giles -- are named to oversee individual work crews of the No. 1 district stormwater sewer project; the city must still select a construction engineer who will have charge of the actual construction and engineering.

100 years ago: Aug. 18, 1911

Six Baptist ladies from Chaffee, Mo., come to Cape Girardeau early in the morning and, as the sun lights up the countryside, they are baptized in the waters of the Mississippi River near the freight house; they were converts at the recently held revival at Chaffee.

The county court is advertising for bids to tear down the Wiggington Building on the public square in Jackson; the court has also ordered H.L. Jones to remove the building, which is owned by the county and which stands on the lot owned by Jones.

-- Sharon K. Sanders