Out of the past 9/25/01

10 years ago: Sept. 25, 1991

Number of forcible rapes reported in Cape Girardeau in 1991 already has outpaced year-end totals for each of last five years; police say apparent culprit is date rape; by end of August, most recent period for which information was available, police had logged nine forcible rapes; that compares with eight in all of 1990, six in 1989, seven in both 1988 and 1987, and two in 1986.

Marble Hill - City Administrator Herman Skaggs has resigned after accusing Marble Hill Board of Aldermen of rendering him virtually powerless; Skaggs, who has been with city for nearly two years, says actions taken by board in recent months have "all but removed the duties and responsibilities for my position."

25 years ago: Sept. 25, 1976

Request for $2.6 million in capital improvement funds will be made to General Assembly by Southeast Missouri State University for fiscal 1978; endorsement of that figure was given by Board of Regents Thursday, who also were advised that Coordinating Board for Higher Education will likely trim request to $2.1 million; Southeast's request this year is $600,000 higher than what was asked for last year; major item not funded then, addition to Serena Industrial Arts Building, again tops project list.

Cape Girardeau Mayor Howard C. Took was elected vice president of Missouri Municipal League yesterday at annual meeting held in Kansas City; election to position makes Tooke first city representative to hold such a high position.

50 years ago: Sept. 25, 1951

Oran - Mayor Abram Hirschowitz calls on two members of city council to resign if courts rule Hirschowitz is right in his latest legal tangle with Associated Gas Co.; Hirschowitz says two members challenged his contentions and asked him to resign at emergency meeting of council last night; mayor says he'll resign if court tells him he's wrong in his effort to construct municipally-owned natural gas system for Oran, rather than privately owned system; but he's asking other councilmen to resign if court upholds his stand.

New aluminum Christmas decorations that can be used for several years before replacement will bedeck Cape Girardeau streets during approaching holiday system; Retail Merchants Association votes to purchase new decorations at cost of about $1,700 during noon meeting.

75 years ago: Sept. 25, 1926

Cape Girardeau's 1926 building program, being drawn to close, will aggregate $750,000, according to City Commissioner Louis Wittmor, superintendent of building construction; program has been featured by construction of three new school buildings at cost of $300,000, and construction of First Baptist Church edifice at cost of $175,000, although during year there have been number of fine residences and smaller business buildings erected as well; looking toward 1927, Wittmor points out that plans are already being drawn for new $125,000 Southeast Missouri Hospital, and for $75,000 educational plant to be built by Centenary Methodist Church.

L.C. Hobart of Holden, publisher of the Progress, is elected president of Missouri Press Association during closing session of Missouri editors' 60th annual meeting.

- Sharon K. Sanders