Out of the past 9/30/03

10 years ago: Sept. 30, 1993

Perryville, Mo. -- Free, passenger-ferry-boat shuttle will begin operating tomorrow between Perryville and Mississippi River bridge at Chester, Ill.; shuttle will operate over flooded portion of Highway 51 between McBride and Chester bridge in Perry County; highway has between 8 and 9 feet of water over it.

Jackson school superintendent Wayne Maupin hopes weather forecast for above normal temperatures in area through mid-October is accurate; that's because high school's new hot-water boiler for heating classrooms won't be operational until mid-October; this week, Jackson school board approved bid by ANW Refrigeration of Cape Girardeau County to install boiler.

25 years ago: Sept. 30, 1978

Lt. Gov. William Phelps helped dedicate new overpass over railroad tracks at Illmo; 30 years of campaigning by residents to build track crossing without dodging trains came to fruition when Phelps cut ribbon across foot of overpass, hundreds of balloons sailed northward across structure, fireworks thundered and church bells pealed.

Personalized license plates will make their debut in Missouri this year; applications for special plates will be available at local license bureau on Oct. 12; for $12 extra motorists can have their preference of one to four numbers or one to six characters on the tags.

50 years ago: Sept. 30, 1953

First Sgt. Don Edwards, looking healthy and fit despite his 27 months as prisoner of war of communists in North Korea, received key to city from Mayor Manning P. Greer last night, as nearly 3,000 people turned out to welcome young soldier home; Edwards told crowd at Courthouse Park it was good to be home among friends and neighbors again.

New, single-day record for amount of water hauled from Jackson municipal water plant was established yesterday, when commercial carriers and individual farmers drew 52,000 gallons around clock to replenish their drought-evaporated supplies; most of water being hauled by commercial truckers goes to fill cisterns, which, without rain most of summer, have gone dry; some is used to water stock.

75 years ago: Sept. 30, 1928

Evangelistic campaigns begin in morning at two of Cape Girardeau's Baptist churches; the Rev. George S. Ellyson, pastor of First Baptist Church, and the Rev. W.E. Hicks, pastor of Red Star Baptist Church, each occupy pulpits at their respective churches at morning service to get under way two-week drive at each place.

Services for congregation of Trinity Lutheran Church are held in church auditorium; services last week were held in parochial school hall, due to improvements that are being made in church auditorium; interior of building has been remodeled and other improvements will soon be completed.

-- Sharon K. Sanders