Out of the past: April 17

1998

JEFFERSON CITY -- The Missouri House Budget Committee yesterday slashed funding for construction of the new Cape Girardeau vocational-technical school by $1.5 million; the Cape Girardeau School District had asked for $1.65 million, and Gov. Mel Carnahan included the funding in his fiscal 1999 budget proposal; but the committee on a voice vote eliminated all but $150,000; State Rep. Mary Kasten, R-Cape Girardeau, says she hopes to restore funding when the full House takes up the capital improvements bill next week.

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- The Federal Trade Commission is trying to block the proposed merger of Poplar Bluff's two hospitals; the FTC says the proposed merger between Lucy Lee Hospital, owned by Tenet Healthcare Corp. of Santa Barbara, California, and Doctors Regional Medical Center, owned by Poplar Bluff Physician Group Inc., will amount to "a virtual merger to monopoly"; the FTC is seeking a federal court order to block the pending merger, arguing that if it goes through, the combined firm will control 78% of the market for acute-care inpatient hospital services in and around the Butler County area.

1973

The fight continues to save flood-surrounded Kaskaskia Island, Illinois, and its 8,400 acres of productive farmland; falling waters of the Mississippi River have lessened the danger, but the threat of continued high flood levels -- possibly moving upward in coming weeks -- brings action by the Corps of Engineers to shore up a badly damaged, five-mile section of the levee on the north end of the island; strong northwest winds last weekend, coupled with high water, caused wavewash, which ate into the slope of the levee.

Opposition is growing to a tax-supported rural fire protection district for Cape Girardeau; yesterday in Circuit Court, Judge Stanley A. Grimm withheld his expected ruling on petitions calling for an election on the proposed district to enable opponents to file their petitions; petitions opposing taxation as the method of financing the district began circulating today in rural areas and small towns of the county.

1948

Jack O. Knehans, an attorney who shares offices with his father, Judge O.A. Knehans, is considering entering the race for the Republican nomination for Cape Girardeau County representative in the Legislature; Rep. J.S.N. Farquahar announced this week that he will not be a candidate for re-election; Frank A. Lowry, former representative from this county, is the only person to formally enter the race so far.

E.H. Scarlett, chairman of the Kiwanis Club baseball committee, announces the selection of Donald "Diz" Anderson, State College athlete, as manager of the Capahas during the upcoming baseball season; he will be assisted by Pete Russell as coach; the first game of the season will be played May 8, although an opponent has yet to be selected.

1923

In a letter to President Joseph A. Serena, Missouri Gov. Arthur Hyde discusses his $15,000 cut in appropriations for Southeast Missouri State Teachers College for 1923-1924; the letter enumerates the appropriation for the college: salaries, $270,000; repairs and improvements, $24,000; Education Building completion, $20,000; unpaid paving tax bill, $784; rural education, $5,000; fuel, $18,000; student labor, $10,000; supplies and books, $5,000; total: $357,784.

A meeting of the Lions Club with the Cape Girardeau City Council on Monday led to the adoption of a plan to install street signs here; Broadway will have its name painted on electric light posts in large, white letters, probably on a blue background, according to plans; side streets will be marked with long, blue signs, with the name of the street stenciled in white; it was estimated there will be at least 800 new signs needed, four signs at each intersection.

-- Sharon K. Sanders