Out of the past: April 22

1997

The Missouri Transportation Department has agreed to conduct a feasibility study for a proposed Interstate 66 route through southern Missouri; Gov. Mel Carnahan pushed for the study, local civic and business leaders said; the state committed to the study this month as local and state economic development officials sought to convince Procter & Gamble to choose Cape Girardeau County as the site for a new plant; the study is expected to begin this month and be completed within 90 days.

Jack Smoot doesn't know what will happen to the covered bridge at Bollinger Mill State Historic Site if the bridge isn't restored soon; what he does know is that the bridge has endured nearly 130 years of wind, rain and flooding that have taken a toll on one of Missouri's four last covered bridges -- and that it is in dire need of restoration; bids from engineering companies interested in restoring the span are being taken, Smoot said; if they are under budget, it should take less than a year to complete the renovations.

1972

Cape State Bank announces the purchase of additional property at the site of its drive-in facility on Plaza Way and plans to completely rebuild this unit into a larger service facility; the property purchased was a lot 50 by 122 feet just west of the present building, and plans include increasing the drive-in bays from two to five; the property was purchased from Town Plaza Shopping Center Inc.

Tornadoes and thunderstorms rampaged across Southeast Missouri and southern Illinois late yesterday afternoon, killing three children when a twister touched down in Pope County, Illinois; five other persons were injured when a tornado struck near Annapolis, Missouri, in Iron County; in Cape Girardeau and the surrounding areas, tornado warning were in effect from about 4 to 5:30 p.m., but no damage was reported from the thunderstorms and heavy rain.

1947

City Attorney R.P. Smith was authorized by the Cape Girardeau City Council yesterday to sign a stipulation with the Federal government binding the city to trade the central portion of Courthouse Park for the present post office building and site.

Harris Field, circa 1947.G.D. Fronabarger (Southeast Missourian archive)

Cape Girardeau voters give overwhelming approval to two special election proposals, authorizing issuance of $115,000 in bonds for development of Harris Field as a municipal airport and endorsing extension of the city limits to include approximately three square miles more territory; the vote for the airport issue is 2,401 for and 519 against; the vote on extension of the city limits is 2,313 for and 562 against.

1922

Train service between Cape Girardeau and St. Louis, suspended since last Monday because of flooding, will resume tomorrow; condition of the track is said to be good; hundreds of men have been employed by the railroad to guard and patrol the track and will continue to do so until the river recedes; Neelys Landing has been marooned by the water, and residents there have been out of bread for several days.

A levee one mile south of McClure, Illinois, holding water back from several thousand acres of land in the East Cape Girardeau, Illinois, district, breaks early in the morning; farms in that section are inundated, the water varying in depths from a few inches to several feet; by noon the break is over 400 feet wide and spreading.

-- Sharon K. Sanders