Out of the past: Aug. 1

1998

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction barring the sale of Doctors Regional Medical Center to Tenet Health-care Corp., the owner of Lucy Lee Healthcare System; the injunction could be made permanent following administrative trials and appeals or if Tenet decides to drop the purchase.

Cape Girardeau County Republicans turned out to shake candidates' hands and eat barbecue last night at a picnic to raise funds for the party; several GOP candidates and office holders -- State Rep. Mary Kasten, Auditor Weldon Macke, Sheriff John Jordan, Commissioner Larry Bock, Coroner John Carpenter, Diane Diebold, Matt Hopkins and Chris Johnston -- were on hand for the picnic at Cape Girardeau County Park South.

1973

Nine people are killed and 11 injured early in the morning when a flatbed truck carrying 29 Mexican farmworkers slams into a parked tractor-trailer truck on Interstate 55, 2 miles north of Matthews, Missouri, and 8 miles south of Sikeston, Missouri; it is the worst traffic accident ever in Southeast Missouri.

Tentative plans for another off-street parking lot in the downtown shopping area are unveiled in the evening, when the Cape Girardeau Metro Association asks the city to pave and install parking meters on a South Spanish Street tract purchased by the association; the proposed parking lot was previously occupied by the Midwest Dairy Products Co. building at 25 S. Spanish St.

1948

The Rev. Theon Schoen, pastor of St. Mary's Catholic Church, announces the parish has completed the purchase of a 37 1/2-acre tract in the southwest section of town as the future location of a new church building, rectory, grade school, convent, high school and gymnasium; the tract, bought from Mr. and Mrs. William Franz, lies between Elm and Hickory streets and is bounded on the east by Beaudean Lane and on the west by the extension of South West End Boulevard; Schoen says no definite decision has been reached as to the time and plans of the building program.

A steady stream of people, totaling an estimated 6,400 by the end of the day, files into the Arena Building to see the new rear-engined, Cyclops-eyed Tucker automobile; although originally scheduled to be here only today, the car will be held over until 8:30 Monday evening; Wescoat Motor Co. is the local agency.

1923

Albert Hall, men's dormitory at the Teachers College, is quiet following a series of disturbances caused by celebrations in honor of it being the last week of occupancy by male students; Albert is being converted into a women's dormitory; police had to be called out last night to maintain order at the hall; the disturbance included the explosion of two giant firecrackers on an upper floor.

All business of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce is being done in Room 313 of the Liberty National Bank Building, Broadway and Fountain Street, following the chamber's removal from the Elks Building.

-- Sharon K. Sanders