Out of the past: Aug. 17

1995

Youngsters at St. Vincent's Grade School in Cape Girardeau will have a new look when they start classes Aug. 23; uniforms will be required at St. Vincent's for children in kindergarten, first and second grades; St. Mary's Cathedral School doesn't have uniforms; at Immaculate Conception grade school in Jackson, uniforms are optional.

After about three decades of county service, Chester "Chet" McCain will turn in his park department cap and call it quits; he is retiring at age 62, ready to hunt, fish and spend time with his grandchildren; in light of McCain's service as a road patrol volunteer, county coroner and finally park superintendent, former and current county officials say nobody deserves to rest more; McCain's last day on the job is Oct. 31.

1970

Corn leaf blight, a fungus disease threatening 50% or more of this year's corn yield, is being diagnosed in some Southeast Missouri cornfields, particularly in upper Bootheel counties; a state agronomist says the blight is prevalent in Scott, Mississippi, New Madrid and Stoddard counties.

Missouri Utilities Co. has received Missouri Public Service Commission approval to provide water service to an area northwest of Cape Girardeau; the company will extend its main 7,500 feet to a mobile-home court under development on Route W north of the Jaycee Golf Course; service will be provided for the court and to customers adjacent to the main.

1945

Six persons have lost their jobs because the war is over, and they're not kicking about it; they are members of the county gasoline panel and the committee for rationing oil, kerosene and stoves; they received no pay for their work, only grief; members of the gasoline panel were Thomas G. Harris and E.C. Smith of Cape Girardeau and John Mabrey of Jackson; members of the other panel were George Dietrich and H.B. Moran of Cape Girardeau and Harry Hoffmeister of Jackson.

A portion of the old Cape Brewing Co. building on Morgan Oak Street has been leased by Tom Zimmerman of Mount Vernon, Illinois, and Virgil F. Hurst of St. Louis, who plan to set up a plant for the rebuilding and rewinding of industrial motors and transformers.

1920

Cape Girardeau is to have a first-class post office, the city having passed the requirements set by Uncle Sam to go into class A; this means the postal revenues for the current year have passed the $40,000 mark, the amount necessary to place an office in the "big league"; this has nothing to do with money-order business, but is the revenue derived from the business of the office.

Capt. Wilbur F. Maring of the Missouri National Guard arrived here last night to aid in recruiting men into the local Guard, the campaign for which is being done by Capt. Harry Gaines and Lts. Howard Frissell and Kenrick Burrough.

-- Sharon K. Sanders