Out of the past: Aug. 31

1995

After three terms in office, Beverly Nelson may be Jackson's last elected city collector; Nelson has announced she won't run again after her term expires in April 1997; because Jackson is growing so quickly, she says it makes sense for Cape Girardeau County to collect Jackson's taxes.

The Southeast Missouri State University faculty remains divided over the merits of merit pay, prompting "an amazing amount of bitterness" on campus; some faculty members think the university's latest merit pay plan is designed to give the administration a means to fire tenured professors, a claim denied by school officials.

1970

Purchase of a 3 1/2-acre tract at Hopper and Mount Auburn roads by New Testament Christian Church as the future site of a large, new church building has been announced; the tract, acquired from Larry Altenthal, lies within a portion of the southeast side of the junction of the two streets and includes a building, formerly used to house a plumbing firm operated by Altenthal, and which will be revamped as temporary church quarters.

Rough plans for the construction of a new jail to house 71 prisoners are presented to the County Court by architect Fred E. Dormeyer and Sheriff Ivan E. McLain; no action is taken by the court, but it is determined it would be possible to put a tax levy on the ballot for November to finance construction if the court acts soon.

1945

The Main Street Flood Control Committee yesterday directed its attorney, Rush H. Limbaugh, to immediately contact the City Council and urge the passage of an ordinance establishing a benefit district in the Main Street business area so condemnation proceedings attended to the proposed raising of the area as a flood-control measure may be filed.

BENTON, Mo. -- The watermelon crop in Scott County is being harvested, with the melons being medium to small in size, but of fine quality; buyers are purchasing truck loads of melons in the field for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cents per pound; roadside stands, doing a rush business since rationing of gasoline ended, are reported getting 35 cents to 90 cents for melons, a record price.

1920

The Lila Drew Farm on North Sprigg Street was owned by I. Ben Miller and supplied cream for his ice cream factory in Cape Girardeau.(Michael Hahn photo ~ Southeast Missourian archive)

"Lila Drew Farm" is the name given the new dairy farm of I. Ben Miller, located across the creek out Sprigg Street Road and barely within the Juden School District; the name, chosen in honor of Miller's daughters, Lila and Clara Drew Miller, was painted on the huge, model dairy barn at the farm a few days ago.

Several hundred dollars damage is done at Walther's Furniture store at Broadway and Middle Street in the morning by a wind and rain storm; winds tear the roof off the northwest corner of the building, leaving a 10- to 12-foot-square hole through which the rain pours down into the casket room on the second floor; the water then leaks through to the first floor, damaging furniture.

-- Sharon K. Sanders