Out of the past: Aug. 5

1998

Motorists may no longer have a free ride on some of the nation's interstate highways; Congress has opened the door to interstate toll roads: The new, $200 billion federal transportation law includes a plan to let three states convert interstates into toll roads under a pilot project; the goal is to provide a mechanism to help states maintain the aging freeways; the Missouri Department of Transportation is studying the idea.

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Former circuit judge Tony Heckemeyer cruised to victory Tuesday in the Democratic primary for the 8th District congressional seat; his win sets the stage for a November showdown with the Republican, 8th District U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson of Cape Girardeau; the Sikeston Democrat garnered 23,865 votes in the 26-county district to 14,293 for Thad Bullock of Cape Girardeau and 11,624 for Richard Kline of Gipsy, Missouri.

1973

The Rev. Paul W. Murrell is the new pastor of Burfordville Baptist Church; Murrell came to Burfordville from Potosi, Missouri, where he had been pastor of the Potosi Southern Baptist Church for 11 years.

Steve Davis, a Baptist minister and quarterback for Oklahoma University football team, is the evangelist at a spiritual renewal revival at First Baptist Church in Jackson; Davis spoke last night and will do so again at this morning's worship service; the minister-athlete is 20 years old and was born in Shreveport, Louisiana.

1948

Based on returns from the late precincts of Dunklin County, Paul C. Jones of Kennett, Missouri, has a lead of 254 votes over Joseph H. Allen of New Madrid, Missouri, in their close race for the Democratic nomination for Congress in the 10th District; two small precincts are still out, one from Butler and the other from Ripley County, in Tuesday's election; also to be counted are absentee ballots in each county.

Martha E. Smude, 47, clerk of Common Pleas Court for 10 years, dies at Southeast Hospital, where she had been a patient since July 16; Smude, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Smude, is survived by two brothers, Oscar Smude of Cape Girardeau and Frederick Smude of Detroit, Michigan, as well as two nephews and seven nieces.

1923

Winifred Johnson, instructor in the history department of Cape Girardeau Teachers College, leaves early in the day for her old home at Sistersville, West Virginia, where she will visit for a short time; she will set sail Aug. 21 on the steamer Acquitania for Cairo, Egypt, where she will study in the University of Cairo; this is Johnson's third trip to Europe, but her first to Egypt.

The Rev. A.C. Johnson, presiding elder of the Cape Girardeau district of the Methodist church, arrived in Cape Girardeau with his family yesterday; they will make their home temporarily on North Henderson Avenue, but will later move to the Gehrs home at the corner of Sprigg and North streets.

-- Sharon K. Sanders