Out of the past: Dec. 1

1998

The unseasonably warm weather doesn't make it feel much like the start of December, but the final month of the year has arrived; November was warmer than normal, tricking many flowers and shrubs into blooming; there were only a few light frosts and no killing freezes this fall.

The Missouri Department of Transportation's new five-year road improvement plan isn't saddled with more projects than funding, says the agency's chief financial officer; Pat Goff, initially said yesterday the plan was "over-programmed"; but several hours later, he said that wasn't the case; he said MoDOT plans to spend $4.3 billion over the next five years, including $878 million in the current fiscal year; there are more than 900 specific projects in the five-year plan that the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission recently adopted when it scrapped the 15-year plan.

1973

Meals on Wheels is coming to Cape Girardeau; the program, providing nutritional meals to individuals unable to prepare them for themselves, is being organized by Southeast Hospital Auxiliary members and representatives of the Cape Girardeau County Chapter of the American Red Cross; meals five days a week will be prepared by the hospital and delivered to homes by volunteers at a cost of $1.25 per meal; the program will kick off Jan. 7.

The second house fire in rural Cape Girardeau County in a 24-hour period has destroyed the home of Carroll Walker, dean of students at Southeast Missouri State University, on Route 1 northwest of Cape Girardeau; the fire at the 1 1/2-year-old, two-story frame home began about 3 p.m. yesterday in the laundry area on the main floor; a neighbor called the Cape Girardeau Fire Department when smoke was noticed, but help wasn't sent because the house is outside the city limits.

1948

By margins of better than five to one in an election marked by light voting, Cape Girardeau residents yesterday approved granting of electric power, water and natural gas franchises to the Missouri Utilities Co.; the electrical and water franchises will run for a 20-year period, with the privilege reserved to the city to cancel at the end of 10 years; the natural gas franchise is also for 20 years, but carries a clause allowing cancellation if the fuel isn't delivered here within two years.

A base bid of $593,000, the lowest of four received, is submitted to the State College Board of Regents by the L. & R. Construction Co. of St. Louis on a proposal to erect a new health building-field house to replace Houck Field House destroyed by fire nearly a year ago; this bid is $93,500 over the amount of money -- $500,000 -- made available by the State Legislature for the project; the board votes to award the contract conditionally, or subject to negotiation with L. & R.

1923

Shippers located on the Cape Girardeau Northern Railroad win their first tilt with the railroad, when Judge John A. Snider in Common Pleas Court orders the road to resume steam service immediately and to continue operation of the service until a further court order; switching of 10 loaded freight cars from the Frisco Railroad tracks to shippers on the C.G.N. -- the principal objective of the shippers -- is ordered to be carried out without delay.

Cape Girardeau School District voters yesterday rejected at $268,000 bond issue proposal for the construction of a junior high school and additions to two public school buildings here to take care of the increased enrollment; those voting for the issue numbered 812, and those against, 1,327.

-- Sharon K. Sanders