Out of the past: Dec. 11

1993

Two current Cape Girardeau city councilmen will square off in April in a race for the mayor's seat; yesterday, the last day to file for the April 5 municipal election, Councilman Al Spradling III filed an election petition for mayor; he will challenge Councilman Melvin Gateley, who filed for that office Nov. 10, the first day for filing.

After 16 years, the Cape Girardeau Central High School new gymnasium may have a "real" name; naming the structure is among items on the school board's agenda for Monday's meeting; the proposed name is Tiger Fieldhouse.

1968

Having a stereo music player installed in your car is getting to be risky in Cape Girardeau; unofficial records show nearly $6,000 in stereo players and cartridge tapes have been stolen from cars this year, $3,000 worth in the past two months.

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- Ground is broken in the afternoon for the new $750,000 Chaffee General Hospital, to be erected at the intersection of Highway 77 and Yoakum Street; the ceremony is held at the high school football field, with remarks by Sen. Albert M. Spradling Jr. of Cape Girardeau and music by the Chaffee High School band.

1943

After being distressed by an earlier government message their son, Pvt. Clifford F. Kirby, had been lost in action, Mr. and Mrs. Jess Kirby of near Benton, Missouri, last weekend received another missive correcting the first; young Kirby was only slightly wounded in fighting Nov. 9.

A possible project, the actual construction of a modern house, to make some of the public school training more practical, was discussed during a recent Cape Girardeau Board of Education meeting; no action was taken on the proposal however.

1918

J.M. Chostner, a former resident of Cape Girardeau County who went down near Benton, Missouri, about five years ago and farmed near that place, bought the Jim Bowman farm near Burfordville two weeks ago; he is again a resident of this county; he has two sons in service, and both are in France.

Ben Poe has resumed work as an express messenger on the Gulf train, after being laid up with sickness for eight weeks; Poe was one of the first persons in Cape Girardeau to contract influenza and had a most severe spell.

-- Sharon K. Sanders