Out of the past: Dec. 21

1996

A live nativity presentation begins at Hanover Lutheran Church, 2949 Perryville Road, with two showings this evening and tomorrow night by the Youth Group and Men's Club; refreshments are served in the parish hall.

Cable provider TCI has dropped plans to remove Chicago super-station WGN from cable television systems in five states, but the move won't affect lineup changes slated for Cape Girardeau and Jackson systems; plans to drop WGN effective Jan. 1 remain in place; there is also no change in TCI's dispute with local broadcast station KFVS-12; the CBS affiliate wants compensation in exchange for allowing TCI to carry its signal, but TCI refuses to do so because KFVS provides its signal for free to viewers who don't have cable; if no agreement is reached by Jan. 1, TCI will drop KFVS.

1971

The urgent need of the Salvation Army for 9,000 more cans of food to complete its Christmas-winter relief program inspires The Southeast Missourian to begin a drive for the items; employees of the newspaper are the first to contribute; at the request of Capt. Eugene Harris, corps officer, The Missourian is serving as a collection center for all residents wishing to donate.

Effective Jan. 1, the Jackson Police Department will be cooperating with the county sheriff's office in a central dispatching system which, in effect, will give Jackson 3.2 additional police officers; to carry out the system, however, means closing the police station during the evening and early hours and on this issue, three of the eight city councilmen voted in opposition to the plan; under the plan, police will be dispatched from the sheriff's office with the police department open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, Monday through Friday.

1946

Indications are that postage stamp cancellations at the Cape Girardeau Post Office, and consequently general receipts, will be heavier for the 10 days prior to Christmas than they were for that period a year ago; for the four days, starting Monday, there were 184,000 machine cancellations alone; added on will be hand cancellations.

The J.J. Newberry Co. announces distribution of a $240 Christmas bonus among its 20 employees; recipients range from its newest permanent employee, Joyce Dankel, eligible after three months, to Lucille Brockmire, who has been with the firm 17 years.

1921

An expert from the moving picture machine factory is in Cape Girardeau installing and making the final tests on the machines and projection apparatus in the New Broadway Theater, while another man from the scenery studio in St. Louis is putting up the stage equipment; a half dozen carpenters and other mechanics are working day and night, putting down the floor covering and completing the final touches in order for the new theater to open Saturday.

J.F. Gordon of New Madrid, Missouri, was recently appointed assistant to the clerk of the U.S. District Court in a move to expedite the work of the court; Gordon will move to Cape Girardeau the first of the new year to take up his new duties.

-- Sharon K. Sanders