Out of the past: Dec. 27

1992

Richard D. McClure has accepted the position as minister of education and youth at First Baptist Church in Cape Girardeau; before coming here, he served at Westport Road Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky.

When Alfred C. Sikes steps down as Federal Communications Commission chairman next month, he will leave a legacy of deregulation of the communications industry and a commitment to decency on the airwaves; the latter has been exemplified by his strong stand against "shock jock" Howard Stern; 53-year-old Sikes was born in Cape Girardeau and grew up in Sikeston, Missouri.

1967

Telephone company construction crews begin placing a cable underground at Broadway, which will reach its terminus about April 1 near Neelys Landing and will provide improved telephone service for a large number of Cape Girardeau and county residents

A municipal civic center-library complex, costing more than $1,000,000, would be developed along Themis Street west of Lorimier Street under proposals of Bartholomew and Associates, the firm preparing a master plan for Cape Girardeau; the plan calls for construction of the complex on the south side of Themis Street between Lorimier and Fountain streets and on the north side of the street west of Fountain Street.

1942

Guest speaker in the morning at Red Star Baptist Church is the Rev. Harley Statler; he was ordained to the ministry at this church several years ago; he is soon to move to Arkansas to enter college.

The Rev. Charles A. Higgins is expected to arrive here Tuesday to succeed the Rev. C.L. Stanley, when the latter goes to St. Louis on Jan. 1 to become rector of St. Peter's Episcopal Church; Higgins, who was a missionary in China, was in Hong Kong when the Japanese took over, and he and his wife were interned until they were released to return to the United States a few months ago.

1917

Andrew Aubuchon, an engineer killed in France while operating a locomotive engine over rails leading up to the battle lines, was a Frisco fireman living at Chaffee, Missouri, up to the time he enlisted for service; Aubuchon is the first Southeast Missourian killed in the service of his country in the great war with Germany; he was 26 years old and unmarried.

Mayor Will Hirsch received a letter Christmas Day from Frisco general manager E.D. Levy saying the plans and specifications for the new passenger station here are complete and asking whether he and Commercial Club president M.E. Leming could meet him at the Frisco offices in St. Louis to inspect the plans; Hirsch and Leming leave in the afternoon for their conference with Levy tomorrow morning.

-- Sharon K. Sanders