Out of the past: Dec. 4

1994

In observance of the 10th anniversary of the Most Rev. John J. Leibrecht's episcopal ordination as bishop of the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau, the bishop celebrates a special Mass in the evening at St. Mary's Cathedral; a reception is held afterward; Leibrecht is the fifth bishop of the Southern Missouri diocese since it was formed in 1956.

Students at Cape Girardeau Central High School are being sent to the principal's office twice as often this year as last; so far this school year, 864 discipline referrals have been logged at the principal's office, up from last year's 494 referrals for the same period.

1969

County Clerk Rusby C. Crites is directed by the County Court to begin checking the sufficiency of petitions for a County Health Unit following reading of an opinion from Prosecuting Attorney A.J. Seier; while earlier it was thought there weren't enough valid signatures, it now appears there is a sufficient number to prompt the court to call an election.

The state budget office has cut more than $500,000 in the State College's projected operating funds for next fiscal year and has virtually eliminated any funds for capital improvements; the only budget item for capital improvements is $151,000 for repair and replacement.

1944

The milk-handling situation in Cape Girardeau and the entire county is discussed at the County Court session at Jackson, with two members of the Cape Girardeau City Council, engineer L.W. Pickles of the State Department of Health and County Extension agent T.P. Head in attendance; it is decided to call a meeting of all milk producers for a complete discussion of milk production and marketing problems in the county.

Damage estimated at nearly $5,000 was done early Saturday night when the rear half of the Howard Kelley grocery store on South Sprigg Street in the Smelterville suburb was gutted by fire.

1919

Employees of Farmers & Merchants Bank in Haarig discovered Tuesday the bank had been broken into and two revolvers stolen from a shelf underneath the teller's window; investigation showed the burglar used a chisel to pry open the transom and a stepladder to boost himself through the window; nothing else appears to be missing from the bank.

Five local freight trains on this division of the Frisco Railroad are discontinued because of the fuel shortage; the trains affected are those between St. Louis and St. Marys, Chaffee and Hayti, Chaffee and Clarkton, Cape Girardeau and Poplar Bluff, and Hayti and Harviell; round trips to these places will be made every other day instead of daily.

-- Sharon K. Sanders