Out of the past: Feb. 17

1991

A crew from the ABC television show "America's Funniest People" tapes more than 60 candidates for the show at West Park Mall Center Court; winners on the show go on to compete for $10,000 in prize money given away weekly.

Shell's Furniture and Collectibles has opened at 221A Independence St. in downtown Cape Girardeau; manager of the new operation is Jack Shell.

1966

A city ordinance making it a violation for anyone to drive a vehicle in the city without a state operator's or chauffeur's license is being challenged in an appeal of a Municipal Court case to the Common Pleas Court; a four-point brief was filed in court in behalf of Donald R. Sullivan of St. Louis, who was convicted in Municipal Court several weeks ago of violating the ordinance; he was fined $10 and costs.

Notre Dame High School is presented the trophy by the Farmers and Merchants Bank honoring the basketball team as City Basketball Champions of Cape Girardeau; the Bulldogs defeated both College High and Central High twice this season, finishing the season with an record of 19 wins and three losses.

1941

A delegation of grocers, accompanied by Myrtle Pangburn, county Social Security director, appears before the County Court, asking it to approve a $12,000 revolving fund for the operation of the federal food-stamp plan, and to continue paying for surplus commodity distribution under the present system of administering relief.

Construction of the final link in the extension of South Main Street to connect with South Sprigg Street at the north end of the Smelterville suburb and provide for a new traffic artery from the south side to the downtown section has been started; the link is virtually completed from William Street to College Street.

1916

Dr. Paul R. Williams went to St. Louis early yesterday morning to have an X-ray made of his arm by a specialist and returned to town on the midnight train with the unhappy news both bones in his right wrist were broken; Williams suffered the fracture Tuesday night, when his automobile backfired as he was cranking it; he's still manning his office, but he's not able to get around as usual.

Mayor Fred Kage starts circulating a petition among the property owners on Water Street to have the part of the street that recently was damaged by the floodwaters replaced with a 4-inch layer of concrete; the Frisco paid all the expenses of paving the street when it was built several years ago.

-- Sharon K. Sanders