Out of the past: Feb. 19

1993

A state grant program has enabled the city since 1982 to make almost $3 million in improvements in blighted sections of Cape Girardeau, including housing renovations and street and sewer repairs; about 130 homes have been rehabilitated and two miles of streets and alleys have been paved through the state's Community Development Block Grant Program.

The Fruitland Area Fire Department has purchased a fire engine to replace one demolished in an accident last November at New Wells; the pumper truck will be delivered in early March after additional modifications are made to the storage compartments.

1968

Rep. Paul C. Jones challenged a class of 80 Eagle Scouts bearing his name yesterday not to consider the exercise a graduation, but to "gird for the fight ahead and face the challenges with the best that is in you"; Jones, Southeast Missouri's congressman from the 10th District, was the speaker at a Court of Honor for boys reaching the rank of Eagle Scout.

The initial construction by Procter & Gamble of a paper products manufacturing plant north of Trail of Tears State Park is expected to boost overall county assessed valuation by about 4 percent, Nell Holcomb R-4 School District more than 100 percent and Jackson R-2 District as much as 14 percent.

1943

Training has started for 40 Naval V-5 aviation cadets at the Teachers College following their arrival here earlier in the week; the 40 young men, from several states, are quartered at Cheney Hall; they will spend eight weeks of intensive training here before going to the pre-flight school at the University of Iowa.

Mrs. Ivan Hobbs of Cape Girardeau receives word that her brother, 1st Staff Sgt. Ursel Haines, was killed in action in North Africa Jan. 22; Haines, 49, was born in Portageville, Missouri, and lived there until entering the Army when he was 19 years old.

1918

A fire at Fornfelt at 1:30 a.m. destroys three houses, occupied by Ora O. Taylor, John Lippe and E.E. Proffer; the houses were located in the west end of the city, not far from the west ward school house.

Harry Naeter, one of the publishers of The Daily Republican newspaper, is very ill at the hospital; he went in last Thursday morning for a minor operation and progressed satisfactorily until Sunday, when he suffered a setback; while his condition isn't critical, the doctors say he is extremely sick.

-- Sharon K. Sanders