Out of the past: Feb. 8

1992

Cape Girardeau lawyer John L. Oliver Jr. is one of three people included on a list of nominees to fill a vacancy on the Missouri Supreme Court; Oliver, a fourth-generation lawyer, would become the third Cape Girardeau County resident to serve on the court if appointed by Gov. John Ashcroft.

Bringing to an end a process she terms "very excruciating," state Rep. Mary Kasten of Cape Girardeau said she has decided not to seek the Republican nomination for the Missouri Senate and will instead seek a sixth term in the House.

1967

State College's 18th annual Ugly Man-Miss Beautiful contest gets underway in a drive to raise money for the Cape Girardeau Civic Center; the sponsoring organization, Alpha Phi Omega, a national service fraternity, donated $2,000 to the newly organized Cape Girardeau Chapter of the Missouri Mental Health Association after last year's contest.

Billy Davis, 14, son of Mr. and Mrs. Bill L. Davis of Scott City, is treated and released at Southeast Hospital after he breaks his right arm doing "flips" in physical-education class at Illmo-Scott City High School; mostly unfazed by the accident, young Davis is most worried about how soon he will be able to play the guitar he received for Christmas.

1942

The Rev. H.E. Waddle, first pastor of the local Assembly of God Church, speaks at the local church in the morning; he was pastor of the church when it was organized 20 years ago and held the post about eight years; he is now district superintendent for the church in Tennessee, residing at Nashville.

Cape Girardeau retail merchants have been approached by community leaders of the McClure, Illinois, vicinity to subscribe several hundred dollars to a fund to help get a permanent injunction against Alexander County, Illinois, buying the traffic bridge at Cape Girardeau; the county has a tentative contract with a Chicago bond house to buy the Mississippi River bridge here for $2,500,000.

1917

An unusual earthquake trembled the earth at 7:10 last evening, giving many Cape Girardeau and Southeast Missouri residents a scare and others merely something to discuss; the quake was accompanied by the loudest explosive rumble ever heard at the same time a quake occurred.

"Uncle" John Cotner, at 96 the oldest resident of Applecreek Township if not the whole county, dies in the morning at his home in Oak Ridge after a short illness; while his wife died a number of years ago, he is survived by a brother, C.G. Cotner of Oak Ridge, with whom he made his home, as well as several children.

-- Sharon K. Sanders