Out of the past: Jan. 19

1996

A tornado that damaged businesses and homes in East Prairie, Missouri, yesterday morning was part of a winter storm that delivered high winds and torrential rain across Southeast Missouri; the storm caused scattered power outages in the region and sent temperatures plummeting; the tornado touched down about 9:07 a.m. on the east side of East Prairie without warning.

After 29 years as a school administrator, Scott City superintendent Doug Berry is retiring; he announced the decision at a meeting of the Scott City Board of Education Wednesday night; Berry has been the district's superintendent for three years; he will retire June 30 when his contract expires; his wife Mary, an elementary teacher, is also expected to retire at the end of the year.

1971

An eight-year member of Local 282 of the Laborers Union in Cape Girardeau claims gambling, drinking, stealing, operation of private businesses and featherbedding are being conducted by union foremen at the Noranda Aluminum Co. construction site south of New Madrid, Missouri; he also claims he could tell a "hell of a lot more" than what the Missouri Task Force on Organized Crime charged in its report released two weeks ago; the report cited as fact much of what the union local member charged.

The Municipal Airport Board voted unanimously yesterday to recommend to the City Council that approximately 400 acres of tillable land at the airport be leased through public bid; in the past the farmland surrounding the developed part of the airfield has been leased by private negotiations.

1946

Recent surveys reveal a rather gloomy outlook for emergency housing facilities in Cape Girardeau; James A. Jackson, chairman of the private homes subcommittee of the Chamber of Commerce, says so far only 29 persons have listed rooms available, apartments available or soon to be, and homes which could be remodeled into apartments.

International Shoe factory is marking time again, with its 1,500 workers idled by the St. Louis truck strike, now 13 days old; factory superintendent Frank Miller says it may be that it will take a day or two to get supplies here, even after the strike is settled.

1921

A stray remark about the age of a car seen on Broadway recently set a Missourian news-hound on a search for the oldest automobile in Cape Girardeau; after a two-day search, the chase was narrowed to two cars: a 1909-10 Buick Roadster owned by Richard W. Frissell, 1451 Themis St., and a 1911 Ford touring car, the property of L.T. Keller of West Independence Street; veteran motorists say L.B. Houck, 936 College Hill Place, owned Cape Girardeau's first automobile, a Toledo Steamer, brought here in 1900.

Leon J. Bahn, junior partner of Bahn Hardware Co. on Main Street, was elected president of the Cape Girardeau Jaycees last night.

-- Sharon K. Sanders