Out of the past: Jan. 9

1998

A Wal-Mart Stores Learjet 35 en route from Bentonville, Arkansas, to New York, made an emergency landing at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport yesterday morning, when smoke was reported in the plane's cabin; the plane landed safely and without incident at about 9:30 a.m.

The Cape Girardeau County Commission on Thursday approved pay increases averaging 10% to 11% for officers in the sheriff's department and juvenile office and 6% salary hikes for most other county employees; in another matter, the commission yesterday discussed plans to convince state conservation officials to build a nature center in the North County Park; county commissioners plan to pitch the idea to the Missouri Conservation Commission when it meets in Cape Girardeau on Jan. 22.

1973

Mechanical problems with standby gas supply units at four Cape Girardeau public schools force suspension of all classes within the district; although the reason for the closing is given as a shortage of natural gas, it actually can be attributed to faulty propane gas supply units at Alma Schrader, Hawthorn, Jefferson and L.J. Schultz schools.

Betty and former Gov. Warren E. Hearnes arrive at the Sikeston airport Jan. 8, 1973. (Gordon McBride ~ Southeast Missourian archive)

Betty and former Gov. Warren E. Hearnes arrive at the Sikeston airport Jan. 8, 1973. (Gordon McBride ~ Southeast Missourian archive)

CHARLESTON, Mo. -- With temperatures in the low 20s yesterday, large crowds turned out at the Sikeston (Missouri) Airport and Charleston to greet retired Gov. and Mrs. Warren E. Hearnes as Mississippi County held an official welcome home; the day's festivities ended with a dinner and dance at the Charleston National Guard Armory.

1948

Cape Girardeau's two parks -- one with an ambiguous name and the other with no official name at all -- are on their way to an official christening following action of the City Plan Commission yesterday; the commission picked the name Capaha Park for the presently named Fairground Park on Broadway; Arena Park was chosen for the unnamed new city park on Highway 61.

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Col. C.L. Blanton, one of Missouri's best known newspaper editors whose entire life was spent in company with printer's ink, passed away yesterday afternoon at his home here; he was 84 years old; the publisher, who entered the field with a weekly and ended with a daily, had been in poor health for some time, but until a few days ago had been able to spend a few hours at his desk at the office of the Standard Democrat.

1923

Petitions are being circulated in Cape Girardeau asking for an audit of the books of the public schools; L.L. Bowman, president of the Board of Education, welcomes the effort, saying, "It is the very thing that we have wanted all along, some genuine interest in schools."

Seven cases of pink eye broke out in the Rock Levee Black school last week, according to a report of County Health Officer E.E. Huber; the disease, which is highly contagious, threatened to spread to the other pupils in the school, and prompt action was taken by Huber to stop it; the children infected were excluded from the school and treated Saturday; all other pupils were given prophylactic treatment, to prevent them from acquiring the infection.

-- Sharon K. Sanders