Out of the past: July 11

1992

Building a new Mississippi River bridge at Cape Girardeau is one of the largest projects the state highway department will complete this decade. Construction of the $90 million bridge is expected to begin in 1994 and be completed by 1999. About 130 homes and businesses will have to be demolished to clear the way for the span and crosstown highway. More than 100 families will be relocated.

Construction is on the minds of members of the school board, who are meeting in a retreat this weekend. In addition to new school facilities, the board says it wants a sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade middle school, air-conditioned buildings throughout the district and school-district boundaries that match city limits.

1967

Mosquitoes are putting the bite on Cape Girardeau taxpayers this year. Russell Matzen, health officer, says city spraying operations have been running about $80 a day. Although the city spent only $1,400 on mosquito control last year, the figure this summer may top $2,500.

Parcel-post deliveries six days a week, instead of five, are ordered for Cape Girardeau and nearly 5,000 other cities. This year, Congress has put an $8,400,000 item in the Post Office Department's appropriations bill to restore six-day delivery.

1942

A two-day junior show, provided by the 4-H and Future Farmers of America clubs, will take the place of the SEMO District Fair here this fall. The show tentatively is set for Aug. 28-29. The fair board Friday decided definitely not to hold the big fair with all its departments because of the stress of the times.

The non-defense construction ban, put into effect in April, has sliced the building volume in Cape Girardeau to nearly nothing, making a $475 remodeling project something to note. City engineer John Walther says the remodeling jobs now on the string put the building business here on a level with the Depression year of 1930.

1917

Cape Girardeau's boys no longer belong to the Tenth Separate Company of Infantry. Gov. F.D. Gardner has designated their organization as Company L. Capt. Wilson Bain and his associates wanted the unit to be called Company K, as that was the title it formerly held, but that designation has gone to the Sikeston, Missouri, unit.

Fred A. Groves, manager of Fred A. Groves Motor Co., has received a notice from the War Department to report to St. Louis early next week to take the examination for the aviation division of the Army.

-- Sharon K. Sanders