Out of the past: July 17

1997

A gas war is underway in Cape Girardeau; gasoline prices have tumbled 12 to 13 cents a gallon at service stations this week, leaving prices at a few cents over a dollar; prices plummeted at three stations along the William Street corridor Monday to lows of $1.02 to $1.03 for self-service, regular unleaded fuel; at least two other stations joined in the "war" yesterday.

Five weekly newspapers in northeast Arkansas and Southeast Missouri have been purchased by Rust Communications of Cape Girardeau, effective Aug. 1; Rust Communications already totally or partially owns six daily newspapers and 11 weeklies in Missouri, Arkansas and Tennessee, as well as Concord Printing Services and the Southeast Missourian newspaper in Cape Girardeau.

1972

"Sadie" has her new dining hall, and volunteers working with the Otahki Girl Scout Council fund drive are hopeful enough money will be raised to finance swimming pool facilities with perhaps a little left over; Stanley Grimm, a local attorney leading the drive, says just over $58,000 has been raised so far.

Saturday's soaker was the hardest rainstorm for a summer season Cape Girardeau has received in many years, with 3.3 inches of rain dumped on the city's parched gardens and lawsn; but not all the clouds had silver linings; in the Oak Ridge-Fruitland area, tornadic winds hit around 4 p.m., destroying one home and damaging several other buildings; trees were uprooted, at least one truck blown from the road and debris was scattered over a wide area.

1947

The bottom literally dropped out of the fast-receding Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau over night, with a 3.3 foot fall being recorded in the 24-hour period ending at 8 a.m.; the drop brings the stage to 30 feet, the first time the river has been below flood stage since June 9 and the lowest since June 4; with the water gone from all streets in the city, the street department is pushing its cleanup; City Commissioner Frank Batchelor estimates twice as much sediment was left by this flood as during the 1943 record high water.

A poll of the Cape Girardeau City Council indicates it will vote at its Monday meeting to repeal daylight saving time and return to standard time; the new time was put into effect May 15 by the city after petitions, circulated by retail merchants, was presented; there has been widespread objection to "fast time," chiefly because of conflict with train and bus schedules.

1922

Four passenger coaches filled with soldiers of the Missouri National Guard arrive in Chaffee, Missouri, at 6 a.m., and soldiers are immediately posted around the roundhouse there to protect railroad property; the troops are part of the contingent from Poplar Bluff sent to Chaffee from Sedalia to guard railroad property during the strike.

Farmers living on Rock Levee Road say they will start threshing wheat tomorrow or Wednesday; after much difficulty in getting a threshing machine, they have secured Will Feuerhahn of Dutchtown; the first wheat to be harvested will be at the farm of Rube Gray at Sunny Slope, followed by Ed Cuskaden at Triangle Ranch, J.W.W. Crawford at 1101 Ranch and Oscar Royce at Little Valley Farm.

-- Sharon K. Sanders