Out of the past: July 18

1996

A car driven by an elderly Cape Girardeau woman swerved from the road at high speed and crashed into the side of a building at 1031 Broadway yesterday; the car may have been partially deflected from the building by a sign pole located just outside; the car, which was totaled, knocked the pole into the building, smashing bricks loose; the building houses SEMO Video, a video rental store, and Image Plus; both the driver and a passenger were treated at a local hospital and released.

SIKESTON, Mo. -- The Sikeston Board of Municipal Utilities would operate and maintain an additional 420-megawatt power unit at the Sikeston Power Plant if plans are worked out; the board entered into an agreement with Burns and McDonnell Engineering of Kansas City to pursue the development of a second unit at the Sikeston Power Station more than two months ago; negotiations among the board, the engineering firm and Union Electric are continuing.

1971

The minister of music and religious education at Red Star Baptist Church, Marty Sewald, has resigned to accept the position of professor and director of choral music at Southern Baptist College in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas; his resignation is effective Aug. 23.

Demolition will begin shortly of a two-story brick dwelling at the southwest corner of Ellis and North streets to make way for a three-level apartment building, reports Max Stovall, builder and owner; the new brick structure will be faced with long columns and will contain five apartment units.

1946

Indications mount that the announcement that a 1,000-bed veterans hospital would be built in St. Louis was premature; when contacted, Gen. Omar D. Bradley, head of the Veterans Administration, said there has been no announcement relative to the location of the hospital.

A committee to direct the proposed building of three dormitories at State College, which was recently made possible by legislative appropriation, has been selected by the college's Board of Regents; named to the committee were I.R. Kelso and Fred A. Groves of Cape Girardeau and John Lottes of Perryville, Missouri; regent Ralph E. Bailey of Sikeston, Missouri, and President W.W. Parker will be ex-officio members.

1921

The dry weather has had a bad effect on Three-Mile Creek; pools that were deep enough to swim in are now only knee deep, and the water is stagnant; Park Commissioner Louis Wittmor, however, is taking every precaution to keep the water in Cape Girardeau's municipal pool fresh; once a week, the pool is emptied and scrubbed with a lime solution; fresh water runs into the pool constantly.

The proprietors at Sturdivant Bank have taken the hint from the discussion of the need for drinking fountains in Cape Girardeau and have installed one; it is in operation and is serving the thirsty during business hours.

-- Sharon K. Sanders