Out of the past: July 2

1997

Now that William Street is clear, be prepared to take a detour on Independence Street; as work proceeds on Cape Girardeau's $25 million project to upgrade the sewer system in older parts of town, motorists can expect more disruptions; possibly as early as today, eastbound traffic will leave Independence at Henderson Avenue and follow Merriwether to Benton to allow construction workers to put in a new storm sewer on Independence; westbound traffic will use a single lane that will remain open.

Cape Girardeau businessman Tim Blattner, who recently visited Honk Kong, says the city should continue to be a stable and economically vibrant place that could become China's window to the world; Hong Kong has launched its new life as part of China, after 156 years of British colonial rule; Blattner and his wife, Nancy, were in Hong Kong on business in mid-to-late May.

1972

Jack V. Lawrence, son of Mrs. J.F. Lawrence of Cape Girardeau, received the master of divinity degree recently during graduation ceremonies at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri; he has just completed a nine-month program as a chaplain intern at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Kansas City and is now enrolled in a three-month program at Bethany Medical Center there.

A special service of patriotism and worship -- the "God and Country" service -- is held in the morning at Lynwood Baptist Chapel; those serving in the armed services or for law enforcement agencies are honored during the service.

1947

McCLURE, Ill. -- Having won, so far, their fight against the flooding Mississippi River, the hundreds of levee workers making up around-the-clock crews will face the stiffest part of their task, to come tonight, Thursday and Friday in the face of an expected final rise of the river; thus far, the levee battalion has even gained an edge on the flood's threat to inundate the fertile 56,000-acre basin.

The flood situation at Cape Girardeau is looking better, with the downward revision of the predicted flood crest to 41.5 feet, 6 inches less than the previous forecast; lessened pressure caused by crumbling dikes and a swift run of floodwater downstream brings the revision.

1922

The first open air union service of the summer is held in the evening at Courthouse Park; a number of songs are sung by the congregation, followed by a prayer and a sermon by the Rev. Rinehart Lehman of Christ Evangelical Church; this year union services will be held only during the month of July, so as not to conflict with the revival services at Centenary Methodist Church that starts Aug. 8; churches participating in the union services are the Episcopal, Presbyterian, Christian, Evangelical and Methodist Episcopal.

Alice H. Morton, who arrived here last week to take a place as assistant to the Rev. E.H. Orear, Centenary Methodist Church pastor, and to do missionary and home service work, spent five years working with the Chinese children in San Francisco's Chinatown.

-- Sharon K. Sanders