Out of the past: July 2

1998

McCLURE, Ill. -- Some families in central and northern Alexander County, Illinois, are receiving water from a new source; homes in the East Cape Girardeau-McClure Water District were put on line about mid-morning yesterday by SouthWater Inc., a not-for-profit water company; the wait was a few hours longer for residents in the Olive Branch, Illinois, area of Central Alexander County Water District; the new system is a result of a four-year project for SouthWater, Inc., which was created by Southern Illinois Electric Cooperative to provide safe, clean water to more than 1,600 families in Alexander, Pulaski and Union counties.

KELSO, Mo. -- The 150-foot steeple of St. Augustine Catholic Church in Kelso is surrounded by scaffolding, as workers install a new copper cover; it is the first time the steeple has been recovered since the church was built in 1889.

1973

Merger of Cape Girardeau Federal Savings & Loan with Chaffee (Missouri) Savings & Loan and Caruthersville (Missouri) Savings & Loan is announced by officers of the three institutions; the merger will bring total assets of the combined organization to more than $70 million; Cape Girardeau Federal's home office at 2027 Broadway will become the home office of the merged organization.

Members of the Southeast Missouri State University Choir recently completed a whirlwind European concert tour, visiting Holland, Germany, Austria, France and Switzerland; the 48-member choir, director Doyle Dumas and his wife, Golden Eagles director LeRoy Mason and his wife, and three music graduate assistants traveled through the countries in a chartered bus complete with a tour guide.

1948

Bids of three contractors for improvements at Cape Girardeau Municipal Airport are rejected by the Airport Board, which orders re-advertising for a second bid opening July 28; after a closed session of the board, members explain they believe the bids are too high on the paved portion of the improvements.

One of the oldest buildings in Cape Girardeau, and reportedly the oldest on Broadway, is being demolished; it is the brick structure at 111 Broadway, which is owned by Ralph Fuerth and houses Jones Printing Co.; a modern print shop has been erected in the rear of the property; once the old building is torn down, the new structure will be extended to front on Broadway.

1923

Advancing the opinion that it will be impossible to get a fair, impartial hearing before Judge Frank Kelly in circuit court, the City of Cape Girardeau files a change of venue in the mandamus proceedings instituted against it and Dunnegan Construction Co. by property owners in the West End sewer district arising from the torn-up streets there; Kelly recently filed suit against the city, claiming $6,000 damages to his property on South Pacific Street as a result of the overflow of water from a sewer at Pacific and Independence streets.

Arrangements for the big Fourth of July picnic, sponsored by the local American Legion at Fairground Park, are complete, down to the smallest detail; dozens of men are at work at the park preparing for the all-day celebration.

-- Sharon K. Sanders