Out of the past: July 3

1998

Voters could be asked in November to approve a tax to help fund development of Southeast Missouri State University's River Campus; Board of Regents president Don Dickerson of Cape Girardeau says he hopes a funding plan can be drawn up by the end of August; any local tax measure must be submitted to the Cape Girardeau County Clerk's Office by Aug. 25 for it to be placed on the November ballot.

The Cape Girardeau County Commission has appointed a new County Records Advisory Committee to look for solutions to the county's mounting records storage problem; five members, each with an interest in preserving records, will consider what the county should do with the historic documents, some of which are over 100 years old; appointed to the committee were Bill Eddleman, Dawn Detring, Jeff Roth, Terri Tomlin and Bernard Schaper.

1973

The power failure that blacked out portions of Southeast Missouri for nearly five hours during the night is believed to have been caused by either a faulty transformer or bus system at Missouri Utilities Co.'s substation south of Cape Girardeau; the major blackout affected an estimated 500-square-mile area in portions of Cape Girardeau, Scott and Mississippi counties; 10 communities were without power for periods ranging from an hour to nearly five hours.

A resolution allowing private construction of water mains from Jackson to a residential development east of there was approved by the Jackson City Council last night; the council authorized developer Jack Litzelfelner to have the work done without cost to the city; the development is located in an area of proposed annexation southwest of the city's sanitary landfill; the resolution provided that, if the area is annexed, the water mains become the property of the city.

1948

Cape Girardeau bus stations say holiday traffic has been exceedingly heavy the past 48 hours, and that today all scheduled buses and extras put into operation are at capacity; one terminal reports that all schedules are running with at least two extra buses, and last night on a run from St. Louis there were seven extra buses.

Home Abstract Co. of Cape Girardeau and Vandivort Abstract Co. of Jackson merge, taking the name Cape Girardeau County Abstract & Title Co.; the new firm will maintain the present offices in both towns; the announcement of the merger is made by Keith R. Tolliver, head of Home Abstract, and R.O Browning, head of Vandivort Abstract

1923

A $25,000, two-story brick business house will replace the old frame building on West Broadway that for many years was occupied by the Joseph Hohler family; the old building is being razed, and with its fall passes another Cape Girardeau landmark; Henry Fairchild, owner of the place, has been notified by his contractors, the Tuttle Masonry Co., that the new building will be completed by the time of the fair in September; the first floor will be occupied by the Deneke Auto Paint Shop and with the auto storage rooms of Jap Gardner; the second floor will be used as flats.

Last night's "request" band concert at Courthouse Park by the Cape Girardeau Municipal Band proved immensely popular; one of the largest crowds ever assembled for a musical program here was on hand early at the park and chose what the musicians played.

-- Sharon K. Sanders