Out of the past: July 9

1996

Speculation over whether Jo Ann Emerson will pursue the congressional seat of her late husband, U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson, will end tomorrow at 10 a.m., when she will announce her decision at a press conference in Cape Girardeau; Emerson will be flying in from Washington for the event at the Holiday Inn's Oak Room.

It's official: The telephone area code for Southeast Missouri is 573; if a person mistakenly uses the old, 314 area code today, a recording will advise the caller of the correct area code and ask him to dial again; the new 573 area runs from Hannibal south to the Bootheel and west to Lake Ozark; towns using the new area code include Jefferson City, Columbia, Cape Girardeau, Hermann, Poplar Bluff and Rolla.

1971

Voter registration in Cape Girardeau has reached a new tempo with a number of those signing up being 18, 19 and 20-year-olds taking advantage of the 18-year-old right-to-vote act; 23 registrations were taken Tuesday, 11 falling within the new age group; Wednesday, 16 more voters registered, four of these under the new law; since ratification of the new law by the 38th state, 184 youths have registered here and will be allowed to ballot in any election.

Dr. Robert C. Briner, 33, has been hired as director of the Southeast Missouri Law Enforcement Assistance Council laboratory at State College; a native of Indiana, Briner received his bachelor of science degree in chemistry from Indiana University in Bloomington and earned his doctorate at Florida State University in Tallahassee.

1946

Cape Girardeau police officers, who have worked 12-hour daily shifts since there has been a department here, soon will have their hours of duty cut to eight daily, says Chief of Police M.F. Morton; the men have always been called upon to serve 12 hours daily, seven days per week; instead of the current 84 hours a week, Cape Girardeau officers will now work 48, effective July 15.

There is little relief in the tight meat situation in Cape Girardeau, and there is likely not to be much relief, at least for a time; the reason is Cape Girardeau meat packers, who supply most of the local markets, are still hamstrung by the quotas laid down by the now defunct Office of Price Administration; they can't slaughter any more cattle or hogs than when the OPA rules were in effect.

1921

Dr. Arthur L. Fuerth arrives in Cape Girardeau for a visit with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. J.F. Fuerth of Rural Route No. 1, and announces he will probably take up the practice of medicine here; Fuerth resigned his position at the city hospital in St. Louis several days ago, after serving four years, the last two as resident surgeon for the city of St. Louis.

Charles L. McKinnis has been selected captain of the Howitzer Company; members met last night at the armory to perfect this new organization, and a number of recruits were mustered in as well by Capt. Charles Black; the company is expected to be posted to Sedalia, Missouri, for the state fair Aug. 8-20.

-- Sharon K. Sanders