Out of the past: June 11

1994

Dan Milligan, former Cape Girardeau Central High School principal, said Friday his decision to leave school a week before commencement was based on a series of meetings starting six weeks earlier requesting special treatment for one senior; on June 3, Milligan left Central High in protest of a decision to allow seniors who hadn't completed graduation requirements to participate in commencement; he hasn't returned to the school.

The annual Riverfest celebration kicked off last night in downtown Cape Girardeau; the festival continues today, with evening main stage entertainment to feature The Ozark Mountain Daredevils; the fireworks will begin at 9 p.m., followed by a concert by Martina McBride.

1969

Dr. David Strand, associate dean at State College, presents a history of the White House Conference on Youth during his keynote address to the conference meeting in the Little Theater at Kent Library; Strand said the conference is designed to be advisory to the American people as a whole and to their representatives in local, state and national legislative bodies, professional and citizens' groups and public and private agencies.

Robert A. Davie, PO 2.C., U.S. Navy, is "wintered in" at the South Pole; the young sailor, 23, is the son of Lorene Speer of Cape Girardeau and Robert Davie; a naval electronics technician, Davie is one of 20 men working with Operation Deep Freeze, a special navy project; the men have been without communication since Feb. 15.

1944

The Rev. J.B. Ragsdale, pastor of Point Breeze Baptist Church in St. Louis County, preaches at two services at Red Star Baptist Church; he is here at the invitation of the pulpit committee as a candidate for pastor.

First Lt. Archie Trantham of Cape Girardeau has been credited with sinking a Japanese destroyer June 8 in action off northern New Guinea; Trantham was piloting one of a force of 10 B-25 bombers, which, despite heavy anti-aircraft fire, sank four enemy warships, three of them destroyers and one a cruiser.

1919

The flotilla of naval craft passes Cape Girardeau at 1:30 p.m., steaming slowly up the river toward St. Louis; there are two submarine chasers, the captured German submarine K-5 and the destroyer Isabel; thousands crowd the river banks from a point near the freight station to near the power plant to watch the war ships pass by; three seaplanes accompanying the flotilla passed over Cape Girardeau at 11:30 a.m.

A troop of Boy Scouts was organized at St. Vincent's Catholic Church last night with 17 scouts; Joseph Selle was named scoutmaster, with the following assistants, Edward J. Bauerle, J. Urban Rieck and A.W. Zimmermann; Robert A. Lilly will act as assistant scoutmaster and special instructor; another troop is planned to be organized at once at St. Mary's Church.

-- Sharon K. Sanders